“If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed.”
― Marcus Aurelius
We return to the elephant. You remember the one of which the blind men disagreed as to its exact nature.( Quote of the Day – March 26 2012) If the blind men were to try to integrate their views of the elephant they would come to a greater understanding of its nature just as each individual view of reality we are able to integrate with our own can bring deeper understanding. I had an interesting discussion this evening about the above quote. I want to write it as if it was instead had by the blind men.
Blind Man 1: To me this elephant is like a tree trunk. What is it like to you?
Blind Man 2: We know the elephant exists and that is enough. Our true selves know the nature of it.
Blind Man 1: That is true but how does that further our understanding here and now. If you tell me what the elephant seems like to you, perhaps by looking at both, we can gain greater understanding.
Blind Man 2: The elephant only has whatever meaning we give it.
Blind Man 3: WTF?
It’s not so much that I disagree with Blind Man 2 just that his point of view does not seem helpful in terms of living life to the highest degree of truth possible. Nor does it help promote empathy towards the experience of the other blind men. It occurs to me often that many of the problems that our world faces today comes from lack of empathy and compassion (the ability to step in another’s footsteps).
Blessings, G
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Red-Gold Galaxy by G A Rosenberg
Blue-Red Mandala by G A Rosenberg