[To Be Open-minded or Not To Be?]
When we accept and believe in particular doctrines, we tend to hold them so tightly that we leave no room for anything else. We give them supremacy over everything else and thus become self-righteous. If you believe being a vegan is the optimal choice of lifestyles, you may find it hard to view other diet supporters the same as how you perceive yourself and your club members. It takes so much more mental effort to have compassion and empathy over others especially when you are drastically different.
Holding to our beliefs gives us a sense of meaning and safety in life. It defines who we are, so we behave accordingly. It distinguishes 「good」 and 「bad」, 「right」 and 「wrong」, so we live our life with a sense of certainty and satisfaction. Though it works pretty well in terms of guiding us faithfully living our life, it can be too much when we impose it on others. You may think you』ve never and will never impose your ideology, philosophy, etc. on others, but the fact is that it’s in our psyches. Have you ever judge others, even just for once? If yes, welcome to the club. The premise of any judgments is standards. The courts' judges do their job based on a court of law the majority in a society agree on. Yet, when we judge others, do they agree on the criterion we use? What is the point of judging the other person based on standards not in alignment with others?Well, it may falsely make you feel good about yourself. On the scale of your standards, someone you criticize is at a lower level. By comparing yourself with others in this way, you acquire a sense of supremacy. Yet, how narrow the minds. They see the world from a single dimension, leaving no room for possibilities and it deprives them of their empathy towards others. Human beings are different than each other. It’s one of the most common things in the world. Respect the difference and our existence on this planet. That will bring us a sense of inner peace and true appreciation of the difference and distance we have with others. [What If You Are The Different One?]What if you are the one that’s different? You may be open-minded to differences but you can’t promise others too. That way, they may hurt you or wound you. What you have to remind yourself daily is that You will be heavily affected, either positively or negatively, by your environment and the people around you, for sure. To stay being yourself may be easier to said than done.It』ll be a challenge for you, but also an opportunity. As long as that you grow out of it, what can’t kill you will make you stronger. Go through it, and crush it.It takes time from intelligent initiation to act accordingly in real life. You have to fight with your instincts to shiver and retreat, which were conditioned reflex formed through the years. Humans are gregarious. Similar people attract each other. If you think, behave, and act differently, you may feel the pressure from conformity or peer pressure. It’s a battle between powers. The more powerful ones always win. Thus you have to have faith in yourself and work on yourself. Being yourself isn’t easy. You fight for it by enduring loneliness and learning to get along with yourself. We often hide in relationships (even toxic ones) to avoid spending time with ourselves because it somehow feels intimidating. When you are with yourself, alone, there comes the soul-seeking, mental effort-consuming questions: 「who are you?」 「what do you want?」 「What should you do?」 「What will you choose?」 「Why?」 What is the relationship between you and anybody else? How do you want it to be like? If you are different than others in many ways, especially regarding your perspectives, habits, and ingrained opinions, how is the dynamic of the interaction between you and others should be like? How should you balance your inner peace and outer conflicts? These are the questions you have to contemplate over and over again until you see it ——your mind and heart. Vise versa, take time to contemplate who you are and what you value. That sense of self-clarity will be the cornerstone of your life philosophies. It』ll hold you up to be stronger, more assertive, and more confident. Knowing who you are is the key to improve your relationships with the ever-changing world out there. You should find your inner guards, which can be portrayed by anything such as sun, mountain, a male, a female, bones, etc. It is the force that ever inhabits your body and your psyche. They are the guards to each side of you if you but calls for them. They protect you, your soul, and your instinctual nature as you wander in this world full of differences.We are all different than each other in many ways. We are all similar to each other to some extend. Having a bit more compassion for others and courage for self-exploring. May we all be free and happy as whales in the ocean, birds in the sky, and deers in the forest. We only live our lives once. There are too many things in the universe that deserve us to search, explore, and think about. What is the meaning of life? How to live a meaningful life? How to change ourselves? What can we do in ten, twenty, and fifty years? What is the mission of living our lives? May we always search, think, run, and grow.
Negative Thoughts
#CHALLENGE: Think Outside the Box
Changeability
The Art of Active Listening
為什麼我們應該擁抱焦慮
如何不再在意別人對你的看法？
Let's Talk about Food 如何吃得高級？
這裡有一份果蔬清洗指南！