Examining Your Life

If you take the time to observe and reflect on what happens in your life, even the tiniest occurrences, you may learn a lot about yourself. After all, shouldn't this be the most important goal to be pursued in any human existence? Socrates seems to have said that an unexamined life is not worth living. You may not agree but, if you reflect for a moment, you realize that there is a certain truth in it. What truth? Several 'truths' could be identified, actually, such as the need to know yourself better, understand what is not working, choose a different way of dealing with others, modify a negative attitude, become more accepting, open-minded, patient, etc. There are many ways in which a careful examination of the present flow of your existence can help you lead a better life. You can do this by paying constant attention to your thoughts, words, actions. This means being "aware". It may be not easy all the time, but it may also be worth trying. You decide for yourself.

Helpful Flaws

A delicate question: considering a certain flaw in your character (if you are human, you must certainly have at least one!) how do you feel if someone draws your attention to it by making a comment that sounds like a criticism? Would you rather never to be reminded of this aspect of your personality? Understandably, no-one likes to be shown a fault of theirs, to be made aware of one's own imperfection. Although you know that you are not 'perfect', at the same time you find it disagreeable when a friend, or a colleague points out such flaw. But, as every situation can be viewed from different perspectives, also this may have a positive side. If you try to be  more open-minded, you can see those unpleasant comments as a way to better know yourself and, consequently, as an invitation to improve your character. Once you become "aware", it should not be too difficult to make a change. On the other hand, you may be brave enough to acknowledge it, accept it as it is, agree with your interlocutor, and...smile!

Freedom: Is There A Limit?

A puzzling question concerns an extremely important topic, "freedom". The official definition is: 'the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint'. Such idea sounds fair, as far as only your person is concerned Your feelings, thoughts, ideas and beliefs are certainly boundless. But, as you do not live alone but you share this earth with other people, should such 'power or right' be limitless even when other people's dignity, health or safety in general are concerned? Let us say that your neighbor, just like you, is entitled not only to think but also to speak and act without any boundary. Consequently, he feels entitled to offend you as much as he likes in the name of his freedom of speech and expression. He feels also at liberty (thanks to his freedom to act) to walk around the neighborhood refusing to take the precautions required for safety reasons, thus endangering those who are taking a looming health hazard seriously. According to your conscience, as well as to your intelligence, is this fair?

Trust: Yes or No?

When people talk about 'trust', they usually refer it to others. They say that such and such person can or cannot be trusted, meaning that they feel comfortable in confiding in them or they don't. This distinction seems quite simple. Not so easy to answer, though, may be the question: Do you trust "yourself"? If you do, it means that you are aware of who you truly are and accept it unconditionally. You know both your strengths and your weaknesses. You accept your physical appearance without trying to alter it in extreme ways. Although you are not narrow-minded, you also hold strong beliefs and opinions. On the other hand, if you don't trust yourself, you are always in search of reassurance about the way people might perceive or judge you. You lack the inner certitude of your value, therefore you need others to notice and tell you positive things about your looks, intelligence, skills. Neither perception is right or wrong, of course. It's just what "is". But, once again, awareness is the key to better know oneself. 

The Question of Belief

Some people believe anything, some doubt everything, others look for answers. Here are three interesting 'positions' of the human nature. There are people who need to be reassured about the meaning of their existence and beyond, so they are ready to accept whatever comforting perspective that makes them avoid any effort towards personal work. Thus dogmatic beliefs and cults flourish. On the other extreme, there are those who don't believe anything, unless they can see, touch and directly experience a proposed possibility or theory. They feel that all feats or concepts can be questioned, that not a thing can be taken for sure. Therefore no-thing can be actually fully believed. The third group includes people whose mindset pushes them to ask questions and try to find answers. They work towards solving the "puzzle". Sometimes they succeed in finding an acceptable, logical solution. Other times they don't, yet they keep on trying. Which category do you feel you belong: the blind believers, the skeptics/doubters or the 'inquirers'?

Still ...You Can Wonder!

If you happen to check out some news websites, you may be shocked by the trivialities you find. If human intelligence means 'capacity for logic', 'emotional knowledge', 'creativity', and 'critical thinking', you can't help wondering who puts those news online and, most of all, why. You may also wonder about those who read such news, and why they are interested in reading them. Although each individual is entitled to their choices, without having to give any explanation about their tastes, at the same time you might like to know what makes such "news" worth posting. According to ancient wisdom, a news is worth reporting only if it is either interesting, useful or witty. Most of what you see online has none of these characteristics. On the other hand, Romans used to say that personal tastes should never be argued about. Still... you can wonder!

Is It All In The Mind?

Some scientists propose the hypothesis that reality is the result of a general hallucination. This means that what human beings experience is not something that actually 'exists', but it is generated by an image created in the brain. It is something similar to the picture of an optical illusion, where you can see two different images according to the way you choose to focus your sight. Is the ballerina spinning clockwise or anti-clockwise? Is the dress white or blue? Are the two lines parallel or curved? Once you and everybody else decide on the ballerina's direction, on the dress color or on the position of the two lines, i.e. once a decision is made on what and how something "is", its reality is set up, and it becomes everybody's experience. As long as there is agreement, a true fact is established. When such agreement is not reached,  there is no actuality. Can such weird, astounding hypothesis be acceptable? It might - to some, while to others it sounds absurd. So, can it be all in the mind?

"Greater Marvels Yet To Be"

A poem by Walt Whitman says: "Oh, to be alive in such an age, when miracles are everywhere, and every inch of common air throbs a tremendous prophecy, of greater marvels yet to be." These verses were written over a hundred yeas ago, but their message can be beneficial now, as it could have been, or could be, in any other age. No matter what period of time human beings are living in, they always have to face problems, discord, disappointment, pain. This is how the world seems to function and it's a truth that must be accepted. Yet, in any given moment, a word is always there that asks to be acknowledged: Hope. You cannot see it because hope is not a tangible thing. But you can allow it in your 'self' at any time, in spite of circumstances, and keep it for as long as you choose to. Everybody wishes to believe that good things are yet to come, and that positive events can still be witnessed. As long as hope and trust in the future persist, nothing is ever lost.   

Between Two Fires

"To find oneself caught between two fires" is an expression whose image gives a clear idea of a certain situation you, too, might end up in. Imagine two of your friends, or dear ones, who are presently experiencing a great contrast in their relationship. Each tells you the problem from their personal point of view and expects your favorable reaction and support. If you realize that one of them is positively right, you may find a way to express your opinion kindly to the one you believe to be wrong. But if you detect truth in each of their complaints or accusations, if you can see the two opposite standpoints and...agree with both, what do you do? You literally find yourself between two "fires". How can you support each position without disappointing the other? Is there a fair way to do the right thing?

Nothing New Under the Sun

An interesting reflection about the history of mankind could be the following. Starting from the beginning, at least as far as we know, human beings have faced challenges on different levels: livelihood, weather, conflicts, safety, integration, and so on. If you consider the gradual transformation of these 'situations' throughout the ages, you realize that, although they are definitely and remarkably different, yet they tend to repeat themselves with evident regularity. Nowadays people don't fight for the sake of their tribes, yet animosity towards who belongs to another race or ethnicity still does exist. Nowadays people are not compelled to leave their homeland to find new sources of food and water, yet many are still in need to seek refuge in other countries. War still exists, although it's not fought with clubs or swards. Different scenarios, same reality. Different appearance, same substance. The conclusion we can infer is that - in spite of the huge progress contemporary society is so proud of - it's still true what an ancient saying stated, "There is no new thing under the sun".

Multi-Petaled Flower

For a long time the world, in its human aspect and manifestation, seemed to have appeared as a flower with just a few petals. The way used to identify different tastes and orientations, skills and capabilities, body shapes, attitudes and moods, even feelings was well defined: it was either this or that, possibly just an additional acceptable definition. That was all. Everybody was encased in a specific 'frame' whenever they needed to be described. Nowadays such rigidity does not exists any more. Now an individual can be seen as a flower with a large amount of petals. The study of the human nature in greater depth shows that there are many more facets than previously believed. It's possible that in the future another flower will be discovered with an even higher number of petals, and human beings with additional up-to-now-unknown characteristics. As a saying goes, "The world is beautiful because it is varied". Today more than ever!