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wuliheron
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"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change." ~ Carl Rogers
Because we are ignorant we may learn. Acquiring new insights can seem effortless when we nonchalantly accept our ignorance and spontaneously follow it wherever it may lead. In many respects, our ignorance and questions themselves are much more important and meaningful than any particular answers we might find. Each new answer generates countless new questions, but it is the questions themselves that drive us to find the answers in the first place, and our ignorance that makes it all possible. The meaning and import of our answers then, lies as much with our acceptance of our ignorance and questions as it does with the answers themselves. It is the humble acceptance of the gift of a question and the paradox of existence, which is a pearl beyond price.
For many ironically, without acceptance the depths of their skepticism, rationality, and pragmatism suffer. Being diligent in tearing apart and thoroughly analyzing the vast multitude of possibilities life presents us is simply not enough to restore these losses. Stoically pushing aside our feelings and striving for objectivity is perhaps one way to regain some of this loss, but often a rather modest beginning rather than a means to an end. The various emotional contexts in which we live our lives, including the calm and peaceful acceptance of our existence, is the foundation of reason and how we most effortlessly and effectively find meaning in anything.
Without the acceptance that makes working towards objectivity possible in the first place, it can become a mindless and uninsightful mechanical process essentially no different from the way my computer crunches numbers. If we adopt a contentious unaccepting approach, the meaning and import of the answers we might find can be lost amidst our emotional turmoil. Whichever way we might pursue leads inexorably back to the central issue of acceptance.
Exactly how each of us goes about finding and promoting acceptance depends upon the individual, and can be as easy as taking our next breath or more difficult than rocket science. There isn’t any intrinsic difficulty with the task at hand, but instead, the problem lies most pointedly with our internal struggles. As paradoxical as it might sound, sometimes we just seem to want to be angry, sad, and generally unaccepting for no apparent reason at all. At other times, when attempting to make ourselves feel better we seem to draw a complete blank on where to begin. However, whether we recognize it as such or not, the attempt itself is just such a beginning.
On such occasions exploring the source of our feelings, thinking of things we can be grateful for, presenting ourselves with the gift of a question, or otherwise directly addressing our negativity in an assertive but accepting manner can be extremely helpful. Making a habit of doing so and learning to value and embrace the process itself can take time, but fortunately this can be achieved in any number of ways. The gift of even largely rhetorical questions can sometimes be invaluable as a way of at least getting the process started, a faint reminder of what we need to do in order to find renewed understanding and meaning. These faint reminders can then prompt us to take the process further by writing down our feelings, talking to a friend, meditating, or whatever.
This attitude we call acceptance then is at the heart of philosophy, science, spirituality, relationships, and life in general. Nonetheless, few people actually study, much less master, it in any kind of formal setting. Consequently we can go to extremes to implement ad hoc solutions or frantically search for answers when simply asking sincere questions could save us a tremendous amount of time, energy, confusion, and discomfort. Despite the enormous power of the gift of accepting questions, society at large does not demonstrably value questions. On the contrary practicing the art of asking questions, especially introspective questions, is frequently cited as extremely confusing, frightening, unproductive, and generally undesirable. Thus we are more often than not left to our own devices to struggle with the confusing morass of conflicting feelings and beliefs we accumulate over a lifetime and can become embroiled in on a daily basis in our interactions with others.
Questions can feel threatening and futile to even the most self-confident and otherwise open-minded among us. Feeling needy, vulnerable, or that questions are futile are among the most formidable barriers to overcome if we are to present the gift of questions and learn from whatever answers we might discover. Logic and reason, facts and faith, can all be invaluable tools for exploring life, but without acceptance their inherent power can be severely diminished or even turned counterproductive.
Sincere questions are inherently accepting, and do not demand answers or anything else for that matter. Our personal desires sometimes help to prompt our questions, but can also be so unrelenting and forceful they tend to drown out the import of the answers when they come. Such questions progressively become more rhetorical as any modest germ of sincerity they might possesses is overwhelmed by our demands. In finding ways to at least temporarily put aside our demands or otherwise cultivate acceptance, we not only create the opportunity for genuine questions to arise but also, just as importantly, provide an environment in which everyone can more easily listen for the answers.
Acceptance therefore is especially critical to any epistemological inquiry we might choose to under take. Whether we conceive of acceptance in any particular situation as merely a tool or something much more personal and affecting, its influence on us all is undeniable. From the prosaic acceptance of the air we breathe to the most profound of personal or intellectual insights, acceptance plays a key role in how we learn and what we come to know. In our attempts to understand ourselves, the world around us, or existence itself, acceptance and the gift of the questions it makes possible for all of us is irreplaceable.
Wu Li
Because we are ignorant we may learn. Acquiring new insights can seem effortless when we nonchalantly accept our ignorance and spontaneously follow it wherever it may lead. In many respects, our ignorance and questions themselves are much more important and meaningful than any particular answers we might find. Each new answer generates countless new questions, but it is the questions themselves that drive us to find the answers in the first place, and our ignorance that makes it all possible. The meaning and import of our answers then, lies as much with our acceptance of our ignorance and questions as it does with the answers themselves. It is the humble acceptance of the gift of a question and the paradox of existence, which is a pearl beyond price.
For many ironically, without acceptance the depths of their skepticism, rationality, and pragmatism suffer. Being diligent in tearing apart and thoroughly analyzing the vast multitude of possibilities life presents us is simply not enough to restore these losses. Stoically pushing aside our feelings and striving for objectivity is perhaps one way to regain some of this loss, but often a rather modest beginning rather than a means to an end. The various emotional contexts in which we live our lives, including the calm and peaceful acceptance of our existence, is the foundation of reason and how we most effortlessly and effectively find meaning in anything.
Without the acceptance that makes working towards objectivity possible in the first place, it can become a mindless and uninsightful mechanical process essentially no different from the way my computer crunches numbers. If we adopt a contentious unaccepting approach, the meaning and import of the answers we might find can be lost amidst our emotional turmoil. Whichever way we might pursue leads inexorably back to the central issue of acceptance.
Exactly how each of us goes about finding and promoting acceptance depends upon the individual, and can be as easy as taking our next breath or more difficult than rocket science. There isn’t any intrinsic difficulty with the task at hand, but instead, the problem lies most pointedly with our internal struggles. As paradoxical as it might sound, sometimes we just seem to want to be angry, sad, and generally unaccepting for no apparent reason at all. At other times, when attempting to make ourselves feel better we seem to draw a complete blank on where to begin. However, whether we recognize it as such or not, the attempt itself is just such a beginning.
On such occasions exploring the source of our feelings, thinking of things we can be grateful for, presenting ourselves with the gift of a question, or otherwise directly addressing our negativity in an assertive but accepting manner can be extremely helpful. Making a habit of doing so and learning to value and embrace the process itself can take time, but fortunately this can be achieved in any number of ways. The gift of even largely rhetorical questions can sometimes be invaluable as a way of at least getting the process started, a faint reminder of what we need to do in order to find renewed understanding and meaning. These faint reminders can then prompt us to take the process further by writing down our feelings, talking to a friend, meditating, or whatever.
This attitude we call acceptance then is at the heart of philosophy, science, spirituality, relationships, and life in general. Nonetheless, few people actually study, much less master, it in any kind of formal setting. Consequently we can go to extremes to implement ad hoc solutions or frantically search for answers when simply asking sincere questions could save us a tremendous amount of time, energy, confusion, and discomfort. Despite the enormous power of the gift of accepting questions, society at large does not demonstrably value questions. On the contrary practicing the art of asking questions, especially introspective questions, is frequently cited as extremely confusing, frightening, unproductive, and generally undesirable. Thus we are more often than not left to our own devices to struggle with the confusing morass of conflicting feelings and beliefs we accumulate over a lifetime and can become embroiled in on a daily basis in our interactions with others.
Questions can feel threatening and futile to even the most self-confident and otherwise open-minded among us. Feeling needy, vulnerable, or that questions are futile are among the most formidable barriers to overcome if we are to present the gift of questions and learn from whatever answers we might discover. Logic and reason, facts and faith, can all be invaluable tools for exploring life, but without acceptance their inherent power can be severely diminished or even turned counterproductive.
Sincere questions are inherently accepting, and do not demand answers or anything else for that matter. Our personal desires sometimes help to prompt our questions, but can also be so unrelenting and forceful they tend to drown out the import of the answers when they come. Such questions progressively become more rhetorical as any modest germ of sincerity they might possesses is overwhelmed by our demands. In finding ways to at least temporarily put aside our demands or otherwise cultivate acceptance, we not only create the opportunity for genuine questions to arise but also, just as importantly, provide an environment in which everyone can more easily listen for the answers.
Acceptance therefore is especially critical to any epistemological inquiry we might choose to under take. Whether we conceive of acceptance in any particular situation as merely a tool or something much more personal and affecting, its influence on us all is undeniable. From the prosaic acceptance of the air we breathe to the most profound of personal or intellectual insights, acceptance plays a key role in how we learn and what we come to know. In our attempts to understand ourselves, the world around us, or existence itself, acceptance and the gift of the questions it makes possible for all of us is irreplaceable.
Wu Li