We tend to confuse our opinion with what is true. That is, we commonly take something (anything) for granted simply because we think so.
Thus, for example, according to our conventional belief system, if I think that a certain person is envious, I do so because I have the full conviction that that person is indeed envious..
As simple as that. We do not stop to evaluate the causes through which this idea appears, the context in which this type of judgment occurs or question any other circumstance.
And far from it we stop to assess that maybe our opinion is wrong, or at least partially skewed ... That's the way it is, period, since I've thought about it this way.
The fact is that according to our staff way of thinking (shaped by our life experience, our social prejudices, our previous beliefs, our unconscious fears, our future interests, etc.) We understand reality in one way or another. That is, we give a certain meaning to what happens.
And how we have the feeling that our mind is objective, that is, similar to a video camera capable of capturing the circumstances without the slightest bit of subjectivity, We take for real everything that goes through our heads without hardly ever doubting it.
And the truth is that we are often wrong. And, deep down, we know it. We accumulate enough experiences to realize that, over time, many of the things that we previously saw in a concrete way are now valued in a very different way.
Or we remember perfectly situations in which the mood that we were hosting at that time totally influenced our behaviour compared to what would have been our usual way of acting. But even having the certainty of the fluctuations that occur in our interpretations of reality (many times even capricious), in our day to day, we continue to function and interact with others in the same way. As if we were possessors of the absolute truth.
However, this way of acting often leads us hopelessly to suffering. We often feel that we are almost constantly exposed to some kind of danger (of greater or lesser depth) and then our most primitive mind (linked to the limbic system, the "emotional brain") takes control of the situation preparing us to give a "fight or flight" response.
The problem is that since in most cases there is really no real threat to deal with at the current moment, we give a totally inappropriate response to the present circumstances or we do not give any response, becoming totally blocked, intoxicated by anxiety. and not knowing what to do.
However, if we are able to take full responsibility for our emotions and thoughts, By embracing the idea that what happens to us largely depends on our particular point of view and how we respond to it, we will open ourselves to the possibility of a greater understanding about life, thus allowing ourselves to escape from wheel of anguish that often haunts us, since we will be able to regain control of our life.
If we glimpse that our thoughts and feelings are completely subjective, that is, they are not entities capable of existence on their own apart from us, we will understand our deep responsibility as we ourselves are responsible for thinking and feeling them the way we do..
Now, what has been said above in no case means that we have to despise everything we feel or think, since the emotions and intellect are wonderful natural faculties of human beings, although perhaps we should reinterpret the meaning we commonly give them, especially when we are aware that our mood moves further and further away from inner peace and harmony.
So if we take into consideration the possibility of being wrong, if we give ourselves the opportunity to look at things from another perspective, we will be using our mind as a focus towards our own self-knowledge and personal learning.
In this way, we will also be able to understand that in no way our opinion is equivalent to universal truth, since like us all people grasp reality and behave according to their own particular circumstances and subjective points of view, believing that they are also in the truth. And it is that, deep down, no opinion is so important.
In short, it is useless to fight against what we feel or think. Trying only serves to add more pain to suffering. It is also not helpful to believe that external reality will manifest according to our particular wishes, desires or beliefs, since this usually only contributes to increasing our sense of guilt rather than increasing our security or confidence..
What is completely within our reach is, little by little, to try to change our perspective on things, to learn to relativize our opinions and, ultimately, to substitute a way of interpreting the reality that hurts us for another that improves our life. existence or, at least, provide it to us. From humility, avoiding value judgments and taking responsibility for ourselves.
Because at the end of the day, after all, it is possible that the truly significant inner change comes when we are able to bring the best of ourselves to the situation that is taking place at all times, whatever it may be. Both for ourselves and for others.
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