I'm Right; You're Wrong

I learned the crucial details of what this is and what it causes in human misery a long time ago. It has never been easy to move away from the I'm right/ you're wrong thinking or behavior patterns.

In his most recent book, Eckhart Tolle refers to the "pointers" to truth. This is a statement addressing the idea that there is no absolute truth, at least as far as any human being could fully come to know. G*d, or a Being greater than we are, is the Absolute Truth. But the ego thinks in absolutes and this fuels a false sense of security. Sometimes our closely held beliefs trap us and render us inflexible, making us forget that what we are grasping may be strangling us in the process.

This brings us to the right/wrong dynamic. We come into an us versus them quagmire. At its worst, marriages fall apart, friendships become strained for years, if not forever. Forgiveness, compassion, acceptance are farthest from our minds. It takes daily practice to stay aware of the right/wrong inner mind. Self-forgiveness is a good place to start. Calling a driver who cuts me off an idiot (just in my own mind) gains me nothing but a superior attitude and unnecessary anger.So what! Big deal! It comes up so automatically, all I can do is forgive myself, call it an impersonal mistake and move on.

This is a big topic. I'll return to it again soon. Peace for today and happy September.