Musings

Musings

DirtySciFiBuddha14 Comments

Perhaps we are born with internal guidance–a compass that transcends external metrics, that can guide us through societal standards, and let us know when to conform or diverge. Perhaps fulfillment isn’t dependent on chasing metric after metric, checking off box after box, and is more a function of conscious allowance: settling into the present moment, and letting this guidance make itself known.

If that’s the case, I believe it could be simultaneously individualist and egalitarian–it could give each individual customized guidance, while imbuing everyone in the collective with equal capability to live a fulfilling life. This possibility, more than anything else, makes that premise particularly attractive to me. For in its breadth, it holds the promise of true abundance–one based on an abundance of possibility–which allows for improbabilities (and perhaps seeming impossibilities) to exist without reflexive dismissal.

14 thoughts on “Musings”

  2. i like the way you articulated this. much like having to learn technology, i’ve observed the one potential drag in jumping between individualism and the group is that there is a toll to be paid or a mask to be worn.

    such stipulations have forced me to ask myself to what degree do I want to be involved in the world outside of mine. it’s haven’t done much by way of conclusion but it almost seems that the moment you are out of your shell, the human social experience demands much of you. Mike

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  3. I have struggled most – if not all – of my life trying to figure out this exact thing. I agree with your notion that we are born with some sort of internal guidance.
    In fact, I have come to realize that I am a combination of so many influences – parents, family, friends, growing up, adulting, AND my own internal mental and spiritual guidance engine. Whether it’s built on all other influences or not, there is no doubt I have some sort of internal pathing system. I certainly have my own thoughts, views, and drives.
    I guess the question is what is that internal system comprised of. If it is – as you suggest – a truly internal system separated from the societal “guidance” we receive by not living in complete isolation, then trying to live that way in society would, to me, be VERY difficult. It would take an awesome level of discipline and self-confidence to completely ignore the peer pressure and judgement thrust upon you. I can attest to this every time I have tried to “go my own way” in social situations.
    If this guidance is built on all the other stuff mentioned, then… well, I don’t know. I do know that trying to check those boxes can be a real pain in the ass.
    Great food for thought, DSFB.

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    • I’d like to think the guidance can see beyond the visible connections, that it can see beyond the surface pros and cons and guide us toward improbable and seemingly miraculous synchronicities. Perhaps that’s childlike, but as I grow older, I ironically gravitate toward it.

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      • Childlike or not, I think the human condition makes each of us strive/reach for something “out there”. You’re just one of the more fortunate ones with whom that compulsion is toward something potentially wondrous (to you, anyway). Maybe we all have that guidance and/or compulsion. Maybe it is outside of the physical. I, like you, think there is something out there beyond my mundane existence that tugs a string now and then as guidance. I am hopeful that at the end of my mundane journey there is… something more 🙂

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      • I suspect there is. Although they can’t be scientifically validated, near death experiences seem to suggest the same. Also, I believe you are wise in not putting too many logical assumptions and words around it. That way, it can remain transcendent and mysterious, which is how I believe it is meant to be experienced.

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  4. I think initially we’re born and try to express ourselves as much as we can. Of course, that can get hampered by the external forces (parents, friends, enemies), but we still want to be ourselves. Then come responsibilities where catering to the external might be necessary. Unfortunately, the individual may also go underground, so to speak. Maybe forever, maybe only until they have a mid-life crisis. I guess it depends on the courage of the individual.

    The older I get, I feel like I want life to just stop battering me so much, and crave comfort. Maybe it’s a knowing that life is short, and it will all end soon? Life is, in reality, harsh, and you just have to accept that. So we must do the best we can to survive. And if we’re courageous enough, we go against the harshness with fervor. On a good day, I’m fighting back. 🙂

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  5. I reckon we are definitely born with internal guidance – trick is to identify and follow it, along with the courage and willingness (wilfulness?) to accept the as-yet-unknown outcomes of our decisions.

    I don’t believe it to be entirely individualistic when we consider a common background of the collective experience along with the unlikelihood of our ever experiencing true isolation.

    It seems to me this innate sense is intensely practical and understands better than our conscious minds that we cannot enjoy our participation in society at all if we don’t effectively prioritise our own survival and strike an affirmative balance between conformance, divergence and the myriad of possibilities between.

    So yes, @DirtySciFiBuddha your idea sounds encouraging. 🙂

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