Hello Dear Ones!
Today we explore how we view the world through the narrow slice of our reality. It’s almost as if everyone is living from inside their bubble. It’s a big topic and one that holds true for every person on the planet.
Allow me to share my thoughts and perhaps you will gain a new appreciation for a larger view.
The Elephant and the Blind Men
A parable that is as old as time describes reality from our personal perspective. Three blind men come across an elephant. Each one explores and discovers parts of this huge animal, then declares they know what an elephant is.
The first blind man holds the trunk and states with conviction, “It is like a snake.”
The second blind man wraps his arms around a leg and cries, “It is like a tree.”
The third blind man holds the tail and declares, “It is like a rope.”
From their individual perspectives, each man is correct. But if they could see the larger truth - the elephant is all of these parts and one whole - their slice of reality would expand.
Plato’s Cave
The allegory of Plato’s Cave is symbolic of the experience of humans.
Prisoners lived their entire lives inside a cave, looking at the shadows on the wall. To entertain themselves, they gave each shadow a name and believed they understood their life. The problem is that the prisoners interacted with an illusion, not the real thing.
And so it is with us when we move through life unaware and unconscious.
Social Media and Echo Chambers
When you doom-scroll on your favorite social media platform, what you experience is a small slice of reality. The algorithms inherent in the app continue to feed you like kind or similar subjects and opinions. It happens over time and is very subtle. Soon, all you see are the memes and reels that continue to support your view of the world.
Haven’t you noticed that you are triggered by different opinions? You have trained your mind to accept one slice of reality while discarding anything that doesn’t fit. When you react to a new perspective (instead of respond), you are living your life as you have programmed your mind.
The Takeaway
Life is an amazing array of opportunities and possibilities.
You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life? - Rumi
Your mind is the producer and director of what you call reality. You may declare an elephant is “like a snake” and never realize that you missed what is true. Or you believe shadows are real. Experiencing social media and not questioning or thinking about the opinions you absorbed is a prison you have created.
When you tell yourself, “I am open to new ideas,” your mind searches for them. When you say to yourself, “I am right and will defend my position,” you mind searches for things to defend. As you remain locked in a narrow perspective, you are still in your bubble.
But life is so much more.
Step out of your bubble of reality and learn something new. Listen and appreciate a different viewpoint without getting defensive. Allow your energy to settle and meditate. Share a meal with another person who looks different than you.
The garden of the world has no limits, except in your mind. - Rumi
Remember, you - the essence of you - directs your mind. Be still and listen to the essence of you and you will discover a new, grander perspective of life.
To your essence blooming,
Kathryn
Beyond Our Bubble of Reality