by Bill 5 Comments
Inflexibly categorizing those we encounter as good or bad or right or wrong helps us feel secure, but if we look around, we realize that relating in that way doesn’t allow us to really connect to anyone, and we are in fact quite lonely.
~ Sharon Salzberg
Birder, cat-lover, pilot, poet. Former lounge lizard, pauper, pagan, lifeguard, chauffeur,cop and martial artist, turned pacifist addiction writer. Tries to be a good husband, father and brother, and makes a decent friend. Likes to take pictures. Stumbling down the Middle Path, one day at a time.
Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 21:56
Sometimes, wouldn’t you agree, it is wise to label another person as potentially dangerous (especially in certain situations) so we can remember to interact with them with caution. I do the same with various animal types and humans are simply animals. Labeling the whole person as good or bad/ right or wrong may be a useful heuristic but as the quote alludes, such over-generalizations come back to bite us but even more the habit of over-generalization is a gnawing habit — gnawing at our happiness.
Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 4:18
The new look is real nice! Keep up the great blogs……
It is ironic that insecurity is one of the main reasons for clinging to a belief system, especially when Buddhism IS the belief system! 🙂
Chana
Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 10:07
Ah. There’s that clinging thing again. Insecurity is about clinging. 😉
Friday, September 10, 2010 at 6:51
Love the quote! Ten people look at an big oak tree. Then they are asked individually to describe the oak tree, and every description is different. They are not in disagreement, or think that the any of the other persons view is wrong or right. They are very interested in the variance, and the other persons process. Wrong and right are polarities that some people cling to because of the feelings of inadequacies. There is usually no discussion that can go on with them, because they defend their illusions of categorizations. Maybe that is what having an open mind – and open questioning is about.
Chana
Friday, September 10, 2010 at 8:32
Thanks for commenting, Chana. Nice to have you here.
I expanded on this idea here.
BTW: how do you like the new look?
Bill