More discussion about having inner guidance as compared to following external abstract rules.
It’s very tempting to find comfort in rules, or having things pre-decided in black and white terms. But I find it breaks down too often, and in fact can impede problem-solving.
I prefer to use my inner guidance to help me decide how to act. That compass can be flexible and patient, taking time to weigh new information rather than pretend all situations are the same.
I’d love to hear how you manage conflict and inconsistencies.
Hawaiian words
Huikau: confusion
Be in Touch!
- Subscribe in iTunes so you won’t miss a single episode! Please leave a comment while you’re there!
- Call the Conch line via skype:roxannedarling or 1-949-544-1456 and share your thoughts.
- Like us on Facebook and join the Beach Walks community.
- Our wonderful theme music is from The Ukulele Experiment
… in yesterday’s show, I picked up on the idea of not looking at life as being static; that it is actually forever changing and so looking at situations on a case by case basis, not only means that you deal with each situation as they arise, but it also makes life more interesting. I appreciate the idea of not allowing our ideas, outlooks and perceptions to stagnate… so basically, don’t walk through life with a fixed view… you can learn a great deal by allowing yourself to be flexible and challenging your views.
However… although I recognise the reason you’ve used murder as an extreme scenario, where we can still observe grey areas… I still find this a little bit difficult for me to swallow. I agree with everything you said about flexibility in our thinking, perceptions etc… but though I can agree that I will choose to protect the life of someone close to me, even if it means killing another person… and I’m sure I will recognise my instinctive desire to do this, one thing still has not changed: I may kill to protect another, but I have still killed. I have still taken a life. I have chosen to take one life to protect another life… I know that people make this conscious or sometimes subconscious choice and I ‘understand’ the reason for this choice… it is still death… it is still, for me, an absolute wrong.
It is a bit like the old line: “There is no victory in war”… or perhaps “The better of two evils”
Right with you on this, Rox. There’s no substitute for reasoning. Unfortunately, a great many people would rather have somebody tell them what’s absolutely right and wrong rather than have to figure it out for themselves based on evidence. I think this also ties in with some comments you had a while back about belief vs trust. Oy, don’t get me started… 🙂
Thanks for following up on this. I think it’s really interesting and a great topic for discussion. I’m heading back to the mainland tomorrow after spending 3 great months on the Big Island. I have really enjoyed my time here. I’m sorry that I was never able to connect with all of the Beachwalks team, but look foraward to following your daily “walks”. I’m also really excited about your soon approaching 1 year anniversay. Congratulations and many thanks for all of the hard work that goes into this great show.
I like the analogy of the inner compass and use it too as an input tool to help make a decision or a choice, but like to back it up with some fact finding if the inner compass feels more like an emotion instead of historical or practical insight. And I also like lists or automatic decisions (rules) in situations like driving where other drivers are assuming I’m going to stay within the lines and flow at a fairly similar speed.
Everyone has an inner compass that is different; either slightly or vastly different. We have to overlay rules and laws that do spell out in black and white what is and is not acceptable behavior to the larger society as an alignment tool that will help center or equalize individual compass headings. And we’re not all creatures that really want to interact equally with society, so I might or could entertain the idea, and for example, that people who commit violent crimes have an inner compass this is either switched-off, defective or their pointer does not point to North.
It all sort of boils down to balance in energy, time and value, and achieving an appropriate decision that gets you to the best end result.
Well, that’s my 2 cents…
Mahalo for Beachwalks!
Mahalo for all of these thoughtful comments which are more glorious evidence of how nuanced and complex most issues are!
I hope tomorrow’s episode clears up this even more. Yes, it is a “lesser of two evils” but having made a conscious choice, I see no reason to carry a burden of guilt. We live with limits and boundaries in virtually every moment of our lives. I want to make those moments as comfortable as possible.