Good or Bad.©

What I am describing is the psychological trap of binary thinking, an oversimplified, black-and-white way of perceiving the world that blinds people to nuance, complexity, and deeper truth which I often refer to as 'tribal thinking'. It is thought often inflenced by external forces rather than a cognitive deeper approach. I often regard this as outsourced thinking. It’s a common cognitive distortion, often reinforced by upbringing, culture, or emotional experiences. Since this is an easy subject, I managed to complete it and keep it short this morning. 

The Illusion of Absolute Good and Absolute Bad

Nothing in this world is purely good or purely bad because everything exists in a continuum. What we label as "bad" often has hidden value, and what we consider "good" may carry unseen consequences. The moment we categorize something as wholly one or the other, we stop thinking critically. This is blindness and not of the eyes but of the mind.

For example, suffering is often seen as purely negative. But within suffering, people find strength, resilience, and wisdom. They are able to evaluate and contemplate on their choices. Similarly, power is often seen as desirable, but unchecked power corrupts. The reality is that every event, experience, and entity carries both beneficial and detrimental aspects; our perception simply determines which we choose to focus on.

Your Perception Is a Reflection of You

When you judge something as "all bad," you are, in a way, revealing your own biases, fears, or unresolved conflicts. What repels us often points to something within us that we either refuse to acknowledge or have been conditioned or influenced to reject.

If someone sees vulnerability as weakness, they may have been raised to believe emotions are a flaw.

If someone views wealth as inherently corrupt, they may be struggling with their own beliefs about success and worth.

If someone believes a group of people is inherently evil, they have likely been led by influence rather than by personal understanding and experience.

This is why I say, “Those shortfalls are within you and not that entity.” We see through the lens of our own conditioning. What we reject outright is often what we do not fully understand or have been taught to fear.

The Influence of External Forces

I am also identifying the fact that many people have been led to see the world in extremes, either by cultural narratives, religious dogma, political ideology, or personal experiences that shapes their worldviews. When a person is told from childhood that a certain group, idea, or behavior is entirely bad, they absorb that belief before they even have the chance to explore reality for themselves.

The challenge, then, is to break free from this programming and see things as they are and not as we have been told they must be. Have you experienced this? Remember, the word ‘belief’ is to accept what you do not know. Does knowing blindly make sense to you? 

A Path to Seeing Clearly

To move beyond this blindness, one must:

1. Question their beliefs – Why do I see this as all bad? Who taught me that? What if I’m wrong? For example, many either support or negate the Palestinian people. Have you experienced them, lived with them or moved among them? Or has it been influenced by hearsay?

2. Seek multiple perspectives – What do others who disagree with me say? Can I learn from them? Are they speaking from knowledge and experience or influence?

3. Embrace complexity – Can I accept that something can have both good and bad elements?

4. Observe without judgment – What happens when I simply see rather than categorize? To listen without processing or judgement.

True wisdom lies in recognizing that good and bad are not absolutes but aspects of the same reality, constantly shifting based on perception, context, and understanding. 

The Gentile!

Copyright

All rights to posts on TheGentile1@blogspot.com are copyright-protected as of August 31st, 2024 and shall remain in force for all future posts till removed. You shall not copy, share or use any of the content posted by The Gentile or TheGentile1 or The Whispering Sage named collectively in this copyright as the Content Creator in any form whatsoever. All other content on the page, the host platform and any facility provided by the platform, the templates and background do not belong to the Content Creator and therefore are protected under their copyright.