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Quote of the Day: Transcending our Illusions
“We suffer primarily not from our vices or our weaknesses, but from our illusions. We are haunted, not by reality, but by those images we have put in their place.” — Daniel Boorstin
Trying to get an honest perspective on our lives can be a most difficult venture. You’ll notice that I didn’t call for our seeing reality clearly; every single person’s reality is unique to himself/herself. In fact, I’d argue that there is no objective reality, at least not one that we can perceive and agree upon.
Instead of understanding that elusive reality, we could be working to make the world a better place; but we spend a great deal of our time focused inward, trying to perfect ourselves, freeing ourselves from our “vices or our weaknesses.” Frankly, my vices are fairly harmless; a glass of wine with dinner or a chocolate chip cookie afterward. And I rarely focus on my weaknesses (at least that I’m aware of), because they are just as innocuous at this point in my life.
But I do appreciate the challenge of trying to break through my own illusions that I hold about my life.
We can spend a great deal of time convincing ourselves of the “truth” of things—whether or not the CoVID-19 is more or less serious than flu; whether modern Islam is deadly or safe, or to what degree; whether or not certain foods are harmless or dangerous. The list goes on.
Instead, we can be curious investigators. We can seek to understand a question in many situations rather than come to an immutable conclusion. We can clarify our perceptions and what we believe, rather than only looking for the data that will make us “right.”
We can try to remain open and flexible about the way we comprehend the world, while at the same time holding firmly (but not with an iron grip) to those ideas and beliefs that guide us. We will understand life and ourselves much better, and we will suffer much, much less when we give up, or transcend, our illusions.
Then we will live in truth, while we continue to grow and learn.
Published in Group Writing
But also keep in mind that illusions can be protective. It is always a bit of a dance in dealing with other people as to what to let them believe, unchallenged. If what they believe does them more harm than good, then challenging the illusion is necessary and important. But if it is something , albeit a crutch, that maintains their sense of well-being and does not harm them, then let it be. No one enjoys their illusions torn away by a person who simply insists that “we live in reality”. A little unreality seems to be a necessary aspect of a happy life. So much so that when people cling to their illusions we call them “delusional”. And we all know how many people that is.
I agree, @rodin.We can never be rid of all our illusions, and I might go so far to say that it’s not our jobs to strip others of their illusions just because we don’t like them or agree with them. The focus should be on ourselves. The radical Left lives almost entirely (at least politically) through illusions, but they either don’t know it, don’t care, or worse yet, expect us to accept them! My main point is for us to focus on our own lives; that’ll give us plenty to do! Thanks.
In many ways, this concept helps improve the future. Science requires multiple observations to confirm basic theories. When observations show differences, the theories need to be changed or limited, as in Newtonian vs. Modern physics. Likewise for innovations and inventions, this leads to “why hasn’t this been done before?”
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I find this interesting coming from a historian, whose job, I think, is to separate reality from illusion. Perhaps, in doing so, that’s where he got the idea.
That is an intriguing thought, @hoyacon. I’d love to know if his work played a role.
I liked the quote in part because it connects to my Buddhist past. One of the concepts I kept is that for the most part we create our own reality. We are sure we are right, that what we believe is true. In fact, many of our conflicts come from the need to “be right” or “look good,” the latter referring to however we want to be seen–looking good can be looking smart, insightful, wise, clever, creative. We will sacrifice many things to fool ourselves and others about who we are. Or we can transcend those allusions and try to know the person we really are!
I’m having trouble following the logic here. If there is no “objective reality” how can we “will live in truth” if there is no objective truth against which we can compare our own thoughts and conclusions? How do we overcome out illusions when there is no objective reality to tell us we are suffering from illusions? We find and can conquer our illusions only by going out into a world of objective truth. Living only within our own minds we become confused and unable to understand the world.
Boorstin is wrong.Our vices are the source of our illusions. The object of the mind is the truth, but since the fall of man our minds have become confused by our vices. The passions which affect our minds feed the will with a distorted understanding of what is true and good as opposed to what is false and evil. We conquer our illusions by conquering the disordered passions. As I told my kids when they argued that “you don’t know how I feel,” they were free to believe that a rock is a kumquat, but when they bite the rock reality will break their teeth. If you want to live a happy life then you must overcome your passions which confuse and live in the world as it is, and not as you feel it is.
We each create a reality; that doesn’t mean there is no truth. The problem is that the specific way I see the world is hopefully very similar to people who strive to know the truth (as you obviously do), but everything we see about the world is a construct that each of us creates. The construct, or what you call reality is of our own creation, but in a way we have to rely on G-d to tell us how to live out His truth in the world he has created. Even then, trying to always discern the truth that G-d wants isn’t always easy to do, because we draw conclusions through our own reality/lens. That’s why religious people don’t always agree.
Here’s an example. You and I look at a painting. You love it. I hate it. We each have our reasons for our conclusions. Who is right?
Your kids were also right (even if they didn’t know it). You didn’t know how they felt. But you were the dad, and you knew the best way for them to behave at that time; later on, they could adjust their behaviors. That doesn’t mean you were wrong to give the input you did.
Also, I don’t know that vices are the source of our illusions; instead, they are an outcomes of our illusions. I decide for me that overeating isn’t such a big deal; I love to eat and I don’t believe all the health reports about being overweight (I’m not). If I transcend my illusion about food and eating, I’m in a position to move past that vice and take care of myself.
I hope this all makes sense, Mike.
Objective truth and reality exist, but we are too limited to be able to comprehensively experience or understand either one. So we develop little simplified models that we can deal with and those are our surrogates for truth and reality. Any one of us probably has thousands of little models that interact with each other with varying degrees of coherence. If we are leading well ordered lives, we get out of our own heads enough to test, assess and revise the models a we go through life. As my parents and their cohort have aged and shuffled off their mortal coils, it has been interesting to see how often the models have become prisons, people having mentally painted themselves into corners. Some seem to avoid the problem entirely. It seems to me that the key is humility: the arrogant trust themselves to deeply.
I have spent a lot of time in my head with this idea, so I am sure it is true.
Extremely well said, @secondbite. I tried to say the same thing in different way: “In fact, I’d argue that there is no objective reality, at least not one that we can perceive and agree upon.” I think yours is clearer.
My mother was stuck in her own reality for many years, and it caused her great suffering. As she gradually matured, even into her senior years, she became more self-aware and started to see life differently and in a much more productive and healthy way. It was wonderful to see.
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Hank Williams Sr. sang
I went into a home one day just to see some friends of mine
Of all their books and magazines, not a Bible could I find
I asked them for the Bible when they brought it, what a shame
For the dust was covered o’er it, not a fingerprint was plainDust on the Bible, dust on the Holy Word
The words of all the prophets and the sayings of our Lord
Of all the other books you’ll find, there’s none salvation holds
Get the dust off the Bible and redeem your poor soulOh, you can read your magazines of love and tragic things
But not one word of Bible verse, not a scripture do you know
When it is the very truth and it’s contents good for you
But it’s dust is covered o’er it
And it’s sure to doom your poor soulDust on the Bible, dust on the Holy Word
The word of all the prophets, and the sayings of our Lord.
Of all the other books you’ll find, there’s none salvation holds
Get the dust off the Bible and redeem your poor soul.Oh, if you have a friend you’d like to help along life’s way
Just tell him that the Good Book shows a mortal how to pray
The best advice to give him that will make his burdens light
Is to dust the family bible trades the wrong way for the rightDust on the Bible, dust on the Holy Word
The word of all the prophets, and the sayings of our Lord
Of all the other books you’ll find, there’s none salvation holds
Get the dust off the Bible and redeem your poor soul
I was doing some spring dusting and found this:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge -Proverbs 1:7 NKJV
I teach kids how to swim in San Diego. On the second day of class as the mom was handing me the 4 year old student he said, “NO! NO! MOM!, You don’t understand I have a plan!”. Then there is the story of a 3.5 year old on day two of lessons as his mom handed him to me, “MOM! you’re giving me to the evil mad scientist!” I could give you a dozen more stories like this describing “reality” and “truth”.
In both instances above the truth was a parent acting in the best interest of the child. The reality of drowning being the second greatest cause of death for kids four years and under drives the decision for some parents to put their child into a situation in which “the child looses their sense of control of the world as they perceive it.” I have seen this over 8,000 times. My reality is connected to my sense of control of the world as I perceive it. I argue that is the universal truth of human existence and in every case of human conflict at the core is each person’s sense of control of the world as they perceive it. When our sense of control is threatened we manipulate assets in our control to regain it. Some use money, lawyers, physical power, sex, crying, and of course making a plan, to get our sense of control back.
In conclusion, it is about having peace. People’s sense of being in control, I find, is rarely attached to reality. Like the swim students, if they do not learn to swim the reality is they will die if they fall into a pool and no one is there to help, ask the family of the 40 year old gardener who after 20 years of servicing a wealthy client stumbled into their pool. Try Philippians 4:6-7.
A very thoughtful comment, @majorityruleabridgesspeech! I think our realities are quite complementary!!
Yep, I’m tellin you I’m the boss after 30 years of marriage and she still let’s let me believe it. :)
You have heard of the husband who insists he is the head of the house and the wife who says “you maybe the head but I’m the neck and I’ll turn that head which every way I want.”
Well, @majorityruleabridgesspeech, it sounds like you know your place!! 😁
Well don’t I ever!
I feel like a minority party representative in the US Congress where the Majority party never changes.
Hence majority rule abridges free speech.
By accident I was able to post the pdf of the book using Ricochet. If you care to learn about the fatal flaw of the founders of America you can download, read and share with who you wish. It’s really a booklet similar to Thomas Paine’s Common Sense from 1776. Yep the first congress established Majority Rule 230 years ago in violation of the free speech clause. Paine would say of it today, it is our long habit of not thinking a thing wrong giving it an appearance of being right.
https://flyzoo.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/5e691351bb547e338c188f21-1earfinal.pdf
We each create a reality; that doesn’t mean there is no truth. The problem is that the specific way I see the world is hopefully very similar to people who strive to know the truth (as you obviously do), but everything we see about the world is a construct that each of us creates. The construct, or what you call reality is of our own creation, but in a way we have to rely on G-d to tell us how to live out His truth in the world he has created. Even then, trying to always discern the truth that G-d wants isn’t always easy to do, because we draw conclusions through our own reality/lens. That’s why religious people don’t always agree.
Here’s an example. You and I look at a painting. You love it. I hate it. We each have our reasons for our conclusions. Who is right?
Your kids were also right (even if they didn’t know it). You didn’t know how they felt. But you were the dad, and you knew the best way for them to behave at that time; later on, they could adjust their behaviors. That doesn’t mean you were wrong to give the input you did.
Also, I don’t know that vices are the source of our illusions; instead, they are an outcomes of our illusions. I decide for me that overeating isn’t such a big deal; I love to eat and I don’t believe all the health reports about being overweight (I’m not). If I transcend my illusion about food and eating, I’m in a position to move past that vice and take care of myself.
I hope this all makes sense, Mike.
You’re taking my comments and extending them to ideas I didn’t discuss, Mike. I didn’t say we can create ourselves. Creating our own reality or our understanding of the world is not creating ourselves; G-d created us, and we can choose how to live out our lives. I also said that our realities may overlap, that there are things we can agree on. But that doesn’t make our realities the same or identical. Regarding G-d, He has his own truth and He is truth. Being created in His image and likeness doesn’t give us purpose; it is a reminder of our connection to G-d, but our purpose (I say this as a Jew) is to fulfill his commandments and to serve Him and others. We do these things both because we love Him and He has commanded us to do so. We don’t worry about our salvation; we do the right things because He calls us to do it, not for reward or punishment. I do agree that G-d wants us to be like Him, but with free will, we could also choose not to. I think we have gone astray from vices and illusions, though.