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Andrew N's avatar

Your comment,

When we choose to live in an inner world governed by our self-deception, we get a government ruling by deceit and vigorously stifling alternative views. In the American mind today, is the prevailing harmonizing sentiment inching dangerously close to normalizing totalitarian deceit?

Really sums it up!

Along with this

https://libresolutions.network/articles/qa1-gary-sharpe/

Indeed, recent advances in psychology show the brain is essentially a predicting organ, and when the reality of the world doesn’t match its predictions, it has to resolve the contradiction. It can do this in one of two ways: delude itself and ignore reality, or update itself and its predictions. In the stressed state, we tend to opt for the delusion, as new or countering information can induce a significant danger response in of itself: this threatens our own identity or world view, and shifts in these can be traumatic.

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John A Wood's avatar

Barry, thank you for a powerful article. It brings together much wisdom and common sense.

I wanted to respond more deeply but couldn't find the words - nor the time.

Instead - copied and pasted the following.

LIFE UNBRIDLED

Seeing beyond our frozen fears and imagined needs lies another realm,

a realm unrivalled.

Seeing beyond our beliefs, opinions and judgements,

of being right and making others wrong, is another state –

a state of wisdom and common sense.

Seeing beyond anger, violence, murder and mayhem –

our inner peace and equanimity reside.

Seeing beyond racism, nationalism, communism, capitalism – freed of all isms –

we live unhindered by our conditioned minds and hardened hearts.

Seeing beyond acceptance and tolerance is another world –

a world of kindness and understanding.

Seeing beyond theology, philosophy, science and certainty –

a life of openness exists.

Seeing beyond our need for more, better, different –

we discover satisfaction with what we have.

Seeing beyond our alcoholism, drug addiction, gluttony – all forms of self-harm –

we see what is and wake up.

And yes:

Seeing beyond our crimes, arrests, trials and incarcerations –

a pure heart is beating.

Seeing beyond all conflicts, wars, dominance, and control,

or simply a couple lost in their day-to-day disagreements –

our innate desire for peace remains.

And finally:

Seeing beyond this story, your story, their story – every story ever written or told –

our life is unbridled.

And there, before our lifelong accumulation,

an all-embracing warmth melts the edges of division,

dissolving the illusion of you and me, of them and us.

Our true self revealed – humanity’s innocence understood – the unknown embraced.

This internal, eternal universe is home – is love.

Our minds at peace, a new reality seen, a life fulfilled.

A life of decency creating a world of Possibility.

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