Responsibility is one
such idea, and phenomenon.
It is an idea, in the form of a belief that we are "responsible for our
lives".
Responsibility is also a real phenomenon, in that we experience a stream of life, live a stream; and
have no control over many aspects of it. We are constantly shaping it, but can never wrap ourselves around it
completely. On the other hand, we can often have some aspects of it somewhat in our control. This is our data.
It' s good to be focused on what we can control, to whatever extent. But "responsibility" is a metaphor,
a good myth to live by.
It is prudent to act as if we had control over everything.
But we don't. Prudence
might be easier if we lie to ourselves here. But prudence isn't wise at the expense of wisdom.
Compassion is
one of the things that comes out of acknowledging the difference between the myth and the source experience.
Humility is another.
Interestingly, prudence is even improved by being wise prudence, indicating it works better
as a form of wisdom than standing on its own as an idea. How? It's improved by the extra practicality that comes
from acknowledging the mythal nature of the idea we use to help us achieve prudence, to effectively mold our lives
the way we intend to. I know I won't always act as I should, or act with integrity, and can use that knowledge to
my benefit.
Even within the things we think we should have control over, at our best, we are not who we want to
be, and we do not live by what we believe.
Tonight I did not go work out, For example, even though that is
inconsistent with my beliefs and ideas. There are a variety of reasons for that, like failing to locate gym
shorts. It is metaphorically true that I am 100% responsible for not working out and whatever else I did tonight.
But there is no way to prevent something like that from happening again. I guarantee you that tomorrow there
will be something, at some time, I should be doing but won't be. The same can be said for lots of my beliefs about
who I am, and how what I believe would be reflected in actions. On the other hand, it will be practical for me to
just assume I am responsible for not working out tonight.
But no one I've ever known could always act like they
believed. It would be both effortless and pointless to look for research to bear this out as typical of
humans.
Compassion, in particular, comes partially out of that understanding that we are, ultimately, fallible
"losers" in the responsibility "game", where "game" is a compatible metaphor for living.
The mythic nature of the
idea of responsibility is typically underacknowledged, or overlooked in dissussions about it, in various
ways.
What might be some consequences of that sort of ommission?
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