Sunday, November 18, 2012

MIND GAMES

It's hard to get over thinking that my way, or in your case, your way, is the only way. Each of our brains harbor within it the belief that we know the right way of doing things. Anything. Everything. We tend to believe we know "the truth." We fuss and fight and name-call in a vain attempt to see to it that our way becomes the way things are done. That our way becomes the conventional wisdom. When all else fails, we pout. Or start a war. Or call the other guy a lunatic.
Getting over this is no easy matter, and is one of life's biggest challenges. As difficult as it is to believe, there are many roads leading to the same destination. Some of the roads are unpaved and have dangerous curves, and for that reason they are not as congested as the freeways.  Leaders, in particular, have a hard time with this notion. They think they know the way. Our political, military, and religious leaders get mired down in this muck. But sooner or later, the proclaimers of "the truth," or  "the way," will end up ridiculed and humiliated for not recognizing and attempting to understand other options. Surprisingly, they never learn one of life's more difficult lessons: One's beliefs may be the shortest distance to a particular point or solution, but not necessarily the best or the only.

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