Basically ours is an anti-change mentality. Stubborn and staid, we try to manage the life with what we know. Although we read, reflect, observe and listen, we find nothing new to be ingested. How true is the observation of philosopher, Robert Anthony, that “most people would rather be certain they are miserable, than risk being happy”.
So we persist with inadequacies, incompetence, insufficiencies, personal deficiencies, unhealthy habits and prejudices.
Though we get inspired by a book, a discourse, a person or a movie, it’s spell would not deepen our reflection and intensify our endeavour to effect the requisite change. We may not resist knowing but nevertheless would resist doing. That is why, the famous human resources development expert, Dale Carnagie asserts that “our problem is not ignorance but inaction”.
The pressure of the problem activates us to experiment with the new tips, but the same is not pursued till the effect is seen, That is the reason why our despair continues despite our earnest efforts.
Persistent with inappropriate approaches and ineffective techniques, we continue with our non-trimming fitness regimen, non-slimming diet control, non-efficient working style, non-harmonious relationships, restless sleeping habits, non-relaxing mind control, unintelligent learning processes, non-smartening fashion imitation, non-spontaneous communication skill, upsetting time management, non-fulfilling life version, non-satisfying job performance, the complex-induced imbalanced behaviour, prejudice-influenced judgements, inhibition-cramped expressions, perspective-lacking viewpoints, self-serving beliefs and opinions, and worst of all the addictions adopted by us to buoy over the boredom.
These addictions like smoking, sex, drugs, drinking and gambling are adhered to despite their health impairing, happiness precluding conditioned mentality. And as regards traits, we helplessly manifest our pointless irritation, false excuses, escapist hurry, mental impulses like hurting remarks and gestures, intolerant prejudices, impatient hearing, unwarranted suspicions, mind racing and tantrums.
Our subconscious mind resists strongly any change of such conditioning. It renders us rigid. We attempt the change in vain through intellectual analysis of our mindset. This inability to outgrow our weaknesses adds to the stressful nature of mind.
It is infact the insightful awareness of our thinking habits that holds the possibility of permanent change. For this we have to amalgamate the sincerity of the heart, passion of the soul and the openness of the mind.
Clinging to complacency, our laze-loving ego precludes us from perceiving the truth of falsehood of our beliefs about the persons we depend upon or deal with for solving our problems, shies away from the painful aspects of a problem or a situation, and deludes itself with convenient assumptions. The complacent notions like ‘it does not or hardly matters,’ underlies such assumptions. These prevent us from tackling the problems and conversely allowing them to overtake us. We defer the action till the problem devours us.
Even the most communicative ads warning us against smoking, drug use, glutting and Dooze do no deter us from indulgence in them. Our mind either rationalises or philosophises these harmful habits. Even the advice of the nearest and dearest in this regard goes unheeded although well taken. For a while, we determine ourselves to give up and then relapse into it blaming it on other persons or conveniently the fate.
By habit we fear the problem instead of facing it squarely. The famous philosopher, Theodre Rubin, has pointed out the truth of this wisdom : “ The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.”
The face of the problem gets revealed in our readiness to see it, and along with it, the solution is also revealed. That is why Jiddu Krishnamurthi says : “The solution is in problem itself.” We ignorantly compound the problem by our impulsive refusal to perceive it.
The article has been taken from the book ‘The Art of Being and Art of Living by Captain KV Reddy