Today's reading is one from Epictetus that talks about how it doesn't matter how lofty and noble your intentions are as to how you live your life, it is how you actually live your life.
It is like the famous Sondheim broadway tune... "Children will Listen". Be careful what you say and do as you always have an audience. Our challenge as humans is to know ourselves warts and all, do our best to correct our faults, but, above all else, to be honest with ourselves. Honesty with ourselves is a very difficult task. As humans we tend to forget details that cause us shame, details that show us in a less than flattering light. This habit is where the adage, there's their truth and your truth and somewhere in the middle is the actual Truth, comes from. We are programmed to try to remember ourselves in the best light possible (Hedonic adaptation). Unfortunately, we need to remember when we fail as those are the moments that we can learn the most from. The learning moments are when we fail to live up to our own image of ourselves. This is where the practise of journalling is an amazing aid for building strength of character. We need to try to be honest with ourselves in our private journals. Only then can we have a true reckoning of all of our flaws and work towards erasing them.
We are "only human" after all. If we are trying to be our best selves, working towards the goal of becoming a Sage, this is the mirror that reflects all of our actions, both good and bad. I am working on journalling more and actively being conscious of my decisions and actions on a moment to moment basis.
I took a salesman course years ago, and one of their lessons was to, Always behave like someone is watching you. So no picking your nose while driving, or treating someone with disrespect, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe only one I would hurt, is myself, if I was to lie during my writings to myself.
So I agree with your thoughts. I don't think I hide my emotions, but they are hidden from most people. But I am honest with them.
I stand in front of a room full of teenagers all day. And when I listen to the things they say they have heard from their other teachers (through the years) I am reminded that much more of how important it is to use care with what I say to them. I will not ever lie to them and given their age (17 mostly), I try to give them the tools to think for themselves about the world, rather than just parrot what I might say. But it is exhausting sometimes to have my mind one step ahead of my mouth all of the time. And being human, I sometimes say things I probably shouldn't have.
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