You don't need to have it all "figured out"

[◊ DestinyTurtle ◊]

I've been thinking about this lately... due to all the folks I've met and talked to who tried to emphatically convince me that they have "the truth figured out". Some kind of challenge to Einstein's theory, or an interpretation of quantum mechanics, or some supposedly new angle on spirituality. So many people, maybe most people, think they have a unique answer to it all, and they express it with the same degree of manic conviction. They don't notice the irony of how common and unoriginal the claim to Truth is. 

 

I wonder if it comes from Christianity, which specifically teaches that the most important thing to be "saved" is to have the right belief. This frames the grasp of ultimate 'Truth' as an irreplaceable need for survival. In this headspace, you feel that you have to prove to everyone you are right and you grasp the truth in its ultimate form, or you risk the fear and anxiety of mortality of worse, eternal damnation. Outside of this mental context it seems arrogant and self-centered (which it is) to claim monopoly on Truth, but really I see it as a cry for help and an act of desperation brought upon by the cruel perspective that you're one incorrect belief away from unimaginable horror.

 

One of the valuable things I learned from being ex-Christian is that you don't have to be right all the time, and that you don't have to prove that you are right to other people. It's really freeing that way. You can end a conversation by walking out of it, shrugging, or simply deciding that it's not worth it - and it doesn't prove that you're wrong. 

 

I used to live in Japan for a while, and I remember people there are remarkably different in this regard. The common cultural attitude about belief is pragmatic, although often superstitious. Religions are seeing as fulfilling a specific function. Buddhist temples often are involved in mourning rituals and funerary rites, because buddhist monks are masters at emotional centering and meditation. Shinto priests are called upon for good-luck and other initiatory rituals because they are seen as communing with spirits, and the rituals often function like a transaction with those spirits. Shintoism and Buddhism thrive in tandem because people in general appreciate both, and find no need to resolve their mythological differences. Christian missionaries often have a hard time there because when they try to offer dogma (which is often all Christianity has to offer) a common response isn't disbelief, or an argument, but rather "sure, ok then - how can I use this to improve my business, myself, or my community"? The answer usually is that there is no such usefulness because Christian dogma is so out of touch with any practical reality, but rather offers an irrelevant cosmology paired with an emotionally manipulative sense of urgency. To a pragmatic but spiritual culture it's just not convincing. Catholicism is the most popular form of Christianity there (although still a small portion) I think because it offers a sense of history and ritual, which Japanese people appreciate for the ability to bring a community together. 

 

Anyways, the point of this ramble is just to convey that it really isn't necessary or healthy to center one's spirituality or worldview on the idea of ultimate truth, or an overwhelming urgency to grasp for it. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the scenery. 

 

I'm curious what other people think about this, and what their experiences are.

 

 

[TheRedneckProfessor]

I think the Truth really is what sets you free; and whatever that is varies between people.  What sets me free might not work for you; but it's my Truth.  And that's okay.

[◊ Weezer ◊]

15 hours ago, DestinyTurtle said:

 

 

Anyways, the point of this ramble is just to convey that it really isn't necessary or healthy to center one's spirituality or worldview on the idea of ultimate truth, or an overwhelming urgency to grasp for it. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the scenery. 

 

I'm curious what other people think about this, and what their experiences are.

 

 

An excellent way to sum it up!  Wanting absolutes is an immature existence.