Know this and change that, instantly.
The following is an insightful dialogue rephrased, from the book, The Courage to Be Disliked…
Youth: … I remember enjoying the cold, fresh water in a summer day at grandma’s.
Philosopher: The well water stays pretty much the same, about 60 degrees, throughout the year, but in the winter, it seems warm, and in the summer it seems cool.
Youth: Well, that means the coolness of water is only an illusion. Right?
Philosopher: Not quite. When you drink the water in the summer, the coolness is an undeniable truth to you…
What’s the takeaway?
No one experiences the same reality as you do. You can say the water is cold when you touched it, but you can never be sure if another person will feel the same. What you can be sure of, though, is to have both of you measure the temperature of the water and agree that it is at 60 degrees. 60 degrees is not an experience but some information that might arouse feelings if we look further.
The knowledge
People experience differently, even for the exact same event. We as human beings live in subjective reality. While we often hope that our experience is objective, it is not. What is experienced is always particular to you.
“The issue is not about how the world is, but about how you are” — The Courage to Be Disliked
Since experience happens 100% inside, we have control over 100% of it. Utilize this fact and have the subject reality work for us. Start by focusing on yourself rather than what is around you.
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