Overcoming Prejudices, Facing up to Inconvenient Truths - Key to Peace and Coexistence
By Shiva
@Shiva49 (26554)
Singapore
February 1, 2019 8:31pm CST
No one is above prejudices that get ingrained in us over time subconsciously. I have a few from my younger years that I fight to erase as I know they are more of a burden but tough to overcome. Maybe, they define who I am and refuse to let go of me!
Our creator has not compartmentalized us; he has given his spread without borders; in fact, they are free for all. However, we have built up fences around us due to our greed, suspicion, ego, and selfishness.
Our misery is created by our prejudices and not addressing the inconvenient truths. We are egoistic to different levels and for some, they dictate their agenda. We still hold on to thus far and no further; some are non-negotiable though we realize they are unjust.
Our lives will be so much better if we reflect on our prejudices and inconvenient truths and at least become aware of them. Let us slowly discard the needless baggage.
How do you face such issues? On my part, I try to chip away to inch closer to Godliness. Why restrict ourselves?
Image: Peace from Wikimedia Commons
13 people like this
14 responses
@sofssu (23662)
•
2 Feb 19
I think if we believe in one creator who is impartial and that we are all his children, it is easier to get over these problems. Personally, I used to think of homeless people as untouchables because they are dirty and smelly and such. But a few years ago when someone pointed that out to me my husband and I took up to serving them in shelters. Now after facing the giant my attitude has changed.
4 people like this
@Shiva49 (26554)
• Singapore
2 Feb 19
Basically, it is the oneness of humanity enriched by the uniqueness in each of us.
Also, it should be unity in diversity.
However, we try to highlight the differences.
Having lived in a few countries and within few cultures, I see the oneness of humanity above the differences. When I was a child, I thought others were different but upon reflection, I knew I was prejudiced; it should not define who we are.
I also thought the poor were lazy but I see many are selfless upon closer observation. In fact, the rich can learn a lot from them how to be contented.
The bottom line is our differences are superficial and prejudices are due to ignorance. Truth can also be interpreted differently as we are not privy to all the facts - siva
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26554)
• Singapore
2 Feb 19
Though our core values might remain unshaken, we too change over time with new experiences and age.
One thing I have learned is good and the bad, the creative and talented, are everywhere and spread over time too.
Then someone appears out of the blue to effect epochal changes - siva
3 people like this
@allknowing (133459)
• India
3 Feb 19
I have found an easy way and that is to pick and choose who I am comfortable with and it works for me Wallowing over situations and wondering if I could have handled them better is what I do not do now. I just leave them there and move on.
2 people like this
@allknowing (133459)
• India
3 Feb 19
@Shiva49 I should have thought of this earlier.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26554)
• Singapore
3 Feb 19
@allknowing Life is a learning journey, to be savored too.
We need to learn, unlearn, and relearn with each passing day.
Technology is increasingly keeping us on the edge with the Doomsday clock inching towards annihilation!
I recall an astronaut from up above exclaiming our planet looks even better than paradise!
Enjoy the moments as they are not repeated - siva
2 people like this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
2 Feb 19
I am learning g to shed my prejudices as I grow older.live and let live.
4 people like this
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
2 Feb 19
We are not born with prejudices. We learn them from our environment. When we learn to reason then we realize how unreasonable they are and that we should get rid of them. It is not easy to get rid of them when the world feeds them but we can do it and we need to do it.
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
4 Feb 19
My parents always told us treat others as you would like to be treated and I think I am a kind person but do not like to see people taken advantage of. Sometimes it is better to keep quiet than to say something nasty!
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26554)
• Singapore
5 Feb 19
I believe in the law of cause and effect, karma. Some are immediate like precipitating a fight and others take time, maybe many lives, till the lessons are learned.
I like to remind myself “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” We are in for the long haul! siva
1 person likes this
@innertalks (21769)
• Australia
3 Feb 19
It is often said that conscious awareness brings us choice, so that we can change, and so not be so prejudiced against others, or live from falsely held onto beliefs, and non-truths, held unknowingly by us in our unconscious minds, placed there by both others and ourselves, and then largely forgotten about, after they served whatever purpose they might have served originally for us at the time.
This unconscious self is not the same as our servant self, our soul, our higher self, nor our other inner selves.
The unconscious or subconscious are merely tools of acquiring automatised actions that can be repeated themselves, and so, if repeated unconsciously forever, they become non-serving to us then.
We need to constantly try to become more aware of what is controlling us unconsciously, and prompting us to act in ways that are not serving us, or helping us to grow into better people in this life.
Prejudiced thinking never serves us, nor anyone else.
Photo Credit:
The photo used here was freely sourced from the free media site: pixabay.com
The old trick of hiding ourselves in our unconscious minds, never really works. We need to become more consciously aware.
@innertalks (21769)
• Australia
3 Feb 19
@Shiva49 Thanks, siva. Yes, I am forever restless!
Is there ever any benefit to our having a closed mind sometimes, though?
We need to see the mind as just being the mind, a tool for our soul, too.
Sometimes, we do need to keep it closed, but we should never close our heart to love, whereas the mind can be closed off when negative poisonous thoughts try to enter it.
Good thoughts come from our soul, from our heart, and from God.
Bad thoughts come from everywhere else, from our subconscious mind, from our ego, and even from our dreams, if they are not pursuing the love in our heart, and are going after worldly stuff instead.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26554)
• Singapore
3 Feb 19
@innertalks Yes Steve, once in a while we need to turn off the tap due to our minds going berserk, out of control! I have heard that none is spared from negative thoughts, so we need to switch off, breathe in and out, pause, to regain composure!
Yes, God's love is bursting at the seams and should be allowed free flow into every pore of our being and thoughts. Love is life, the life breath, that keeps us connected to our creator.
A life of reverence and deep gratitude help us never to lose our way - siva
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26554)
• Singapore
3 Feb 19
Thanks, Steve, for this analytical reply like always.
For other species, it is more of day-to-day survival, but we have graduated to thinking individuals with an opportunity to make wise choices. That means, also, we need constant internal appraisals as to what works and those that are burdensome, useless baggage.
We are akin to our computer; we need our own constant cleansing before our creator does the reboot!
It is easy to saunter along taking care not to topple the apple cart but then our lives will be more akin to other species, sort of a damp squib!
I know you have a clear, restless mind, seeking the truth. With a closed mind, we may end up in fool's paradise! siva
1 person likes this