(September 23, 2021 at 10:07 am)Angrboda Wrote: In one of Jonathan Haidt's books, he likens some aspects of the mind, such as emotions, to riding an elephant. If nobody is riding the elephant, it's just going to go wherever it wants. And if you've never ridden an elephant, and you hop on its back with no harness or anything, no matter how much you kick it or shout at it, it's just going to ignore you and do what it wants. But if you learn over time to give the elephant commands, you can learn what it does and doesn't respond to, and gain some control over the animal's natural instinct to just do what it wants to do. And if you master that skill, you can eventually learn to guide that elephant where you want it to go with efficiency and success. And furthermore, after a time of learning your behavior, the elephant will know what your various prods and kicks mean, and respond more appropriately to them. Emotions are like that. It isn't magic. You have to make an effort, and not expect results right away.
The Chinese say about one form of training your mind, meditation, "A man combs his hair once a day. Why not his heart?"
Mind blown. Must meditate now.
Why is it so?
~Julius Sumner Miller
~Julius Sumner Miller