Those of you who regularly read this Blog, yes ... both of you ... thank you for visiting me here again. You will have gathered by now that I usually write humourous stories here, mainly to amuse myself and to make me laugh; but also to bring a smile to your face; or even a giggle or two.
What is a giggle? It is a sound that builds up deep within you and goes up your asparagus and comes out as a noise from a hole in your head. From anywhere else and you're in real trouble!!!
Anyway ... as I was thinking before my mind wandered as it is wont to do. Normally, I write funny stories here; but not this time ... oh no ... this time I want you please to think seriously about what I want to say ... because that's what I will do ... think seriously!
When is the last time you looked inside your mind?
By that I mean - do you know who you really are?
I am not asking you your name, your parentage, your background, education, up-bringing or anything like that. I am asking you - do you know who you are?
As an individual you no doubt have opinions, points of views, prejudices, (we all have them you know ... prejudices ... even though we don't like to admit it), we all have these beliefs, values in life, and such like traits that we call our own. They are part of our personality; our individuality.
But have we ever thought what made us this way? Are our opinions, beliefs and so on based on thought out analysis, weighing up both sides, or more, of the argument or question? Or are our beliefs based on what others have told us, convinced us, or influenced us to believe and accept as the truth?
How much of our actions, which are often based on our beliefs and opinions, are influenced by our personal experiences and knowledge rather than other peoples' influences and persuasions of how we should act and believe?
So basically ... what I am asking you to consider is: Who am I? Why do I believe what I believe? Why do I act the way I act? How much am I influenced by others? Family? Friends? Acquaintances? Employers? Other employees? Adverts? And so on ...
Is all this getting a little too heavy?
Let's lighten the mood a little. Someone once said for every action there is a reaction. Can't remember who it was. It should have been me; but it wasn't.
So I ask: Why is there a reaction every time we eat beans? Or cabbage? Or sprouts? Or ...
Being introverted I do look inside a lot.
ReplyDeleteThat's good Christine.
DeleteI analyse myself a lot, and sometimes I wonder whether I like to be me.
God bless.
Super assignment, Victor. I like to dwell on these sorts of things while waiting for sleep.
ReplyDeleteEvery so often, Mevely, we need to look at ourselves. I often look in the mirror and burst out laughing.
DeleteGod bless.
A good question.
ReplyDeleteAbout where my - or anyone's - opinions come from, I'll add my bit of confusion and fog.
I have tried/am trying/plan to keep trying to think about what I believe is true. With a brain that works like mine, that's a survival strategy I developed at a very young age. And another topic.
Because I am an individual, living on one continent of one planet orbiting one star in one galaxy - - - and one of more than seven billion other individuals doing pretty much the same thing, apart from a few currently working in orbit, much of what I know is based on what I have heard from others. Even more comes from what others have written over the last few millennia.
I've had personal experiences, of course; but I've been around for about two thirds of a century: a minute fraction of elapsed time in this universe.
Since humans are very social creatures, I think most - perhaps all, apart from a few who deal with circumstances like Helen Keller's - of us form our opinions based partly on what we have learned from others.
Even the language I use to express these thoughts is not my invention. It's what happened when folks kept moving to an island off Europe's western coast - and then some of them moved to the eastern coastlands of another continent, and that's yet another topic.
I agree, Brian, that we learn from others around us now, or those from the past who have written. Indeed, we learn a lot from the Bible which was written years ago. And that's how we form our opinions too. From others.
DeleteMy inention is to encourage a level of introspection which asks: Are my opinions, views, prejudices, decisions etc ... based purely on others' views as disseminated to me? Or have I first analysed them, tested them, and came to conclusions based on my research and intelligence and lack of bias.
God bless you.
I would love to know that answer too! Something to do with fiber and digestive juices and methane gas...
ReplyDeleteThanks always for the giggles AND for giving us things to think a little harder about!
I find that the problem with fibre is that it interferes with my thinking. Or is it perhaps what fuels my imagination?
DeleteGod bless you, Terri.
I always question my behavior if I don't like what I am doing or saying. I have a few words to say to myself if I feel I doing or saying something that someone and even me don't like. It reminds me to be a better person. Don't know if that makes any sense but to me it does, at least I hope so. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, it makes a lot of sense, Bill. And that's my aim here; to encourage people to analyse themselves and their behaviour and ask what has influenced it.
DeleteGod bless you my friend.
Love how you combined humor with a very serious topic, Victor. Who are we, really, and what influences have brought us to this point?
ReplyDeleteThese days, I consider myself a child of God, first and foremost, and I pray He has the greatest influence on my thoughts and actions always.
Blessings!
Thank you for your kind words, Martha.
DeleteAs a child, I always questionned things and never accepted what I was told at face value. I must have been a real pain in the ****. Then one day, at the age of about 8, I still remember it, I was on the bus on my way to school. I suddenly realised that God really exists. Somehow I had worked it out for myself; or perhaps God had worked it out for me. I actually realised that what my parents and teachers taught me was true. There really is a God. It was like finding the missing piece of the puzzle.
Hence my article today. What does influence us, our beliefs, behaviours, views, opinions and so on? Do we ever/often analyse ourselves?
God bless.
Your post reminded me of a recent doctor's visit I took my mother to. Given her age, 84, the doctor gave her a simple memory test where she had to remember three words and then ten minutes later he would test to see if she remembered. She remembered flawlessly, and she told him a thing or two about how sharp her mind was. The doctor turned to me and asked if dementia ran in the family and I said no, but that I would probably be the first. He got a laugh out of that. So my mind is just a stack of cards waiting to come crashing down. ;)
ReplyDeleteThey say that if you keep your mind busy, like in your case reading a lot of books, then you will not have ... what was it we were talking about? Wait, let me read your comment again. Oh ... They say that if you keep your mind busy ...
DeleteGod bless you and your family, Manny.