Reversing the power dynamic
Adapted from: https://thorsmusings.substack.com/p/reversing-the-power-dynamic?r=1w00we&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Because we value things which we cannot control, the things we value control us.
What do we value?
That which we value and that is without my control gives my power to those to whom have or may exert control over that which we value.
If we value money, then those who can take money from or provide money to us, have control over us.
If we value my leg, then whomever has the ability to chain our leg has control over us.
If we value praise, then we become dependent on and influenced by and slave to whomever supplies that praise.
If we value my freedom, then anyone who can or does threaten to take that from us, has control over us.
What are things solely within our control?
To us, our character, and by extension our reaction to any situation which arises are within our control.
So if we only value our character then indifference in general to or non attachment to any situational outcome becomes less likely to exert power over us in a way that would cause suffering and take our power away in a sense that victim mentality emerges.
Freedom from external influence comes when we control our character.
Character is the real measure of a person. It therefore should be our foremost priority to develop and focus on.
Anything we value, in effect becomes an idol that controls us, from a spiritual perspective:
The above video is further described in:
This article, BTW, is summed up by Confucius in the following proverb:
“The more you want, the more the world can hurt you.”
[Confucius]
Our philosophy is:
“We don’t expect much out of a world of sinful people, so we’re never disappointed.”
[SEDM]
If you can’t be disappointed, then you can never be controlled by others because you don’t have any “spiritual idols” and don’t therefore practice “idolatry”.
