“Mind — in its tiniest form — is what comes between us and the world around us. And mind, many have said — since the Stoics and before — is what projects our imperfect longings and understanding onto reality. It’s not events that undo us, it’s what we make of them.” Pico Iyer
Listen to Leonard Cohen explain the idea that ‘none of us are deserving – the cruelty or the grace’. It is just not about always about you! If you can take more time today to find stillness read Pico Iyer’s essay ‘The disappearance of self in Japan’ (quote above from it). Well worth taking time for a close read.
TL;DR
“We in the West, especially in recent decades, are taught to “be ourselves.” Authenticity comes in acting and speaking as only you can act and speak. In Japan, the most considerate thing is not to be yourself. Not to impose your particular personality — and preferences and prejudices — on a situation. The ideal is to play a part — to be generic, in a way — and to perform the Platonic ideal of a convenience store clerk rather than complicate the matter by insisting on being Yukiko or Naohiko.” Discuss.
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