What differentiates spiritualists from fanatics? — 2
The differences between them arise from differing priorities. Fanatics value certainty above all things, whereas spiritualists value curiosity above all things. Let’s see how these [...]
What differentiates spiritualists from fanatics? — 1
Let’s explore what differentiates the two so that we can detect and reject any fanatical tendencies that may be lurking in our heart. Approach to [...]
Why imposing our spirituality on others is wrong
Suppose a boy proposes to a girl. Suppose further that she refuses — and he reacts by threatening her with a gun, thus compelling her [...]
Be not holier-than-thou
During a pandemic, suppose someone has succeeded in avoiding infection by adopting preventive measures such as vaccination. Suppose further that they become proud and deliberately [...]
Three benefits of hearing open-mindedly
When someone disagrees with us, especially on an issue that is important to us, we may feel threatened. Consequently, we may hear them primarily to [...]
How to deal with differences of opinion
As each one of us humans is an irreducible individual, we all will have different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. This will sooner or later lead [...]
Should we speak about our spiritual practices with our colleagues?
The above question may confront practicing spiritualists, given that we live in a professional world that is largely materialistic. In dealing with this mismatch of [...]
When being truthful is helpful and when it isn’t
Suppose our partner came to us and started listing out all our faults, which number over a hundred. How would hearing that list affect us? [...]
Are we being ‘nonjudgmentally’ judgmental?
Most virtues, when taken to an excess, end up becoming vices. Such is the case with the virtue of being nonjudgmental which protects us from [...]
Why it is difficult to be broad-minded
When perceiving things, our mind routinely reduces reality to not just convenient categories but also judgemental labels. Because our mind is inside us, it is [...]
Why it’s easy to be narrow-minded
The world around us is so complex that we need to reduce it to some simple functional categories. For example, suppose we need to ask [...]
Where do we draw the line that separates the good from the bad? (Beyond black and white conceptions series 7)
When someone wrongs us, we often tend to paint ourselves as good and that person as bad. That makes us feel good, but it doesn’t [...]
Does the world hate me? (Beyond black and white conceptions series 6)
Suppose we greet someone at a get-together and they don’t respond. We may be taken aback. Suppose several people neglect our greeting. We may worry, [...]
Do the ends justify the means? (Beyond black and white conceptions series 5)
Suppose someone is driving a heart attack victim to a hospital. Naturally, they will try to drive as fast as possible. Even if they drive [...]
Go beyond virtue signaling (Beyond black and white conceptions series 4)
When we see someone doing something horribly wrong, we may feel driven to protest or correct. Nowadays when activism is often seen as cool, we [...]
What’s wrong with hating those who have wronged us (Beyond black and white conceptions series 3)
We may encounter some people who seem to have made it their life’s mission to make our life miserable. If what they have done haunts [...]
How our experience may increase our ignorance (Beyond black and white conceptions series 2)
Suppose someone has hurt us badly, several times. We may start seeing them as a villain, a person whose existence is a curse to the [...]
How black and white conceptions disempower us (Beyond black and white conceptions series 1)
When a small child learns to recognize black and white colors, that’s a step forward in their color literacy. But suppose that child, even after [...]
Why two similar wrongdoings may be entirely different
Suppose someone we trust as a good person does something wrong, say become severely abusive or even physically aggressive. Suppose further that their wrongdoing reminds [...]
The scapegoating tendency
Scapegoating is one of the most universal of human tendencies. When we face difficulties, especially difficulties that seem unfair to us, we seek someone to [...]
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard?
Suppose someone we know does something so shocking that we feel, “I don’t want anything to do with such a horrible person.” While our shock [...]