A friend tells me that I have a spiritual point of view that most closely resembles their own.
They agree with me, apparently.
Which is what humans do- determine our point of view, and determine what we agree with.
We are constantly defining how we see things.
We kind of have to, actually. Because eliminate opinion and we have zero idea who, what, or where we are.
So naturally we need to know what side we’re on, we need to know our position.
Though, aren't those interesting words? Because they’re supposedly referring to ideas, but actually they're more literally indicating...
Geography.
“This is where I stand.”
As if points of view place us.
Like, “Looking for me? You’ll find me over here, standing on the “I’m for no children in cages” spot.”
Weird, isn’t it?
I mean, what are we, bats? Sounding radar-opinions out into the night, using viewpoint as our locator, our GPS?
“Here I am. I’m the one who is on this political side, who thinks dealing with feelings is best done XYZ way, who likes UG more than Jiddu.”
Right here. Me. I.
Located. Through opinion.
And then, we go looking for matches.
Because it’s not enough just to know what side we’re on.
No, it has to be announced. To everyone, everywhere.
We want people to know. We really want people to know.
In fact if we can't announce our point of view in any given situation, we say things like, “I can’t be myself around them.”
Which is not okay with us.
Enter the slogan T-shirt, the custom license plate, the correction of all those obviously wrong Facebook posts by others. Enter the necessity to slather, “Yeah that’s right!” and, “What are you smoking!” all over the internet, and at family dinners.
Our take on everything Must. Be. Known.
Can you say “compulsion,” boys and girls?
Because the drive to state our stance is almost irresistible.
As if we need that arrow pointing to “us” at all times.
Could it be the self coalesces around a point of view?
Of course, such reification and solidity is tenuous. Because after all, the self is a flimsy little thing, needing constant support.
So we gather agree-ers and like-minded others around us, blocking many if not all disagree-ers.
As if that We’re-On-The-Same-Side community will give us connection with...
An unknown whole.
We think agreement equals that yearned-for connection.
Never mind that “taking a side” eliminates wholeness from the get-go.
Still, the individual constantly yearns for integration... homecoming, almost... with what’s real, truer, bigger than any vaporous concept.
Because we know that’s what we are.
And because these ridiculous individuals we are pretending to be do not feel whole.
Which is how we miss that connection with the whole is already present, and what we crave is already here.
I mean, vapor mixes with vapor. It’s not held in place by some edge, border or wall of a side or position or stance. It has to merge, because, y'know, vapor.
Thoughts, concepts, points of view, have to blend together with the us-es and thems.
Whether we know this or not. Whether we agree or not.
Now of course there’s nothing wrong with having a point of view, and nothing wrong with shouting it from every rooftop and Facebook timeline.
After all, we couldn’t stop if we wanted to.
But it might be interesting to see that agreement, and the gathering of tribes, and the elimination of anyone outside the tribe, will never get us the connection we crave.
While simply seeing the arbitrary-ness and wispiness of self and point of view, actually might.
Which could be fun.
And of course this is just my point of view, just Judy’s position.
It may be close to your position or not.
I’ll do my best to be on your team either way.
Agreed?
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