Posted by 64bowtie on December 5, 2004, at 13:27:15
In reply to Free will conundrum explored, posted by 64bowtie on December 4, 2004, at 12:11:18
I see myself in my history as forming distorted and false beliefs. I remember espousing opinions I am certain now as faulty. How did I do that and remain willing to get up every morning, without babbling and drooling on myself?
Simple. I employed the twin gate guards of denial-and-indecision to protect my ego from any destruction at the hands of new-information-and-knowledge. They filter out all the "bad-stuff"... or do they? They helped me avoid anything new.
For several years I watched myself do this and fail, again and again. When I was in the weekly study groups with David Peck helping form David's new model for chemical/person abuser recovery, things changed for me. I noticed things [what I posted here above] about FREE WILL. I discovered that we have a neurophysiological (normal) process, that forms patterns for us as FREE WILL.
Picture four boxes as quadrants. In each box you can write some details:
...Box 1. We take in good information and don't booger it up. (the best palce to be)
...Box 2. We take in good information and booger it up.
...Box 3. We take in boogered up information and label it as good information. (a messy place to be)
...Box 4. We take in boogered up information and see it for what it is, boogered up and to be avoided.
Addendum: Sometimes we mix information from boxes 2, 3 and 4... Messy!In its entirety, this is free will. I discovered what's simple and elegant here is that I lacked acceptance that I normally operate in all four corners as a matter of course; that sometimes I'm in each of these four corners trying to make sense out of life. Mixing boxes 2, 3, and 4, made my life, not a life but a mess!
What I could never see and accept is that its my choice or perspective of which corner I was viewing new information from at the moment. I'm much more careful today and stay out of boxes 2, 3, and 4.
Acceptance of what is, and willingness to change what ain't, is what I work for daily. I do this while remaining curious about the new stuff I don't know yet, but struggle to see. Today I seek beauty. Its a much better filter than denial-and-indecision.
Rod
poster:64bowtie
thread:424323
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20041202/msgs/424773.html