"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." - Aristotle
There is no bigger solution for our common sanity… to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
What comes to mind after pondering this for a moment? Freedom. Agency. Space. Possibility.
Freedom of will. The agency to consciously be in the game. And the space for new possibilities.
Democritus, ancient Greek philosopher, said "perception is reality". It is our inability to properly qualify our thoughts that allows perception to be reality. Thoughts do not need to be reality. We just evolved to see it that way.
The incessant catastrophizing of our future is baked into our most basic code. We are constantly living a reality steeped in fear.
It is for this reason that providing space for a thought, without a label or any expectations, allows our better nature to exist. Without this space we lose whatever free will we have.
With this awareness, we can now spend time with our negative self-talk. We can start the conversation towards detaching from our thoughts and approach life with greater equanimity.
For all the different perspectives on what being educated means, I’ll say that Aristotle nailed it.
Pause. Breathe, and quiet the NOISE.
Want to read more of the blog? Click here to subscribe to receive the full blog bi-weekly!