The Paradigm of Thought

How much of what we have to learn, in Truth, is really unlearning past, now irrelevant information?

Think about that one for a minute. If you consider it well, you will see the validity of the statement, and understanding this can bring you to a new insight. Everything we know only serves us under certain conditions, and those conditions are in a state of constant flux.

If this sounds deep and confusing, let me put it this way. Nothing is written in stone. Circumstances change. It is the nature of the universe to evolve. We are no different. We must be ever ready and willing to let go of our paradigms in order to more efficiently move into the future.

Most understand this with the concept of opinions. Our opinions may change rather openly, without our giving them much thought or resistance. The concept of what we consider to be facts really should be no different. What we consider facts have changed over time, just the same. Sometimes they change easily and other times with the tooth of defense menacing the attempt.

The world was once flat, did you know? There were only four elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Atoms were the smallest most basic thing that exists. Energy and matter were once separate things. One race is superior to another. People are above the animals. The earth is moving through space (as if the earth were a separate entity from the space through which it moves). Etc. Etc. Etc.

Why do we feel we need to categorize everything we can observe? Certainly doing so may be helpful, but only to the end of some specific desired result. We still say the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. This is convenient, but it is not necessarily the truth, and we do seem to know it.

Every fact you or I state is no different. Yes, something may be true, yet it is not. My point is not to confuse or put down what or how anyone thinks. It is only to add a little expansion to our thinking. It is when we are not willing to expand our thinking that we begin to put ourselves at a disadvantage. We box ourselves in to a paradigm.

The world continues on. Nothing you or I can do to change that. It is for this reason you often hear that for anything in your life to change, you must change. This knowledge is gold. Everything great begins from within.

Don’t be afraid to delve within your own consciousness, and do so with a mind ready to be changed. Growth and evolution seem to be the norm from time immemorial.

If you gather anything of value from this, let it be that it really matters not what you know. It is only what you decide to do with it that truly matters.

“Be bold in your decisions, but be humble in your present stance.”

--From my book, Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way

Remember, as always, I welcome your feedback whether in comments or questions. And thank you for reading my blog.

Jeffrey B. Brandt


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