Happy, Open Stubbornness

It's been nearly three weeks since I've written anything, mainly because I didn't have anything to write about, and even if I did, I'm often getting ahead of myself in my views. This blog is a great way to sort myself out and feel things out a little better, especially because of the conversations in the comments section (further solidifying this as mainly being read by family and friends, but that's cool. Knowing me probably gives some good context.) Seriously, I could just copy/paste the conversations in the comments sections and have three new posts, but that would of course be lazy.

So I get all these ideas and run away with them immediately without contemplating them. To paraphrase Lao-tzu: "Standing on your tip-toes can help you see over a wall, but in doing so you sacrifice your footing and are set to fall." But, of course, where would any of us be if we didn't take risks? My problem lately has been that I am too interested in my footing, but I'm also trying to stand on my toes. I want to expand myself but I don't want to take the risks involved.

I should clarify, by "sacrificing your footing," I don't mean throwing yourself into the world and constantly forming and reforming your opinions with reckless abandon. Just as open mindedness is not the same as being gullible, these risks I am talking about are not the same as being flaky with your philosophy. There are some very stubborn people out there with very intelligent views, willing to listen and consider what other people have to say. Likewise there are some open, accepting people who are wishy-washy and foolish.

Take, for example, the Dalai Lama. His message of compassion, peace and detachment from wealth hasn't changed in many, many years. He is actually quite a stubborn person (not that I've met him, personally,) but not stubborn like a brick wall, rather he stubborn like a river. He doesn't shut people up or antagonize opposing views, but he takes them and moves around them.

In many ways I am a brick wall that thinks he's a river. Many of us are like that. How often do you meet somebody who claims to be progressive, compassionate and open-minded. Then as soon as you challenge their ideals they start to get fired up and angry. I'm not talking about conversations that get excited and escalated (those are often fun.) I'm talking about claiming to not be easily offended, and it turns out that the mechanism for that is deflection and rigidity.

Throw a pebble at a wall and it will bounce off, but still chip the surface.
Throw a pebble at a river and it disappears, seemingly to never be seen again. However, it may be brought to shore in time, rounded and smooth.