the self and the other
“Being ignorant means not knowing the true nature of the self, obscuring our natural and innate correspondence with everything that is, and drawing a sharp line between self and other. That painful and wholly imaginary line is the fake assurance that we can do what we like: we’re entitled, and there’ll be no repercussions, apart from a possible smatter of applause from the imagined admirers of the self.
And with it comes the joyless hope that joy can be hoarded and does not wither and die in a strictly personal savings account; or the odd fantasy that the existence of others and the reality of their suffering may legitimately be held in doubt. The actual cost of such escape attempts is great indeed. While this way of surviving may ease you past the brutal truths and grueling needs of others that would seize your whole attention if you let them grow more real, it cuts you off from the profound joy that’s available only if everyone, everything, shares in it.”
Susan Murphy
via whiskey river
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