7 Ways to Think Differently by Looby Macnamara

Author:Looby Macnamara
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Permanent Publications
Published: 2014-04-13T04:00:00+00:00

Flow versus stuff

The dominant scientific worldview has, for many centuries, been studying what the world is made of. Individual parts are analysed and taken apart to see what they are made of, what happens in between is not noticed or attended to. This is taken forward to viewing ourselves as separate entities. Another school of thought has arisen where we move to thinking in systems and we recognise the flows between parts. We consider what happens in between parts and relationships.

There are many things that could be flowing through someone at any one time; water, food, air, sound, light, hormones, adrenaline, excitement, gratitude, fear, joy, love, ideas, inspiration, conversations, grief, intention and so on. We have choices about how we respond to these flows and, as Joanna Macy says, our choices and actions act as rudders in the flow. When asked to step up to a project or to speak our truth or to act for the greater good in any way, we may have both courage and fear flowing through us simultaneously, but we can choose which one we attend to and which flow to follow. If we choose to follow our courage then this flow will become stronger, even while fear is still present.

When we are aware of ourselves as flow, we can loosen the static picture of our self-identity. We are changing entities that are reactive and proactive to flows around us. We are not the same as a firmly shaped, static block of concrete, we are more characteristic of a candle flame – ever changing, responding to air flows.

We receive information and influences from each system we are a part of. We can use this thought to develop our compassion for others. Whatever they say or do in any given moment has been influenced by the systems they are a part of. When someone snaps at something or reacts in a negative way it may well be more due to the flows of other systems then what has just happened. Instead of casting blame we can move to compassion. Any perpetrator whether it is a small act of annoyance or a serious crime is reacting to influences from larger systems, both in their present and past. Instead of blame when we think of soldiers killing people, we can share empathy for them responding to the system they are a part of. When we think of men abusing women, we can recognise that they are part of a system that teaches young boys not to express their feelings. Of course this isn’t to find excuses, as there are always choices that can be made about what flows to respond to. And being this understanding isn’t an easy thing to do, monks can spend decades meditating in caves to build up this kind of compassion, but we can at least see this as a possible reaction to aspire to.

When we experience grief, shock, pain, anger, tiredness, happiness or animation we may be responding to a flow from around us.

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