Hey friends,
There’s a lot to shake your head at these days.
Whatever your beliefs may be, there is a sizable group that believes the exact opposite. From politics to medicine, almost every social issue seems to be polarized, and this leads to anger, disappointment, or a mixture of both.
But one thing that unifies us is the pursuit of truth. After all, frustration emerges when you think you’ve found the truth, but feel that others are irrationally choosing their own version of it.
In today’s post, I explore the limits of rationality, and how our desire for freedom often blinds us to reality. Because even if we know that 1 + 1 = 2, we would often find another equation much more compelling:
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A Book I've Been Enjoying
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse — This is perhaps the best novel you could read in one weekend. It’s a beautifully written story about one man’s quest for enlightenment, and how framing it as a quest is what makes it a source of suffering.
As a sidenote, the chapter titled "Samsara" is the greatest takedown of hedonism I’ve ever read.
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"Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning." — Viktor Frankl
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A Thought I've Been Pondering
Your beliefs are the result of personal experience. Your enemy’s beliefs are the result of his.
War is the result of imposing your experiences onto your enemy's. Of conquering his narrative to make it resemble yours.
Peace is the result of understanding your enemy’s experiences. Of connecting your narratives to create a broader picture of the world.
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A Brief Parting Question
What is a belief you once had that you changed your mind about? And what made it possible for you to do that?
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As always, hit reply to share any thoughts, to respond to the parting question, or to simply say hello. I love hearing from you.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to share this email with anyone who might enjoy it. Have a great rest of your week!
-Lawrence
P.S. Thanks to Francis and Janice for adding your support on Patreon! Become a part of the patron community to get access to AMAs, exclusive reflections, offline posts, and more.
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