"This is my favorite thing about being raised in Africa: We don't do labels very well; we don't do this, 'Oh, you're a Democrat; oh, you're a Republican.' Because we live in the real world." -Dambisa Moyo
Unfortunately, many of us have developed corrosive habits in how we relate to ourselves and others. It's critically important that we
approach this conversation with curiosity, rather than criticism, to avoid perpetuating a vicious cycle, though it is often hard to avoid pangs of regret when trying to figure out how to do a better job. It's challenging, especially early on, to tolerate the shameful and painful emotions which can come up when we really start to work on issues, and even more challenging early on to be
grateful for the opportunities we give ourselves.
The road to hell is paved with overly simplistic labels
Counterproductive habits show up in many ways, typically unconsciously shaping our choices so that we repetitively feel bad and get into negative situations without quite knowing why. In the absence of self-awareness, when we feel incapable of doing anything well, it's much harder to see the possibilities for realistic, positive change. It's pretty much also impossible to stay with the details of what is going on so we can sort things out. One way we can begin to pay
attention is by catching the words we use during
self-talk, the labels we use with ourselves and others when we are coming from more toxic places. When I hear people use these words, I take it as a clue there is
more to the story than there appears to be.
Comment: Reading seems like a fundamental aspect of self-education. There's undeniably something to reading a book that isn't the same as reading something from a screen. But, as the author above points out, reading hasn't been with humanity for very long. However, does that mean we shouldn't mourn its loss? Can we rely on the fact that 'whatever technology is coming next' will be more beneficial than the book? Or is this just another sign of humanity's slow degeneration into idiocracy?
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