Comfort the disturbed, disturb the comfortable.
This quote from the newspaperman Finley Peter Dunne is a good pointer for society and politics.
As a society, it’s our responsibility to comfort the disturbed through working to reduce inequality and by providing good education, universal health care, good social safety nets and so on.
And it’s in our interest to disturb the comfortable through questioning privilege, reducing inequality, curbing the influence of corporations and the wealthy on politics and policies, creating a deeper democracy, and building a society – locally and globally – that works for all and not just a few.
This is also a good pointer for how I relate to myself.
When parts of me are disturbed, I can invite them to find comfort – through being present with them, relating to them with kindness and respect, see their value, gently explore, see more of what’s really going on, and invite in healing for these parts of me.
And when parts of me are (falsely) comfortable, I can shake them out of their complacency – by noticing what’s really going on and what’s more true and real to me than my initial beliefs and viewpoints.
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Initial notes…..
- comfort the disturbed, disturb the comfortable
- it’s a good pointer in society and politics
- and also in how I relate to myself
- comfort the disturbed parts, allow healing
- disturb the comfortable, inquire into, find what’s more true
- in each case, inquire, find what’s more true
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A disturbed part is disturbed because it reflects a belief at odds with reality. And a falsely comfortable part of me is falsely comfortable for the same reason.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finley_Peter_Dunne
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When I notice a disturbed part of myself, I can comfort it.
And when I notice a (falsely) comfortable part of myself, I can disturb it.
In each case, I can do this through inquiry and truth.
Why is a disturbed part disturbed? It’s often because of a belief at odds with reality. And why is a falsely comfortable part of myself comfortable? For the same reason.
In both cases, I tell myself I know. I know that something bad happened or will happen, so I am disturbed. Or I tell myself all is fine in a way it isn’t, and I am falsely comfortable.
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This is also a good pointer for how I relate to myself.
The simplest way to do this is perhaps inquiry. Whether I am disturbed or complacent, I can find resolution through inquiry and truth. I can find peace from disturbance, and I can shake myself out of complacency.