Spiritual non-politics
Knowing what you can't control.
I recently watched an old Wayne Dyer program where he briefly mentions Carl Jung's four stages of adulthood:
The Athlete: Focused on your own body, its looks, its abilities.
The Warrior: Focused on acquisition and prestige.
The Statesman: Focused on service to others. Other websites call it The Statement: what mark you want to leave in the world.
The Spirit: Realization of the true self, which is more than your body.
The model doesn't imply that everyone goes through each stage in the same order for the same number of years, but I was struck by the progression and how it corresponded to the development of my political thought.
First, corresponding to youthful concerns of The Athlete or the body, in my idealistic youth I was most concerned about individual rights and freedoms.
Second, corresponding to the Warrior, I became more pragmatic. Using data and reason, my emphasis was: YOU'D be better off, we'd ALL be better off, if we did X, Y, and Z.
Third, corresponding to the Statesman, I was increasingly moved by empathy. What I couldn't in good conscience do to another person, the government shouldn't do either. This circles back to concern for individual rights, but on a more human and less abstract level. You don't need a religious or philosophical text, or the Declaration of Independence or Constitution, to realize the government should leave your peaceful neighbor alone in peace.
Through these stages, however, I felt there was something missing. But I was usually writing on behalf of a larger organization or coalition. I was trying to persuade others to join a cause; I wasn't sharing my entire life philosophy. But writing for myself, I can incorporate the next stage.
Corresponding to Spirit, is non-attachment. The following is an edited version of previously published thoughts, with a new paragraph at the end.
Regardless of the extent of one's activism, The State will remain an uncontrollable force. Just as a hurricane may wipe you out, a cop's stray bullet may end your life regardless of whom you voted for. Yet people throughout history have carved out lives of productivity, contentment, even genius, under brutal regimes and in inequitable societies. We can only live our own lives, and they should be enjoyed even when the outer circumstances are far from ideal.
If you feel you can make a real difference in ending a particular injustice, and that's how you want to spend your time and energy, blessings to you. Keep in mind that other people have other priorities, and will hate you for yours.
Much of what upset me about politics were evils supposedly "done in my name." But, I didn't commit them. They were never done with my consent, and I had no control over how other people voted.
My emotional divestment from politics allows me to observe it like natural phenomena. That is, with an awareness that it has a force of its own. I can't control the opinions of my fellow human beings just as I can't control hurricanes.
This non-attachment also allows me to see that, no matter what may be encountered in nature or in politics, it's up to me how I perceive the circumstances. I don't have to be a victim.
Ultimately, I can let my inner world, my consciousness, be affected by the world outside my body, or I can let the outer world be a reflection of my inner world.
That is, if "the world" can't be changed as extensively and rapidly as I'd like, I can at least change my world by letting my actions reflect inner peace, inner joy, and inner freedom.
James Leroy Wilson writes from Nebraska. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. If you enjoy his articles, subscribe and exchange value for value. You may contact James for your writing, editing, and research needs: jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com. Permission to reprint is granted with attribution.
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