Einstein figured out that time is not constant and is dependent on our perceptions of motion. Quantum Mechanics tells us that all matter can change dependent on our observing it. These are cracks in our cosmic egg of what we may think we know to be real.
A very famous book that has sold over 40 million copies says this about alcoholics and the phenomenon of craving: “Our troubles, we think, are basically of our own making, we are self-will run riot…..etc and so forth”. It might be that we create not only our behaviors but also a lot of our reality. Obviously we create things and stuff on a regular basis. One extreme notion of this is “what we focus on will grow”. If we focus on what is great about the world we will see more of that. If we focus on what a jerk someone is they will become jerkier. When we focus on space travel we will get more and more space travel. Maybe our focus ability also includes our planet. I dunno.
I do know that in my work as a health care practitioner, a whole lot of our health troubles are prompted by our own behaviors. Sometimes the generating stories that drive our choices are unconscious, unknown to us, yet very, very powerful.
Taken to extremes, I could consider that I and we caused the Covid-19 crisis and Western US fires as a way to grow perhaps….I know that sounds stupid yet it does provide a sense of control instead of total victimhood.
If I were thrown out of a 10 story building on the way down I could question why did I upset that woman so much that she threw me out the window? I could consider I did this to myself; and would feel powerful all the way to the big splat on the sidewalk below. Still the splat but I do not have to be the total victim.
Every person who comes into my office with a pain, dysfunction or complaint, I quietly and secretly look for what about their life could have brought this on. I do this investigative work only to myself as it appropriately upsets people to suggest they did it to themselves. At some point, like the alcoholic and the phenomenon of craving, something may dawn on us (me included) that we had an unknown intention, or some hand in creating our life’s difficulties.
This does not work if it turns to shame or blame for ourselves or anyone else. Human is as good as any of us get. It may not even be true that we create our own difficulties however it does serve to remove the victimhood role, even if it is delusional.
There must be someone to blame.
There is a website, “Jim Did It”. My golf buddies wanted me to grab it ‘cause everything seems to be my fault, but a sign company on the East Coast already has it.
Maybe no-one is to blame.
Life just is.
Even when I triple putt.
