“All a man can betray is his own conscience.” — Joseph Conrad
Have you ever had the experience of meeting anyone without a conscience? I have brushed past a few over the years. It is quite eye-opening given the ramifications of the meeting. However, when you become a skilled observer of human behavior either by interaction or another means, it becomes inherently clear what selective choices were made.
As an educator, I had the privilege of interacting with hundreds of young people whose efforts embraced dreams yet unfulfilled. These young minds sustained a great deal of unbridled hope directed toward achievement, success and reward. In any given moment, I sometimes experienced individuals with a different agenda . . . and completely without concern regarding any specific outcome. This pervasive behavior wasn’t “age specific,” and I often pondered how this attitude might evolve over time. I often questioned what may have precipitated or manifested this acute behavior during the formative years. Early on in my teaching experience I sincerely believed the words of Jaagi Vasudev Sadhguru, “If you are deeply involved with the simplest aspects of your life, you will see every aspect of your life is spectacular.” Unfortunately, there existed a select few who never viewed any aspect of their life as special, let alone spectacular.
As I have now come to realize, there are individuals at every stage in our journey that we respond to with another skill set, often without even recognizing the process . . . consciously. We may wish to acknowledge acceptance as the appropriate tool for these unique instances, however upon further examination . . . it is the response in deference to acceptance that resonates more deeply and causes a subtle shift in your cognitive awareness. Once you recognize that nothing you could do, say or act upon would change any specific outcome, your conscious response is then release without remorse. This is an extremely challenging concept, however in realizing this I also have come to understand the words of Joseph Conrad with a little more clarity . . . “Never test another man, by your own weakness.” Once you acknowledge, implement and integrate this personal responsibility, the rest somehow takes care of itself. JLR