“The wise expect nothing, hope for nothing, thus avoiding all disappointment and anxiety.”
– Alexandra David-Néel
However, hope can be the greatest of things, says Andy Dufresne.
(Just because I share these quotes doesn’t mean I always agree with them. My reasoning behind sharing them is to help me write engaging blog posts as well as push me to think through them.)
I also may agree with them during one point in my life and then disagree with them during another, that’s called the human condition. However, the point is to understand the mind of the author, not to find disagreement with them.
Disagreement should be a productive jumping-off point, a seeking to understand the core of the argument and see the other person’s side of view with more clarity.
Disappointment sucks, yes, but it’s also a catalyst to change. It’s in learning why we are disappointed with a certain outcome or person that we learn to have meaningful conversations and let go of the ego.
Expectations lead to unnecessary “what if” storylines in the mind.
Which can grow and grow, creating anxiety and angst in even the calmest of minds. Let’s take a simple high-school crush as an example: What if they don’t like me? What if I can’t talk to them? What if I don’t know what to say? What if they like someone else?
These “what ifs” can go on in perpetuity or until we see them from enough of a distance and watch them pass away.
The mind is a truly tricky place to navigate. Without the awareness to see thoughts, we will inevitably be consumed by them.
And without the practice of awareness (meditation, noting, visualizing), we will not be aware long enough to let thoughts pass.
Personally, I would change this quote to read: “The wise expect little, hope when all seems lost, and thus see disappointment and anxiety as passing clouds far above them.”
I encourage you to seek what troubles your mind today: write it down, speak it out loud, and tell someone who will actively listen (not necessarily in that order).
It’s in understanding our disappointments, anxieties, frustrations, and emotions that we better our relationship with our minds.
Three Links
- Why You Need Wisdom (read)
- How to Disagree Better (audio)
- What is Wisdom? (video)
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