Conventions Rule Our Lives

We agree as a society to assign sounds and written words to objects and experiences so that we can more easily communicate with one another. These systems of language and representation are called conventions.

In order to prove you understand addition, you must be able to look at a paper that says "2+2=" and write down "4." In order to prove you understand what water means, you must be able to point at water when someone makes that particular noise. In order to be a productive member of society, you must get a job. In order to be respected, you must do things worthy of respect in your culture. This is conventional knowledge.

Conventional knowledge consists of the abstract concepts we learn, such as language and laws, so that we can more efficiently interact with those around us. Of course you can know what water is without knowing that it is called water, but in this case your knowledge is purely individual and cannot benefit others. This is why society so greatly values conventions. But what happens when conventions surpass reality in importance?

It has long been taught that you can only understand a thing if you can describe it in terms of conventions, and this still seems to be the prevailing belief of modern society. And this is the reason the world is headed in a direction of increasing anxiety and unhappiness.

When your brain is stuck in conventional knowledge mode, it interprets reality one thought at a time and tries to define it according to conventions. The result is a severe lack of immersion in the present moment, and a constant comparison of the present moment to past memories. Most of our complaints about being bored or disliking some activity are not objective judgements of the present moment, but rather comparisons to past times. The only cure for anxiety and unhappiness is to stop judging life and to flow with it.

A Superior Kind of Knowledge

There is a different kind of knowledge than conventional, and you don't even need to look further than your own body to realize it. Your heart is beating, your blood is flowing, your brain is thinking, and your lungs are filling. You cannot describe how you are doing these things, but you certainly know how to do them. This is intuitive knowledge.

Intuitive knowledge covers all of the actions you engage in that require no conscious effort, such as walking or breathing. You know how to do these things, but when you try and describe how you do them, you cannot. The beauty of this type of knowledge is that it is completely spontaneous and immune to the conventions of society. You cannot be anxious or worried in this state of mind, because anxiety and worry can only be caused by conventions and intuitive knowledge is simply reality.

The best example of complete immersion in an intuitive mindset is a child. Toddlers do what they please, when they please, and are strictly affected by the qualities of the present moment. They are immersed in the present moment, because they have not yet been conditioned by the conventions of society.

We often describe childhood as a sort of whimsical state of mind that is long gone and unrecoverable once we reach adulthood, never to be enjoyed again. But what if that isn't the case? What if you can enjoy the spontaneous state of mind of a child, while still utilizing conventions as a useful tool?

Welcome to the world of Zen and Taoism. I refrained from mentioning these names at the start of the post because of the connotations we assign to them in the Western world. Zen is not a religion despite popular convention, but rather a way of approaching reality. My goal is not to educate anyone on its specific teachings, because Zen is much more a way of living life and viewing reality than a subject worthy of a classroom environment. My goal is simply to encourage everyone to take a closer look at the ideas presented in Zen with an open mind. The results can be life changing.

I suggest anyone interested in further investigating the way of Zen purchase the book, The Way of Zen by Alan Watts, as it is a great introductory piece written for a Western audience.