In the last few posts I spoke about the importance of structuring one's own mind and the importance of avoiding dogma. In this post I would like to apply the previous two concepts to examining our relationships and interactions with other people.
Examining our relationships-
In the same manner that we think of our mind and our perception of the external world as mirrors of one another we should also think of our relationships with other people in a similar manner. We have to understand that the other individual's perception of us is constantly shifting and adapting based on how we interact with them in the same manner that our perception of them is adapting to their behaviors.
The golden rule “treat your neighbors as you would want to be treated” reflected in the more contemporary adage “you get what you give” holds true. When we act towards others in anger and aggression we can only expect them to respond in a similar manner. If we treat them with love, kindness, and honesty then we can expect the same in return. As we cultivate relationships with people we can see how our interactions with them can develop the relationship in different manners.
Understanding others as an agent of constantly shifting perceptions can also give us insights into how our own behaviors and actions affect others. It allows us to experiment with the manner that we interact with others and make adjustments so that we are sure we are making our desired impression.
As we exchange ideas and beliefs with others we constantly affect both our understanding of the world and theirs. Furthermore, ideas and beliefs spread from individual to individual in a manner that is reminiscent to nodes on a network, this is how human kinds collective consciousness functions. Therefore, we should try to work with those around us to cultivate greater levels of understanding of ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
Our aim should be to cultivate higher levels of consciousness on both the individual and collective level, thus it is very important to consider how we treat and interact with those around us.