From a reddit post (deleted by mods), that, while seemingly resentful toward humans, served as an excellent prompt for reflection. First, on how our attitudes toward self and humanity-at-large can evolve so drastically over a lifetime. Second, how the point-of-view of the accuser is likely originating from the same exact place as the accused – ego based thought. How does the attitude below make you feel? Does it spark ill toward the author, or compassion, or indifference? How about your sense of importance?

From Stranger

Dear World,

Fuck Humans. You are not as important as you think you are.

From Me

Dear Stranger,

There is no such thing as “important”. We’re just here. I suspect many here would joyfully admit their cosmic insignificance 🙂

For the humans who do “feel important”… their perception really doesn’t seem warrant anger toward them. They are on their path.

And you are on your path, feeling resentment, which you are sharing with all of us.

(duly noted)

Your feeling of resentment is about as cosmically significant as their feeling of importance. They are ideas in your heads that you are free to indulge or just observe. I have no issue with either of them actually, as long as nobody’s hurting anyone. Given the options of A) living my life feeling really important or B) feeling really resentful, I think I’ll see what else is on the menu, or simply put the menu down entirely.

I hope your respective feelings teach you something in the long run.

Reflection

What emotions come up in your mind as you read this? Can you relate to any period in your life, where someone else’s sense of importance bothered you? Can you relate to the need to feel some level of status in your own life? Certain flavors of status feel genuinely wholesome and healthy, yes? Regardless of how we feel individually, we have no choice but to coexist with humans who will be experiencing the full range of these feelings, always. How can we not become emotionally entangled by these ideas as they come and go? How can we let them be, not only when our own minds bring them up, but when they come from others? Consider mindfulness as a way to explore this.

More Reflection 🙂

Minutes after posting, the universe (aka a reader of this post Salomon) handed me a new question: why post this? Is it perhaps, motivated by self-importance? (dun dun dun…)

This is excellent. WHY do we do anything? This question may as well be personal religion. It feels absolutely right to apply it here, too. Ultimately I can’t locate a feeling of importance. What exactly am “I” (or you), anyway? Frankly, I’m not sure I feel much identity with anything lately. This feels freeing. “Importance” needs to be anchored to something, and ideally, one (however you want to define, “one”) provides no ground upon which to anchor anything 🙂 I do very much enjoy floating ideas out into the world, though, and seeing how others might engage with them, so that we can grow together. I hope this post is as faithful to that process as any other.