![\"\"](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/08\/notadamnthing.jpg\" "\\"notadamnthing\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cLove is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.\u201d -Eric Fromm<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It struck me recently that a lot of people think they know what\u2019s wrong with this world, and it also struck me that they\u2019re all wrong.<\/p>\n
Seriously \u2014 almost every political and religious group, every opinionated person, every publication with an opinion, has said at one time or another what they think is wrong with this world.<\/p>\n
Conservatives think that we\u2019ve become a welfare state (giving too many handouts to the poor), while many liberals think we\u2019ve allowed too much corporate welfare (and I tend to agree with this more \u2014 we give billions to corporations and much less to the poor and sick). Others think that abortion is the problem, others think it\u2019s declining morals, others think it\u2019s infidels, and others say it\u2019s infidelity. Other things that are wrong with this world, depending on the group: the media, young people, environmentalists, McDonald\u2019s, criminals, gays, black people, white people, foreigners overrunning our country, bigots, radicals, the Establishment, poor people, corporations, lazy people, evil people, Fox News, the Internet \u2026 the list could go on and on, obviously.<\/p>\n
So what\u2019s really wrong with the world, in my opinion?<\/p>\n
Not a thing.<\/p>\n
\nOriginally Written and Posted at Zen Habits<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The Prevailing World-view<\/strong>
\nIt seems to be a prevailing world-view that the world is messed up, that there are just a few things wrong with it, and if we could only get those things to change, the world would be great. If we could just educate people and get them to realize what\u2019s wrong with this world, things could change.<\/p>\nThis type of view of the world \u2014 and like I said, I think it\u2019s the prevailing view \u2014 stems from an ideal that many people have in their heads of what the world should be like. They might not realize they have that ideal, but it\u2019s there. And the world will never reach this Platonic ideal, because it\u2019s just this image of perfection that does not match reality. Reality and this ideal are incompatible.<\/p>\n
So What\u2019s Wrong With That?<\/strong>
\nNothing\u2019s wrong with that, actually. That\u2019s how most people are, and I don\u2019t think I can change that, nor would I want to. I thought it would be an interesting discussion, though, because I think this discrepancy between what people think the world should be and what the world really is can cause unhappiness.<\/p>\nIf you want the world to be completely vegetarian and kind to animals, and it isn\u2019t and won\u2019t be in the foreseeable future, you will most likely be unhappy. If you want the world to go back to how it was during your childhood, or during your parents\u2019 generation, and it isn\u2019t likely to do so, you\u2019re not gonna be happy.<\/p>\n
The same is true of any of our ideals \u2014 do you have an ideal spouse? An ideal child? An ideal friend, mother, co-worker or roommate? It\u2019s very possible that you do, and also very possible that the reality of the people in your life don\u2019t meet these ideals. That might cause you to be unhappy with them.<\/p>\n
When reality doesn\u2019t meet ideals \u2014 and it rarely does \u2014 we become unhappy.<\/p>\n
So What\u2019s the Alternative?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019m not proposing that you, or anyone else, change your world-view. If you, or anyone else, is happy with that world-view, don\u2019t change it.<\/p>\nBut there is an alternative, and I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s better. It\u2019s the world-view I try to have: instead of having an ideal, stop looking for perfection. Accept the world as it is, and love it for what it is. Accept people as they are, and love them.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not easy, even if it sounds trite and commonplace. If you haven\u2019t tried it, I recommend you do, because 1) it won\u2019t be easy; and 2) it could open your eyes to the pre-conceived ideals you didn\u2019t realize you had.<\/p>\n
What would be the result of this alternative world-view? Well, I think you\u2019d be happier, if only because you didn\u2019t see the world as a fundamentally flawed or evil place, and began to see the good in the world. This, however, is open to individual interpretation, and your own experience is likely to be different than mine.<\/p>\n
Does this mean that we should give up on trying to make positive changes in the world? Should we stop trying to make the world a better place? Nosireebob! Don\u2019t ever stop trying to do good things! Even if the world is already a good place, we can always find happiness and satisfaction in trying to do good, in trying to make people\u2019s lives better.<\/p>\n
But what about all the evil and suffering in the world? Should we accept and love that as well? That\u2019s the toughest part, I think. It\u2019s hard to accept that people are dying of diseases and famine and war and murder and abuse, and perhaps impossible to love that aspect of the world. You don\u2019t have to love it, but it helps to try to really understand it. Why does this happen? What are the deeper reasons? At the hear of the deepest reasons is humanity \u2014 we are all flawed creatures in some way, and that\u2019s what makes us human and beautiful.<\/p>\n
Why would someone commit violence, for example? Because they are evil? There are numerous reasons, but at the heart of it is probably that this person was hurt, abandoned, abused, or neglected in some way, at some point in his life. That person needs our compassion more than anyone. And if we try to understand this person, or understand the heart of any violence in the world, then we can better apply the love and compassion that\u2019s need to heal this pain and make the world a better place.<\/p>\n
Like I said, this world-view isn\u2019t easy. It requires a lot of compassion, and therefore a lot of understanding and patience and a willingness to open your heart in a way that the prevailing world-view doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
However, I think it\u2019s worth the effort \u2014 at least, it has been in my life. I don\u2019t claim to be perfect, and I admit that I fail all the time. I judge others, and condemn things, along with everyone else. But when I catch myself at that, and really examine the reasons why, I begin to see that I am making quick judgments, and not really trying to understand things. When I reverse that, and try to find the compassion needed, it changes me \u2014 in a wonderful way.<\/p>\n
How to Love the World as It Is<\/strong>
\nSo let\u2019s say that you\u2019d like to try this world-view. You\u2019d like to love people, and the entire world, as it is, and not as you\u2019d like it to be. How do you go about doing that?<\/p>\nThere are six things I recommend doing:<\/p>\n
1. Stop looking for perfection and ideals<\/strong>. Realize that you have an ideal in your head, and that it is probably incompatible with the world. It might be an ideal about a person, or about how things should be. The world, and people, are not perfect. Stop looking for perfection, and realize that it is already here.<\/p>\n
2. Observe<\/strong>. Instead of looking at this ideal picture in your head, look at what\u2019s really there. What is the world really like? What are people really like? The only way to know this is to observe. Listen to people. Look at the world around you. Gather data, from reality.<\/p>\n
3. Understand<\/strong>. Now that you have this data, start asking questions. Why are people the way they are? Why did someone do what they did? Why does this problem really exist? Don\u2019t stop at the first answers you come up with \u2014 dig deeper, and deeper, until you really understand something. Seek to understand before you judge, in all situations. Sometimes that will require imagination \u2014 you won\u2019t be able to really know the root of something unless you personally investigate everything, but instead sometimes you can try to imagine what made a person the way they are, or a situation what it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo understand everything is to forgive everything.\u201d – Buddha<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
4. Accept<\/strong>. Once you\u2019ve observed and begun to understand, accept that this is the way the world is. This is who the person is. The world isn\u2019t going to meet any ideal \u2014 it is what it is, and while it will always change, it probably won\u2019t change to meet your ideal. The person in question is exactly the same \u2014 they won\u2019t meet your ideal, but are who they are. Accept this as fact.<\/p>\n
5. Love and compassion<\/strong>. Once you\u2019ve accepted things or people as they are \u2026 try to find it in your heart to love them, as they are. The way to do this is to see the good in everything and everyone, and if you\u2019ve sought to really look and understand, you will find good in everything. When you see bad things, understand that this is because of suffering, and have compassion and seek to end that suffering.
\n
\n6. Enjoy life<\/strong>. The world is a wonderful place once you\u2019ve accepted it for what it is and sought to love it. People are wonderful creatures, full of life and creativity and messiness and uniqueness. Accept this, understand it, love it. And enjoy this gift we\u2019ve been given, for it is incredible. And perfect, just as it is.<\/p>\n\u201cHave compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.\u201d – Buddha<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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