Surrender and Transformation
Episode 15 - What do you do when the world seems against you
Greetings,
Hope you’ve been feeling well.
Today I wanted to discuss something that keeps coming back, again and again. I already discussed a similar topic in Episode 4 and Episode 8. But the topic keeps returning: how do you deal with a world that’s poised against you?
No, scratch that. Let’s rewrite it: how do you deal with the perception that the world is against you?
And we could rewrite it again: how do you deal with perception?
Ah, now things have changed again.
AI Steals your Job and you become Homeless (or some such)
So the other day I was caught in a loop of watching Youtube videos about how AI is making us all stupid and is destroying the internet itself. It basically stated how the internet used to be a sanctuary for human creativity, until the past year or so. Since then, everything is filled with AI-generated stuff, including text and countless images.
This has resulted in endless noise. Because of this tidal-wave of noise, nobody can hear anything anymore. And this also has resulted in nobody caring anymore. I suppose if the world was to be hit by a thousand meteors tomorrow, many people would sigh with relief and smile peacefully content that it’s all over.
This strange, (new?) psychological phenomenon implies a complete and utter hatred for the world, the system and humanity in general. A hatred boiling under the surface. Maybe it’s not new - I don’t know.
But the point is that everyone on Youtube has some idea and opinion about it. And the algorithm kept feeding me, extremely quickly, more content on the topic: AI bad - you are screwed. You are hopeless? An artist? Good luck making any kind of income. The world doesn’t need artists anymore. Or writers.
Or… coders? Models? Programmers? Maybe it still needs chefs - at least until we can figure out a way to make ChatGPT into a nice machine that just needs raw ingredients to produce the best possible bread. Then all the chefs can go home too.
Like so:
(notice how it added a nice little wooden board underneath for the rustic feel without me specifying it)
The Binary
It sounds as if I’m bitter about it all, but I’m just reproducing the general sentiment of these videos. It’s easy to get caught in a strange kind of hopelessness because the Mind is simply incapable of figuring a way out using the methods it has so far acquired.
The mind’s solutions to problems are simply not enough anymore.
But notice how without its learned solutions and methods the mind automatically goes to believe in complete disaster, loss and doom. Essentially it’s binary: if this doesn’t happen then automatically this happens.
The Solution?
Ah… I don’t know, man.
But there’s something off about the whole thing. There’s just something off with the interpretation of all this. And I can’t yet put my finger on it. It’s too binary - too black and white. Too limited, constricted and painful.
If the mind is unable to come up with a solution to all this, there’s only one thing left to do: you give up.
I’m serious. You just give up. You surrender to something greater than you because You is simply not enough. And if you really believe that’s bullshit and think you’re enough, notice how you live every moment of your life: do you live it as if you were enough? Then what are you striving for?
This is not a defeatist, depressing idea. It implies honesty with yourself. The prevailing attitude is one of complete self-reliance mixed with self-hatred. Shame and guilt assail most minds on a daily basis, and yet somehow you’re expected to crawl out of this ‘through your own efforts’.
“Your responsibility. Your power. Empower yourself. Independence. It’s all on you. Hustle, work harder, build your brand, take the world in your hands. Manifest. Make it happen. Don’t wait.”
These are not wrong beliefs - but they’re also incredibly modern. They are the fruit of an industrialized world and a mind raised inside towering, artificial cities. For some, they are correct and should be followed. For a time, perhaps, they are useful. But what happens when they stop being enough?
Imagine a flower that’s told it doesn’t need a bee, or the other way around. There’s something twisted about the whole thing, because upon close observation you will find, of course, that a flower and a bee are not separate entities. They’re one thing, appearing as two.
Conclusion
"The mind is one's own best friend, and one's own worst enemy."
(Bhagavad Gita 6:6)
I think this is where something transcendent is required. Some sort of faith in something greater that replaces absolute and total reliance on the self. Because man, the self is tired.
You don’t have to call it ‘God’ or the ‘Universe’ or whatever. You call and summon it by whatever name you wish. But notice that if you really start looking deeply into all this, ancient texts, philosophy and Scriptures point the way, like signposts. Don’t choose one over the other unless you feel a strong pull in any direction (in which case you should follow it). The Bible has some great examples, but so does Buddhism and Hinduism. Zen is one of my personal favourites, but the ancient Greek philosophers have no shortage of strong guidance too.
I got a list of really awesome books that have personally transformed my life. You can check it out Here.
One of the books I mention is my own personal manual for life, which has been my constant companion for over a decade: ‘Letting Go’ by D.Hawkins. This is not just a book, it’s a revelation. It shows you how and why you should surrender emotions/energy trapped in your body, and what the effects of surrender can be on your life. If you’ve never tasted the practical benefits of meditation or spiritual practice, this book can be your introduction to that.
Hawkins work has been my personal manual and guide on the spiritual path - he’s a no-bs voice on practical spirituality mixed with psychology and theology. He explains exactly what God is, how it works, why it works, as well as what Enlightenment is, and he does it through practical, modern language and not esoteric terminology, which is what many Scriptures and mystical traditions are cloaked in.
More to come, so stay tuned.
Blessings,
