Gunky Funky
  • Blog
  • Projects
  • Writings
    • How and Why I Write
    • Short Quotes
    • Travel Stories >
      • Around the World >
        • Korea
        • Philippines
        • Hong Kong
        • Singapore
        • Retrospective
      • Europe >
        • London Disrupt 2014
        • London 1998 >
          • The Search for Drugs
          • The Ethics of Cities
          • The history of the London Underground
          • A Poem
        • Italy Corsica Amsterdam France
        • Paris in the Spring
      • North America >
        • Yucatan, Mexico
        • Jamiroquai in Mexico
        • Ayahuasca in Costa Rica
        • Fear and Laughter in the Pacific Northwest
        • Burning Flipside >
          • Flipside 2007
          • Flipside 2008
          • Dr Tikis Script
        • Super Bowl XL
      • Morocco 2003
      • Australia 2010
    • Technical Writings >
      • NIME 2013
      • ITT Tech Courses I Taught >
        • Java I
        • Java II
        • Software Application Programming
        • Scripting and Web Authoring
      • Software Development Methodologies
      • Home Wine and Beer Making
    • Book Reviews >
      • The Miracle of Right Thought
      • The Source Field Investigations
      • The God Conspiracy
      • Chinese Health and Healing
    • Show Reviews >
      • Phish
      • Bonnaroo >
        • Bonnaroo I
        • Bonnaroo II
      • Skerik Syncopated Taint
      • Cleveland, Ohio >
        • Galactic 2006 Cleveland
        • Ernie Krivda
        • Medeski Martin and Wood >
          • MMW 2003
          • MMW 8-2005 Cleveland
      • Toast Tour 2009
    • College Musings >
      • Ethics Papers
      • The Story of Cybil and Charlotte
      • Full Circle or Straight Line
  • Music History
  • Infinite Creator

The Discomfort of Questioning Authority

11/19/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
People get uncomfortable when called out on their stuff. I know I do, anyway. Sometimes, an individual gets called out, and sometimes it’s a group or culture. For example, I often post intense political or scientific ideas on Facebook, such as alternative views on reality that are not currently accepted by the mainstream. Most “Facebook debates” are framed into a dichotomy. Someone is either on the popular side of the argument or the unpopular side. Nevertheless, as much as we might try, it can be nearly impossible to find truth between only two choices. To take the evolution versus creation debate, I believe there is evolution, but there is also an unseen creative consciousness beyond entropy that shapes it. Since this theory doesn’t fit into the black/white dichotomy between Darwinian evolution and biblical creation, people get uncomfortable.

Personal Growth is an Inside Job

Picture
To take another zinger, we need look no further than the events of 9/11, whose assumed facts imply that a foreign boogeyman called the shots from a cave in Afghanistan instead of domestic politicians with an agenda from the pentagon. This assumption has shaped our culture in so many ways over the last decade that accepting an alternative theory would in turn question the nature of our reality to the point where major cultural changes would be needed to integrate it. Major changes to our reality make people uncomfortable, as does considering that we might be our own biggest enemy.

Most would agree that money and power motivate the average human more than religious beliefs, but when a terrorist plot unfolds, it makes people uncomfortable to think that such a plot could be motivated by the money or power that flows as a consequence of the event. Instead, it’s more comfortable to believe that such an event is motivated by insanity or religion (a religion, of course, that’s not our own). People get uncomfortable when you implicate authority figures instead of scapegoats.

Picture
If you asked someone if they supported dumping the industrial waste of fertilizer and aluminum factories into our drinking water, he or she would likely be against it. However, if the proposal came from a dentist, city councilman, or some other authority figure (like a person who brandishes the word “science” in their name), then people would find it easier to disregard common sense for a manufactured consensus. Contradicting authority makes people uncomfortable. Questioning the fabric of our reality makes people uncomfortable. Being blunt makes people uncomfortable.

Authority and Authenticity

Picture
Perceived authority is often essential for people to have faith in information they are given. I have a guided meditation project, and I sometimes get called out for sharing methods of introspection and relaxation when I don’t live every moment of my life in complete peace and bliss, meditating in joy for several hours every single day. People get uncomfortable when someone who proclaims the benefits of looking within in peace can also spend time getting absorbed in the world without that is not in peace. Authoritative yogis should only talk about the positive, and certainly, the only type of societal remediation that a Yogi can contribute is to meditate and only look within himself instead of calling attention to wounds on the outside. When a meditation practitioner questions authority and his outer reality, people get uncomfortable.

Like anyone, I’ve had my own personal issues. While my stuff is small potatoes – being sarcastic, having an occasional unhealthy habit, being overly perfectionist, getting caught up in conspiracy mongering, being sometimes lazy, socially awkward, or having the occasional argument with someone about money, it’s not an insurmountable mountain to climb. I’ve never hit a woman; I don’t lie to people; I am generous with food; and I always honestly wish everyone the best with unconditional love, reveling in the success of others without resentment or jealousy (much). I’m still not perfect, but my practice has helped me grow and realize some of my issues. If it worked for me, it can work for others – whether I’ve become a perfect person or not. It’s not just about the messenger; it’s about the message itself. One does not need to be a perfect specimen to gain the credibility to share the benefits of meditation (or any other healthy practice valuable in and of itself), but rather, it is enough that there has been progress moving towards goals as a result of the practice.

Delegating Our Beliefs to Authority

Picture
Nevertheless, if the messenger’s perceived authority is questioned, then the message may not be utilized. As such, instead of being honest with oneself that meditation is a practice to work on awareness, accept and address our faults, and improve our life, some feel that such advice is only valid if given by a model authority figure. Sometimes, people can’t find truth in a concept on its own merits but must have it told by an outside authority perceived as a perfect and infallible person – a guru.

When we only accept information based on the authority of who delivered it, then we are no longer processing the information itself, but only the reputation of the messenger. To keep the illusion that such an authority is a perfect human, the guru must live behind a façade to appear 100% coherent with the preconceived picture of a perfect life of nonstop bliss, absent from conflict. For example, they might hide things about their past or suppress transient feelings to keep authority. Does this sound authentic to you? It doesn’t to me, but it’s easier for someone to tune in to a consensus manufactured by an authoritative guru than to stop, feel, question, be willing to change opinions or be wrong or be vulnerable once in a while, accept that we are not perfect, and grow. Some people need a guru because they fear making decisions for themselves, but we all have an inner guru that is just as reputable when the external guru's façade is removed.

Be Your Own Guru

PictureDon't forget government and science
Growth through experience makes people uncomfortable, but authenticity and integrity come from an honest effort and honest belief followed by diligent action to make good on our promises. In the yogasutras, this is called “tapas.” It does not mean that you are a model citizen who succeeds on every single goal you set, only that you make progress and adapt. Often, we learn better through failure.

The solution to being our authentic selves is to address nagging feelings inside of us as they arise and accepting them as real but transient. These feelings tell us to question our currently accepted outward reality and make the appropriate changes to find harmony between our current reality and our current self. The only truth that we can experience as an individual with a separate ego is our own understanding.

To find our own truth we must, at times, become our own authority figure.
In doing so, we can not be hindered to express ourselves because it makes us or someone else feel uncomfortable once in a while. If we wanted to always be comfortable, then why bother coming into human form? It’s probably more comfortable to hang out in the spirit realm or in another galaxy where people aren’t fighting all the time, but we came here to evolve. The only way to evolve as a person and as a species is to continue to question our accepted reality and our accepted truth, as painful as the process can be. In doing so, the evolution of our reality begins to unfold the evolution of our self.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Russ

    Spin the World Around

      Contact Me

    Submit

    Categories

    All
    Ahaucha
    Airbnb
    Alaska
    Alto Sax
    Amazon
    And Fire
    Android
    Aparigraha
    Around The World
    Around The World Travel
    Asana
    Asia
    Asteya
    Astral Projection
    Audiotrip
    Austin
    Austin Silent Disco
    Authority
    Ayahuasca
    Ayahusca
    Baritone Sax
    Best Travel Blog
    Bhagavad Gita
    Bikram Yoga
    Binaural Beats
    Bitches
    Boulder
    Bramacharya
    Budget Travel
    Burning Flipside
    Burning Man
    Cajun
    Caning
    Caribbean
    Celtic Cross
    Central America
    Cheltenham
    Chicken Adobo
    China
    Chinese Food
    Christmas
    Cleansing
    Colorado
    Columbia
    Conspiracy Theory
    Coronavirus
    Corona Virus
    Costa Rica
    Couchsurfing
    Covid-19
    Crazy Dance
    Create Your Reality
    Daejeon
    Dave Brubeck
    Debate
    Denali
    Dharana
    Dhyana
    Dim Sum
    Disco
    Dmt
    Double Sax
    Dr. Tiki
    Earth
    Editing
    Emperador Light
    Empire Of The Sun
    Ethics
    Europe
    Facebook
    False Dichotomy
    Fantasy
    Fela
    Fela Kuti
    Flikr
    Flipside
    Fluoride
    Food Courts
    Forgetting
    Free
    Free Will
    Funky
    Galactic Signature
    Gangnam Style
    Girdwood
    Goenka
    Groceries
    Guided Meditation Treks
    Guru
    Gymnastics
    Hatha Yoga
    Headphone Concert
    HEB
    Higher Self
    Hinduism
    Holiday Lettings
    Honey White
    Hong Kong
    Imgr
    Incline
    Inside Job
    Instagram
    Ios
    Ishvarapranidhana
    Jamiroquai
    Japan
    Java
    Javascript
    Jazzfest
    Job Search
    Jp Sears
    Judgement
    Juice Cleanse
    Jungle
    Kali Uchis
    Karma
    King Crimson
    King Super 20
    King Zephyr
    Kiss And Tell
    Korea
    Kundalini
    Labels
    Lamma Island
    Later
    Latin America
    Law Of One
    London
    Lucid Dreaming
    Manifestation
    Mark Sandman
    Materialism
    Mattress
    Meditation
    Melting Pot
    Memoir
    Memorial Day Weekend
    Mexico
    Michael Jackson
    Middle East
    Mindful Travel
    Mobile Clubbing
    Monterrey
    Montreux Jazz
    Morals
    Morphine
    Mrt
    Music
    Music Is A Meditation
    Music Tutorial
    Nacpan Beach
    Napsan Beach
    Nature Sounds
    Neurolinguistic Programming
    New Age
    New Interfaces For Musical Expression
    Nice Jazz Festival
    Nime
    Niyama
    Octopus Card
    Okcupid
    Old Flavours
    Oppression
    Out Of Body Experience
    Palawan
    Personal Growth
    Peru
    Philippines
    Photographs
    Photojournalism
    Piano Tutorial
    Pintrest
    Pittsburgh
    Platform
    Podcast
    Pranayama
    Pratyahara
    Prince Karma
    Psychedelics
    Puerto Princessa
    Pyropolis
    Quarantine
    Racism
    Reddit
    Reincarnation
    Religion
    Retreat
    Right Thought
    Rigveda
    Samadhi
    Sanskrit
    Santosha
    Satya
    Savasana
    Saxophone
    Saxophonics
    Science
    Seoul
    Sex
    Shaman
    Sheet Music
    Silent Disco
    Singapore
    Singapore Sling
    Singlish
    Skerik
    Sleep
    Smart Phone Development
    Smartphone Travel
    Social Network Platform
    Software Development
    Soju
    South America
    South Korea
    Spin The World Around
    Spirituality
    Startup
    Steelers
    Steemit
    St Lucia Jazz
    Supermarket
    Svadhyaya
    Swift
    Synervoz
    Take Five
    Talk Radio
    Tapas
    Tarot
    Techcrunch
    Telepatia
    Tenor Sax
    Tensorflow
    Texas
    They Live
    Tinder
    Topo Chico
    Travel Blog
    Travel Book
    Travel Guide
    Travel Hacking
    Travel Technology
    Tripadvisor
    Tripping Balls
    Trip Review
    Truth
    Tsa
    Tumblr
    Turkey
    Turnmeup
    Twitter
    Upanishads
    Urban Mattress
    Video Blog
    Vipassana
    Vomiting
    Waterfalls
    Wawa
    White Supremacy
    Whole Foods
    Wind
    Writing
    Xchox
    Yama
    Ymca
    Yoga
    Yogasutra
    Zombie

    Archives

    June 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    October 2020
    April 2020
    July 2019
    August 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    August 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Copyright (c) 2015 Russell Eric Dobda
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog
  • Projects
  • Writings
    • How and Why I Write
    • Short Quotes
    • Travel Stories >
      • Around the World >
        • Korea
        • Philippines
        • Hong Kong
        • Singapore
        • Retrospective
      • Europe >
        • London Disrupt 2014
        • London 1998 >
          • The Search for Drugs
          • The Ethics of Cities
          • The history of the London Underground
          • A Poem
        • Italy Corsica Amsterdam France
        • Paris in the Spring
      • North America >
        • Yucatan, Mexico
        • Jamiroquai in Mexico
        • Ayahuasca in Costa Rica
        • Fear and Laughter in the Pacific Northwest
        • Burning Flipside >
          • Flipside 2007
          • Flipside 2008
          • Dr Tikis Script
        • Super Bowl XL
      • Morocco 2003
      • Australia 2010
    • Technical Writings >
      • NIME 2013
      • ITT Tech Courses I Taught >
        • Java I
        • Java II
        • Software Application Programming
        • Scripting and Web Authoring
      • Software Development Methodologies
      • Home Wine and Beer Making
    • Book Reviews >
      • The Miracle of Right Thought
      • The Source Field Investigations
      • The God Conspiracy
      • Chinese Health and Healing
    • Show Reviews >
      • Phish
      • Bonnaroo >
        • Bonnaroo I
        • Bonnaroo II
      • Skerik Syncopated Taint
      • Cleveland, Ohio >
        • Galactic 2006 Cleveland
        • Ernie Krivda
        • Medeski Martin and Wood >
          • MMW 2003
          • MMW 8-2005 Cleveland
      • Toast Tour 2009
    • College Musings >
      • Ethics Papers
      • The Story of Cybil and Charlotte
      • Full Circle or Straight Line
  • Music History
  • Infinite Creator