MONDAY MIND MAP

SOMETHING TO FLY WITH

Hi, I know that Monday poses a challenge to most people. But here is something that if kept in thought, can help you fly past the week. I speak on thoughtfulness, envy, and Holocaust denial.

BE THOUGHTFUL: A lot has been said about people who overthink (which to me is synonymous to worry). But a lot less has been directed towards those who go about their lives with little thought and intentionality. We can easily ascribe this problem to our binary way of viewing the world.

Most self-help messages in recent times advise you to 'just do it' and take action. There is little emphasis on building good mental fortitude that makes decision making easier.

With a thoughtful mind, you have the ability to run your risk analysis in the shortest possible time while reaping the benefits of quick action.

In all, I know that shallow thinkers don't give too much thoughts to decision making. We tend to view them as happy and carefree with little worries. But what they really do is pass on the consequences of their poor decision making to others. In essence, it is usually someone else that has to clean up their mess. I don't see why they wouldn't be happy.

THE ORDER OF ENVY: Every day, week, or any space of time at all, you will meet someone who does something better than you, has something you want, or just leaves you in the dust by a measure. So, envy may arise.

Envy is a second order feeling. Its starts with the feeling of deserving. Envy comes from the feeling that you deserve a thing that someone else has. It comes with a punch in the gut that leaves you with emotional pain. Yet at this point, it is not dangerous. If you can curb it now, the better for us all.

But then, it becomes envy and grows capacity for harm. From a punch in the gut, it becomes a complaint in the mind. This complaint may come with a plan. Watch yourself at this point. Police your own thoughts. You are becoming dangerous; you don't just know it.

If you allow that step to fester, someone can come along and package your envy as a political ideology or religion. They will tell you that you are justified in your pain and that you should take any means necessary to correct this imbalance. At this point, one man's becomes an army's weapon of mass destruction. Then, everything collapses.

HOW YOU MAY BE DENYING THE HOLOCAUST: In this piece, I may have been a little dishonest and click-baity, but my intentions are good.

I have reasoned and observed that the human condition is terribly flawed. But to paper over this mess, we all like to ascribe innocence to ourselves even when we commit some evil. In a simple way, we judge others by their actions but judge ourselves by our intentions. I hope you see the double standard.

However, when we keep up the practice of beatifying ourselves even when evidence states otherwise, we tend to repeat historical tragedies and expand our suffering.

In How you may be denying the Holocaust, I played with the idea that by failing to check yourself, you are closer to Hitler than you realise, and no amount of cheers and fist shaking can change the fact that you are a villain in disguise. Read and tell me what you think.

I do hope you have a great week.

Bye.