Lies that Limit Us
In his book, People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil, Scott Peck captures unbelievable instances of evil that men do because of the lies that they have fallen victim to. Mental viruses are very real. If you have had negative experiences in the past, chances are that they will continue to replay themselves in your life by forming themselves into negative stereotypes. It's your personal responsibility to guard your mind against such negative voices. Let’s take a quick glance at a few of the lies that you probably have believed, which may presently be limiting your mental horizon.
1. I own something in this world
This is one of the biggest lies of all time, which is partly responsible for what is usually referred to as the Rat race. I call it the economic lie / deception. This lie is at the root of most of the wickedness in our world. On the contrary, the fact is that whatever you had in your hands at birth is what you really own – nothing! You brought nothing into the world, not even the food to eat or clothe to wear for your first day here. How then can you claim that anything in this world is yours? So, when people say “My house”, “My car”, “My this, my that”, you know that they are victims of lies. No one really owns anything on this terrestrial ball. Everybody comes empty-handed, gets some things to use while here and then departs empty-handed. The word “My” can therefore be considered to be one of the most dangerous words in the dictionary!
2. Somebody is my enemy
This is another giant deception, just like the first one above. I call it the political lie / deception. A person’s real enemy is inside him – his thoughts, imaginations and emotions. Some people may not like him and may even try to harm him, but this doesn’t mean that they are his real enemies. Such people will always be there, no matter how good you are. Focusing on them as enemies is just an unnecessary distraction. Most of the people you will come across are simply trying to fend for their own interests, partly because they have been held captive by the first lie. Then they try to fight or even kill whoever (and it’s not personal!) they perceive to be an obstacle or threat to those interests. They also try to slow down or harm whoever they perceive to be making more progress than them. When they do this, they do it so discreetly that you can hardly trace the wickedness to them. Their own real enemy (lust, greed, pride etc) that is inside them makes them to behave wickedly, leaving them as mere victims that should be pitied. If that same enemy in them is within you too, then you will also react that way. This is how war starts between individuals, families, communities and even nations. Meanwhile, the real enemy of everybody is the devil, manifesting in evil thoughts, imaginations and emotions within each of us. This enemy within is the one that each of us should rightly focus on. We can overcome this enemy through prayer instead of fighting the people around us.
3. I am rich because I have a lot of money
When we consider riches only from a worldly viewpoint of material acquisition, it warps our value system and distorts our mental horizon. Our priorities are turned upside down. The effect is that we begin to pursue material possessions at the expense of those priceless possessions (e.g faith, patience and hope) that naked eyes cannot see. We are also likely, whenever the opportunity arises, to quickly trade lasting or eternal riches (e.g. love, joy and peace) for material ones. But when we compare the lifetime values of both categories of wealth, then our physical wealth, which we can only enjoy while in this world, pales into insignificance. The truth is that eternal riches are the only enduring wealth that a person can rely on, because they transcend this present world.
4. I am inferior or superior to somebody
No human being is inferior or superior to another. Though we are all different, we are equal clays in the sight of the Potter and can only become whatever He makes us to be. That doesn’t mean that we are all on the same level in life, but it does mean that we are all important at those different levels that we occupy. Of course, we should respect those who are older than us, ahead of us or in higher positions than us. We should also extend helping hands to those who are younger, coming behind or in lower positions than us.
5. I am important because I hold a particular position
Like our money, it is also very easy for our titles and positions to block our mental horizon, if not put in proper perspective. What will eventually count at the end of the day is not the positions we occupied in our lifetime but the impact (positive or negative) that we were able to make on others. It is possible to make huge positive impact on others without holding any formal position. It is also possible to make very little or negative impact on others with the positions and offices that we are privileged to occupy.
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