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How I Handle the Paradoxes of Existence
We’re one and yet also separate.
Our existence is wrought with incompatibilities. We seek love in other human beings and yet we are also encouraged to love ourselves. We seek to know the future because we fear it, and yet if we knew it, it wouldn’t make us any happier. We see others as separate from ourselves — entities that we should erect personal boundaries against for protection — and yet, we’re also aware that we’re all one, and kindness and love win.
We feel justified in our extreme emotions in the moment. This is a paradox. If you can feel incredibly sad, but you can remember that a few days ago you were incredibly happy, then how do you explain these polarities? Why do you have that mood swing?
How can we be both happy and sad beings?
How can there be both shadow and light within us?
How can many of our human relationships involve so much fear and love at the exact same time?
These questions haunt me. I started to read about the Kybalion and ancient Hermetic wisdom, and it’s the only time a philosophical system has ever made complete sense to me. Whereas modern philosophy — which I happen to have a graduate degree in — is focused on logic and intellect, this ancient philosophy says that some things just can’t be comprehended by our human, logical minds. Everything doesn’t have to be logical. Paradoxes can exist. Truth is fluid.
Mental and Emotional Freedom
This idea can help all of us with so many of the emotional problems we struggle with. How can someone else hold such power over our abilities to be happy or sad, and yet it’s also within our own control?
The answer is that we shouldn’t ever marry ourselves to one polarity or the other. Don’t allow another person to make you feel like you’ve lost control, whether it’s in giving you moments of happiness or sadness. Your emotions shouldn’t take you on a rollercoaster ride.
We should never allow ourselves to be so out of control that we are happy or sad — we should always try to stay somewhere in the middle. Being…
