The Other

February 23, 2024

There are several categories of people that I tend to other. I am not proud of it, but I tend to other people whose yards are full of parked, rusty cars that no longer run. . Usually, such yards also have other clutter. I other people who look down on my religious beliefs. I tend to other those who do not seem to live the beliefs they espouse. I other people who are aggressive.

Someone called the people whom they other, "deplorable." When we separate ourselves from any group, whether we think they are beneath us or above us, we may deny that we are possibly like them somehow. For example, when I look down my nose at people who clutter their yards, chances are that I am distancing myself from my "inner slob." I may feel deep inside that I would like to put whatever I wish in my yard. But if I did, I would be rejected by the neighborhood.

I put so much effort into NOT being a slob that when I see others who seem to take pride in being slobs, I tend to other them. Underneath it all, I am saying, "How dare they have the audacity to be this way when I try so hard not to let this be expressed in me?

Ok, so they represent an aspect of myself that repulses me. Am I supposed to accept it in them and in myself? No. But othering them blocks consciousness of my “not so proper" aspects, thus making my judgments of yard trashers more vehement. This brings suffering. So, what am I to do?

In seeking consciousness, we ask the soul to take over. Today, I was driving on a main thoroughfare; one of the houses had so much junk in the front yard that it looked like a garbage dump. My first reaction was to wince. Then I asked myself, "What are THOSE people thinking about?" Then, luckily, I invited my soul to intervene.

I recalled how the ego influences our perceptions. What are the perceptions these folks have about the piles in their yard? Do their souls perhaps see abundance, beauty, and valuable collections? Do their egos feel that the more they have in their yard, the more complete and blessed they are? Do their souls display their treasure to share their bounty with others? Do their egos treat the "bounty" as a way to brag about their possessions?

We cannot know others' intentions or perceptions. We do understand that many people do not share our perceptions and intentions. Making room for this in our soul frees us to accept reality and do what we can to improve situations if all involved agree. Because of perceptual differences, many of us will never agree.

Inquiry: How do you handle other people's perceptions that are opposed to yours?

Dear God,

I pray that my eyes see what is beautiful before they fixate on things I perceive as ugly.

Amen

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