Untitled

[ndard]

A Journey to Self-Realization

In it's simplest form, metanoia is to change one's mind. As we talked about in class, there is also the translation from its Greek origins to mean to repent. As I was personally completely unfamiliar with the term prior to Monday, it spoke to me and I originally understood it as self-reflection and growth. This is somewhat conflicting with the translation as outlined on https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-is-the-meaning-of-metanoia-and-its-biblical-significance.html . I argue that the virtue of metanoia is about more than simply critical self-reflection. It is one thing to acknowledge the bad one has done, or have a change of heart, but it is another and more important piece to make the necessary changes in one's life. Metanoia is self-reflection that directly leads to positive change. Metanoia exhumes growth and change in ways that positively impact the world it lives within. 

Cultivating metanoia is about more than spending time reflecting on one's actions/inactions/thoughts/words. Cultivating metanoia is a commitment to learning from mistakes, building on positives, and making the most of opportunities to do good. Metanoia is a process, a result of consistency and discipline working towards careful self-awareness. It is a combination of willingness to change and disciplined time and focus spent on critical self-reflection. 

Considering exemplars of metanoia in current events or in daily life, I would argue that it is quite seldom that one is remembered or praised for self-reflection or change. When looking historically, there are certainly great examples of metanoia including ancient philosophers and the concept of monks certainly embodies the virtue of metanoia. After all, reflection of oneself requires significant focus and in my experience comes from meditation. For this reason, I consider many of the greatest ancient philosophers and monks great exemplars of metanoia. I found these two videos while researching monks and their process of meditation to reach a form of personal metanoia. A Joy That Increases With the Years | Give Me Thy Heart: The Life of SRF Nuns in Yogananda’s Ashrams

How to meditate like a Buddhist monk

In considering Maslow's hierarchy of needs, metanoia remains high on the pyramid as it falls into self-actualization. For one to spend the considerable amount of time and focus on devoting oneself to learning from mistakes and growing in ways not related to physiological needs, it is necessary that these needs first be met. Reaching your highest potential, growing by way of self-reflection takes a high level of self awareness. 

Entering the forest of metanoia and self-reflection is most effectively done through literature. Today's pop culture hardly recognizes let along celebrates an individuals attempts at change or personal awareness/self-reflection. However, it is in literature, particularly historical literature that there has been publications or accessible knowledge related to self-reflection and devotion to a higher power. In my opinion, metanoia as a virtue is a highly personalized adventure as it begins with self-awareness and results in positive change. 

[ndard]

Horses & Virtues

If we first consider the idiom of "putting the cart before the horse," let's take a slightly different look at it. Do you need the cart to hold belongings? Do you need the horse to pull the cart? …or must we first acquire the belongings to make the cart necessary? 

What skills or knowledge is necessary to acquire those belongings? What makes an individual deserving of a cart, a horse, belongings, knowledge, skills? 

When considering the differences in what makes an individual virtuous, a similar consideration must be made. Do the actions define what makes a person good or bad, through right and wrong actions? Does the intention and purpose, or mental state of an individual define their likeness to virtue? The argument can certainly be made that actions are more measurable and therefore, decisive. But if it is living a life of virtue that we are working towards, shouldn't the emphasis be placed on an inner state (mental, emotional)? At what point does one become virtuous? At death when they can no longer tarnish their virtuousness? Or is there a continued journey with no true goal, but simply living a life of virtue? 

Consider people in your life or in history that have lived a life of virtue. Have they never made a mistake, a poor choice, a lapse in judgement? Have we forgiven some wrongdoing because intentions were pure, and the (overwhelming) majority of actions, words spoken, ideas conceived, and moments shared were illustrative of that virtue? To conclude:

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it." - Warren Buffett

[ndard]

What is the goal of psychology, and positive psychology specifically? Dr. Martin Seligman would argue that it is not simply the absence of negative emotions but the presence of five key ingredients: PERMA (positive emotions, engagement, good relationships, meaning, and accomplishments). The idea that positive emotions are not limited to happiness, but also feelings of fulfillment, comfort, gratitude, or excitement.

The effect of simply being an optimistic human being was striking beyond words to me. Conceptualizing that being pessimistic has the same impact as smoking 3 packs of cigarettes/day is incredible. To extrapolate, if each cigarette were a negative thought or comment, that is 60 pessimistic/negative thoughts or comments throughout a given day. I think that the go, go, go culture that has developed in the US as opposed to other regions can have an impact on people's thoughts/comments constantly.

[ndard]

MLK to India

A story that I was not aware of that especially struck me from class was that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had travelled to India to see the lands of Mahatma Gandhi. Conceptualizing that at such a different time period, a man travelled across the world to view the grounds and shrine of his mentor. 

It is with this story as I am reminded of the sheer power of Dr. King's words and message. He stood for something more than just the nonviolent movement of African Americans earning equality, but nonviolence and the power that it has in the face of any type of oppression.