Worldview
A worldview is the fundamental set of beliefs and attitudes that shape an individual’s or society’s perception of reality, influencing how they interpret their experiences and make decisions. It is like a lens, colored by knowledge, culture, and personal experiences, that filters everything from morality and ethics to religion and politics. The term comes from the German “Weltanschauung” and provides a comprehensive framework for understanding life’s big questions, including the existence of God, our purpose, and how we know what is true.
And if you want to get folks mad at you, challenge their world view! I thought that attachment to self was a problem. Worldview is bigger. And smaller. You see, if you never step out of your comfort zone, try to experience things you’ve never done, or listen to things you don’t agree with — and you do this year after year — your worldview shrinks. And it can get REALLY small. Anything outside of your worldview becomes wrong, unimportant, or fake. Worldview is based on assumptions, the past, judgements, and memory. Remember, what you remember changes over time….when a memory is recalled it is re-interpreted by the brain — the longer ago a memory — the greater the change….ponder that a bit, specially inside the concept of worldview.
We all have a worldview. But the good news is that it can change. Travel for 2.5 years straight. Nothing remains the same after that. Sickness, or trauma can be huge worldview wall creators.
There’s a process. It begins simply by watching the mind. How do I think? Why do I think these things? How strong are they? Awareness of these will begin to lead you to the walls or your own worldview, and how this colors everything. I mean everything. Your sense of self, self worth, beliefs, health, life satisfaction, connections with others….everything is affected.
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This concept is kinda new to me. Exploring the depths can shake every belief, assumption and idea you have about yourself and others. And with awareness you start to become conscious of others world views like bubbles over their mind. And this is why this is important, because the clearer you see others, the clearer you can see yourself, and how you are no different. No matter what. And maybe you can glimpse, just for a moment outside the bubble.
In Chogyam Trungpa’s book, Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior, he talks about being in a cocoon — made of comfort, wealth, luxury, but mostly made of mind where these adjectives are applied to mind — imagine having the luxury of being able to ponder anything other than survival! Then taking a peak outside the cocoon and seeing what’s there. You might get cold. Or wet. Or you might see real suffering, and understand that when one of us suffers, we all do. For me, this is like worldview.
Everything we do affects our mind and gets incorporated into our worldview. What you watch. What you read. who you talk to. Who you don’t talk to. Where you go. Where you don’t go. All of it. And that’s the beauty. The fantastic idea that we, as humans, can change.
And watch out for the worldview destroyers. These folk are ruthless. The truth will not be denied, but every truth questioned. Nothing will be taken for granted or assumed. All judgments tossed. The sharper the mind, the closer to being a needle that can penetrate the bubble of worldview.
And I hope to be a really big needle!
