Life sucks sometimes. Recently I've been reading the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. I really love this book. I think I've learned quite a bit from it. I've probably read about half of it at this point, and it has mostly talked about the effects our culture has on us, and that it forms us into something that many times isn't beneficial to us. The book then instructs how to break out of those toxic habits that have been drilled into us. I LOVE this idea. I really believe that although society can show us what other people have learned to expect from us, those things that are expected can be very harmful to us emotionally and spiritually. Of course there are many positive things about living in a large group in society, such as pressure not to steal or kill. There is also pressure to live up to dumb cultural norms, and specifically in our culture, whatever patriarchy is promoting. For women this could mean thinking that your only worth is physical, for men this could be the denial of any emotion in your life other than anger, etc. etc.
Let's think about that, dudes! There is so much to think about. What do we really believe, and do we want to be the person we're told we are supposed to be? How can we free ourselves from the expectations that are harmful, not only in action but also in our minds?
Like I said, there are many great things about society, and lots of protection it affords us. But there are also many strange messages going around as well. I love the agreements Ruiz asks people to make, because they seem to encourage being honest and respectful towards ourselves and others.
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