Our Thinking Mind Provides a Map – It is Not the Territory
The thinking-mind is there to help us navigate life. It provides us with a map, but we get into trouble when we fail to recognize the limitations of this map. When this happens, we mistake the map for the territory, and we end up relying on the map in situations where it just isn’t appropriate.
It is vital for us to recognize that our internal maps that our thinking-mind relies upon have some serious issues. First off, it is not actually possible to capture the complexities of life in any map. It doesn’t matter how much we think about things and how careful we are when it comes to choosing our beliefs, our maps are always going to be of limited value. Another problem is that every human will have maps that are based on faulty data (e.g. things we believe about ourselves or other people that just aren’t true).
Another limitation with our maps is we can add data to them based on the ability of this information to reassure us rather than whether this information can hold up against what is actually happening. An example of this might be, ‘if I just work hard enough, then I’ll be secure’. It is usually only a matter of time before such beliefs become challenged, and when this happens, we can easily fall into despair.
So, if we are able to recognize the limitations of the thinking-mind what then? I used to believe that thinking was the only game in town, and I guess this is true for most of us. There is a resource that is far superior to the thinking-mind that I call ‘stillness’, and it is building a relationship with this incredible resource that will provide us with the peace we are seeking. It is this that gives our life the direction it needs.
