Critical Thinking: Is The Focus On External Problems Distracting Humanity From The Inner Work That Needs To Be Done?

When it comes to what is going on in the world at this point in time, there is no shortage of problems. There are the problems that are regularly spoken about by the mainstream media and those that are rarely, if ever, mentioned.

Additionally, there are problems that are not mentioned by this source and, as a result of this, these are not widely known. What this demonstrates is how much influence the mainstream media has.

The Main Issues

Considering this, when it comes to what the average person believes are the biggest problems right now, it can all depend on what they have been fed by this source of information. They could say that climate change is the main problem, while also mentioning poverty, inequality and terrorism, amongst other things.

Dealing with these problems will be essential and they might be happy to go along with whatever solutions are put forward by their government and certain organisations. To tackle these issues, a number of solutions have already been implemented.

A Small Part to Play

So, other than changing their behaviour and going along with what the experts say, the citizenry won’t be expected to do a lot about what is going on. The people at the top, those who appear to have all the power, will be the ones that are able to do the most.

Thanks to how much exposure is given to these issues, a lot of people’s attention is directed towards them. What is going on externally, then, will be what matters and what is going on internally will be overlooked.

Out of Balance

In the modern-day world, a world that is extremely extraverted, not much thought is typically given to the effect that someone’s inner world has on their outer world and the planet as a whole. It is as though what is going on in someone’s being has very little impact on what is going on externally.

Due to this, when it comes to changing the world, there is going be no reason for someone to look into what is taking place within themselves and to deal with their inner baggage. This will just distract them from the real work that needs to take place ‘out there’.

Separate From Everything

The general view is that someone is just an observer of what is going on externally and so, while their behaviour will have an effect on their environment, what goes on in their mind won’t have an effect. The same view will also apply to another part of them, their unconscious mind.

Nonetheless, although this view is accepted by a large part of humanity, what if it is just an illusion? What if someone’s ego-mind causes them to see life in this way so that they can have their own experience on this earth and that’s all there is to it?

A Different Approach

If this is the case, it would mean that someone’s inner world is having an impacting on how they experience life and the situations, circumstances and events that they find themselves in. Not only this, what is taking place inside them will have an effect on the planet as a whole.

Taking this into account, solely changing their behaviour is not going to be the best way for them to change the world; they will also need to change their inner world.  When someone also goes within, they will be going to the cause of a problem as opposed to purely focusing on the effects of it.

An Analogy

To only focus on what is going on externally and to overlook what is taking place internally will be similar to only focusing on the water that is leaking from the ceiling. Undoubtedly, clearing this water away will help.

Yet, what will be far more effective will be to fix the leak so that the water stops pouring through. If this doesn’t take place, this problem won’t be solved; in fact, it will probably get a lot worse.

Going To the Root

To truly change the world, it will be essential for someone to deal with the wounded parts of themselves that playing a part in what is going on ‘out there’. The parts of themselves are too painful for them to face will have been pushed into their unconscious mind.

Not only will this inner material create ‘negativity’ in their own life, it will also feed into the ‘negativity’ that is ‘out there’. What this means is that what is going on within them is always having an impact on the world, irrespective of whether they are aware of what is going on internally or not.

A Big Part to Play

With this understanding in place, someone can see that there is a lot that they can do to change the world. Doing certain things will help and working through their own inner wounds and raising their own consciousness in the process will also help.

What can make the former more appealing than the latter is that going within can be painful, while going without can allow one to feel good and receive approval from others. Thus, if one is truly committed to making a difference, they won’t just focus on external issues.
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Final Thoughts

If one was just an observer of their reality, there would be no need for them to change themselves. But, as they are both the observer and the co-creator of their life, it will be up to them to play their part in what is going on ‘out there’. 

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk