Dualities like “us and them” are one of the ways our stories lead to confusion between reality and interpretation. Another way stories do this can be seen in the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence: the universal principle that nothing stays the way it is.
The middle range of the reality of impermanence is evident in our inescapable mortality. At the close end of impermanence, we see that life is a series of everything arising and passing away, moment by moment.
How long can you hold a thought before you skip to another thought? A few seconds? Maybe a minute with practice? According to one prominent neuroscientist, the physiological lifespan of an emotion in the body and brain is 90 seconds.
Thoughts and feelings are subject to the same universal principle as everything else: nothing stays the way it is.
Until you tell a story.
———————
Please consider sharing this post with someone if you found it helpful.
You can sign up to receive these posts here.