21 levels of Self-Deception: THIRD EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

T W E N T Y - O N E L E V E L S

telling us that we do not need to aspire — either in the world of work, or relationships or religion or spirituality. We can just delight in our own being!

This way of looking at ourselves translates easily into caring about others. When we acknowledge and take delight in the true beauty of others (not just their superficial attractiveness) then this is compassion. It is a further reason for celebration.

So, celebration is essential for genuine compassion. Compassion is rescued from being dull moralising, or even from being mercy by combining celebration with justice. When our families and communities and the wider community of all of life run in harmony, then this is justice. Again, justice is an expression of beauty and a cause for celebration. We are not separate from others or from nature. Compassion for and celebration of ourselves cannot be separated from compassion and celebration of all.

Perhaps all this seems a bit removed from the very serious problems the world faces. Should we really be going on about beauty and celebration when there is so much need in the world? It is that ‘ego-centric predicament’ — that thought that our lives are inevitably centred on ourselves — which prevents us from being constantly troubled at the horrors of the world. Alternatively, we can perhaps engage some positive thinking, remembering past successes and happy events and anticipating future pleasures via the imagination. If circumstances were very bad then perhaps this is the only

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