1. The Nature of Thinking

Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once remarked, “A thinker devoid of paradox is akin to a lover lacking emotion.” Essentially, paradoxes represent insights that may seem contradictory at first glance. For instance, Mother Teresa noted a striking paradox: “I have discovered that if you love until it hurts, there is no more pain, only an abundance of love.”

While engaging in thought can lead to suffering, the intriguing paradox lies in the fact that contemplation can also bring tranquility. In her recent book, Beyond Distraction, author Shaila Catherine shares, “Thinking is undoubtedly beneficial, yet an untrained mind tends to fall into distressing cycles.”

According to Bhikkhu Bodhi in In the Buddha’s Words, the teachings encourage us to cultivate careful attention, steering us away from a life of thoughtless drifting and inviting us to notice simple truths that surround us.

Contemplation stands in stark contrast to aimless drifting; it is the deliberate practice of reflecting thoughtfully on an idea over time. Aristotle posited in his Nicomachean Ethics that the essence of wisdom is contemplation, asserting that “contemplation is the pinnacle of human activity.”

Catherine emphasizes that the journey to transcending distracted thinking starts with recognizing that a thought is merely a construct of our minds. From this insight, we can discern between what is beneficial and detrimental.

15 Paradoxes That Will Change Your Life explores the transformative power of paradoxes and how they can shift our perspective on various aspects of existence.

2. The Power of Silence

Interestingly, cultivating silence is a challenging skill. The late Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh emphasized, “What we need, what everyone needs, is silence.” Even more intriguingly, silence is a crucial component of everything, including music. Theologian Thomas Merton observed, “Music captivates not only through sound but also through the silence interspersed within it; without the interplay of sound and silence, rhythm could not exist.”

Nonetheless, few of us dedicate effort to nurturing the art of silence. In a previous reflection titled Looking at Life without Words, writer Alan Watts stated, “To be silent does not mean to lose your voice. Rather, it is through silence that we can unearth new topics to discuss.”

Silence also fosters connection. Writer and theologian Henri Nouwen noted that listening is a means of inviting strangers to become friends, enabling a deeper understanding of their inner selves, and even sharing moments of silence together.

3. Understanding Yourself

The ancient wisdom “Know Thyself” was inscribed at the Oracle of Delphi, where Socrates was deemed the wisest man in Athens. But can we truly know ourselves? How can we ascertain whether we have genuinely discovered who we are?

In a recent podcast, I asked Skye Cleary, author of How to Be Authentic, “Is it feasible to know ourselves?” Cleary responded, “This relates to the concept of being a form of nothingness. If we define ourselves by a singular label, then we might grasp who we are. However, that doesn’t reflect human reality. Human existence is dynamic; we are always evolving. Today I might identify as a philosopher, but tomorrow I may not. The key is to understand who we are becoming and to recognize our past to contextualize our journey.”

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche pondered, “How can we ‘find ourselves’ once more? How can one truly know oneself?” He suggested that humans are inherently obscure and layered. Even if a rabbit sheds seven skins, a person can peel away layers infinitely without arriving at a definitive self.

The paradox of self-knowledge is that it is an endless pursuit. However, this does not imply that we should cease our efforts. Just as it is unrealistic to live a perfectly virtuous life, we must still strive to navigate our paths. Knowing oneself is a valuable endeavor, albeit one without a conclusion.

Thank you for engaging with this reflection; I hope you found something of value.

For further exploration, consider checking out Perennial Meditations on Substack or tuning into one of our podcasts.