So is it true this or that, or the damn duality

The main ideas from the chapter are:

Duality and opposites: The author points out that many statements and opinions exist in multiple versions and that duality (true vs. false, good vs. bad) is common in our thinking.
Light as an example of duality: light can be seen as both a wave and a flow of particles, showing that both variants can be true.
Paradoxes in everyday life: The author gives examples of paradoxes, such as trying to achieve something and failing, or liking someone with whom we disagree.
The importance of peace: Calmness and focus on feelings bring solutions, while pressure on reason does not lead to results.
Perception of reality: the author argues that reality is plastic and that our beliefs influence what we perceive as truth.

_____

I’ve written several times in this book that I’m kind of contradicting myself, and that’s another observation I’ve come to realize (many before me have discovered it). Namely, the fact that few statements, claims or opinions come in only one variant. I know, it sounds complicated – sort of. For example, we know the folk (so called „peasant“) saying = the exception proves the rule. We know it so well that we don’t even think about it anymore, and sometimes we even miss its meaning. In short, just because something is true doesn’t mean there aren’t times when it isn’t true – stupid, right? 🙂
You see, that’s our mind game too. Somehow subconsciously (and due to upbringing) we expect that there are pairs (hence duality) of truths or realities. That there is truth and lie, good and bad, nice and ugly etc. And most importantly – we expect this to be true somehow in general. Well, and that stepping out of duality, realization of reality, or maybe also enlightenment – whatever you want, in my eyes it is the same state just called differently… so all this means that we realize that both variants are true. Strange, paradoxical, isn’t it?
I would like to use light as such an afterthought approaching proof. Again = after all we know what light is and we know darkness too don’t we? We are not little children! 😀 But do we really know WHAT it is, the light? Interestingly, this is one of the first physical proofs that the observer influences the results of the observed. In fact, when you use instruments to measure wavelengths, you find that light IS waves (see the different colors of the light spectrum and their wavelengths). Only – when you use instruments to measure the flux of particles (in this case photons), you find that light IS a flux of particles. Now – what is the truth? What is correct? Yes both, both variants – light is simply both a wave and a particle flux 😉 .
And the practical application? Because our world is full of these paradoxes. We may not be fully aware of it, but we often (albeit indirectly) ask ourselves these questions. For example, how is it that the more you rush, the more you don’t catch up; the harder you try, the more you don’t achieve; you want it so badly, you try like crazy and nothing happens – and another „doesn’t give a damn“ and has it…and I could go on like this forever! Or the type of thinking – how come I like someone and yet I can’t agree with their views absolutely and vice versa = he is right and yet he is such a „jerk“ etc. Do we understand each other now? It has to do with our subconscious striving for general truths – and I’ll take the liberty of puncturing that for the next chapter 🙂 As you can see, I can’t avoid coherence and thought-tying anyway 😀
By the way – this reasoning is beautifully discussed in the book „The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life“ = highly recommended! Especially the part about paradoxes. I subscribe in full that where it is not, it is, etc. In fact, from my therapeutic practice, I can prove with hundreds of examples how the moment you focus on the feelings, reason gets it (no pressure is put on it, it’s almost out of the picture even). Because when we push on reason, nothing gets through! It is that calmness that brings the solution. Trying to solve will bring nothing!
A pearl to end the chapter = for me the most profound truth so far is that duality is mostly understood in short as this OR that applies. „Spiritually“ (I don’t like that word, but I don’t have a better one than that profanity) minded people know that this AND that applies. Their problem is usually that at this stage they are almost to the point of wallowing in their own spirituality! 😀 But the reality (according to my current perception) is = this or that even this and that applies! We each create our own universe – yes, that’s how plastic our shared space is! So, knowing that we evolved from monkeys and looking with full fervor for proof, in time I will indeed find it (sure – to make me happy)…I will go, like Darwin, to the Galapagos or wherever it was and there I will see different generations of birds adapting to their environment = that’s it! Yay!!! But when I know there is a god and we were created, the Virgin Mary appears and even her statue starts shedding bloody tears…get it?!!?