A Note On Running Away

Vercades · #1 March 29th, 2005, 04:09 AM

I recieved this from a friend a couple days ago, I've looked at it alot lately and it does provoke some thought to me, I'm curious as to what the people of CTH think of this little note.

A Note on Running Away.

Something has gone awry in human evolution. Our survival instincts urge us to do that which ensures our destruction.

If you are attacked by a bear, your instinct is to run away. This will cause the bear to chase you, and there’s no way you can outrun it. So, following your instinct will cause you to be devoured.

When the bear attacks, it’s better to stand your ground, make a lot of noise, wave your arms, try to look as big as possible. If you do that, there is a chance that the bear will retreat. But, in order to survive, you have to go towards the perceived danger, because it is much more dangerous to run away.

When somebody punches you, your instinct is to either cower away in fear, or lash out in anger. If you cower away, you make it easier for him to hit you again, because he has space to throw another punch, and you have no defense. If you retaliate in anger, it’s easy for him to hit you again, because you’re wide open.

Watch a boxing match, and you’ll see that when a boxer is hurt, he defies his instincts. He moves closer to his opponent, taking away his room, smothering his punches. He moves towards the perceived danger, because it is much more dangerous to run away.

This is true of any pain our lives bring us. We try to run away, try to medicate the pain with booze, drugs, codependent relationships, any mindless distractions we can find. It never works, ever, except in a very temporary way. The pain always finds us, and suffering ensues – because the suffering is not caused by the pain, but by our attempts to escape it.

Instead of running away, we have to move towards it. Look at it with compassionate detachment, neither welcoming nor rejecting it. Just be there with it, fully present. If you’re sad, just be sad. If you’re lonely, just be lonely. Angry, just be angry. Not running away, not lashing out, not acting on it at all. Just being right there with it, observing without judgment or expectation.

Do that, and the pain changes. It’s a creation of the mind, and the mind doesn’t stay still. Even though the pain still hurts, it loses the power to make you suffer – but you have to move towards the perceived danger, because it is much more dangerous to run away.

amnell71 · #2 March 29th, 2005, 04:26 AM

Wow, thanks for that. Very interesting reading and very true. Thanks!

Vercades · #3 March 29th, 2005, 05:20 AM

Thanks for the appreciation not my work though I just got it from a friend. Thing about that bear encounter I think is funny. Moving toward a bear while wearing some kinda cologne or perfume would only make things worse so if you're in that position, I wonder what's the best thing to do?

amnell71 · #4 March 29th, 2005, 01:19 PM

I'm not sure about the bear. When I read that, the deeper meanings were coming through loud and clear to me. For some reason, they resonated deep within me and I took it as a sign. I passed it along to a friend of mine, who could use the wisdom in it. I shall be printing that one out, so I don't lose it in "never-ending email space".

Nick Grana · #5 March 29th, 2005, 03:34 PM

Is that like driving on a slippery road and you go into a slide, you turn your wheels into the direction of the slide?
Would that be the same as someone throwing you a right hook and you lean into it?

Good thinking read.

Vercades · #6 March 29th, 2005, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amnell71

I'm not sure about the bear. When I read that, the deeper meanings were coming through loud and clear to me. For some reason, they resonated deep within me and I took it as a sign. I passed it along to a friend of mine, who could use the wisdom in it. I shall be printing that one out, so I don't lose it in "never-ending email space".

Its great you like it so much, I noticed the females really really took a liking to it. Guys on the other hand are a bit different.

amnell71 · #7 March 29th, 2005, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vercades

Its great you like it so much, I noticed the females really really took a liking to it. Guys on the other hand are a bit different.

Aren't they always??

Vercades · #8 March 29th, 2005, 05:47 PM

Yeah, I'm not sure if that's a bad or good thing.