Stability is an illusion

There are various degrees of stability. All other factors being equal, a software engineer will have far more stability than a fast food worker simply because of the greater income, chance for advancement, and available opportunities available in the tech industry compared to the fast food industry. In another thread, we're discussing the life and death of Daunte Wright. If one wants to study an unstable life, that would be a good place to start.

It is true that everything can be taken away in an instant for almost anyone.

Many of you probably saw this on the evening news or read it in the news, but just north of where I live in Colorado, fires — fueled by high winds — have destroyed over 500 homes, a hotel, and many other businesses. That's just today. Entire towns and cities have been wiped out. The people who lived there have lost everything. I couldn't imagine what they're going through. Your home is the one place you hope to be stable in this day and age — at least with physical stability. If you're just renting, you can lose your housing on the whim of the landlord, depending on what kind of lease you have. Or you can lose it in a tornado or flood. Things are far worse than they were just a few decades ago, thanks to climate change and its effects on the weather.

Something else that happened not far from me just two days ago. Some nut with a handgun went on a shooting rampage and killed several people, starting near downtown Denver and ending up about a mile south of where I live. He drove from one business to another, killing people who worked at each one. He had some bad business dealings or something with the victims. He even shot up the Xfinity store, but nobody there was seriously injured, which is good. It's not the workers' fault Xfinity sucks. Meh, actually, it's not that bad... just way overpriced.
 
Great read. Change is the only constant in life. I was aware of that when my company let me go after 20 years due to Covid. I anticipated it and am now enjoying retirement. It is a very comfortable feeling to think that life will remain status quo, but we need to anticipate the future and adapt accordingly.
 
Remy said:
Interesting and I guess true. But I wonder how this affects those like me who had a completely unstable childhood. I never knew when my mother would flip over nothing and the next 1-3 day screaming, abusive rage would be on. It's probably why I'm always on edge.
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Same here, only it was my dad and my (older-than-I) sister. Dad's gone, but sister as far as I know is still alive; my stomach drops whenever I see it's her on the phone's caller I.D.; "what's she gonna yell about now?"
 
Paco Dennis said:
"Stability, in any form, is an illusion. It's an illusion that we actively cultivate and desperately hold onto, but an illusion nonetheless. Evidence for this is everywhere: the one constant in the universe is change."
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This is a true statement. However, abandoning the effort to create stability is not the solution to instability. That would just create more instability. The answer is balance between accepting and embracing changes in your life, balanced by your effort to remain as stable as possible while making the changes yourself or reacting to those thrust upon you unwillingly.
 
Our instinct to survive is very powerful. I too have learned that being flexible when the winds of change are strong. Although we know that entropy is always taking away our energy when we burn calories, the hardest metals are also temporary. Making an effort to stay alive without obsessing over it takes grace. :)
 
Paco Dennis said:
"Stability, in any form, is an illusion. It's an illusion that we actively cultivate and desperately hold onto, but an illusion nonetheless. Evidence for this is everywhere: the one constant in the universe is change."

3 minute read

https://medium.com/@chriscow/the-stability-illusion-24fda4ebc2e6
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The only real stability comes from within, in my opinion.
All that is external is maya (illusion), according to the Buddha.
“Life is an illusion a dream; a bubble; a shadow… ... Nothing is permanent. Nothing is worthy of anger or dispute."

"But Thompson supports the Buddhists' view that the self does in fact exist. “In neuroscience, you'll often come across people who say the self is an illusion created by the brain. My view is that the brain and the body work together in the context of our physical environment to create a sense of self." :unsure::giggle:
 
Tabby Ann said:
This is a true statement. However, abandoning the effort to create stability is not the solution to instability. That would just create more instability. The answer is balance between accepting and embracing changes in your life, balanced by your effort to remain as stable as possible while making the changes yourself or reacting to those thrust upon you unwillingly.
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Aw, Tabby this sounds much like the Buddhist Middle Way. :)
 
Tabby Ann said:
This is a true statement. However, abandoning the effort to create stability is not the solution to instability. That would just create more instability. The answer is balance between accepting and embracing changes in your life, balanced by your effort to remain as stable as possible while making the changes yourself or reacting to those thrust upon you unwillingly.
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Accepting reality while taking an active hand in crafting your life path is basic to the much sought-after inner peace.
 
Reminds me of a Moody Blues song I used to like;


Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people look back and lament,
Another day's useless energy spent.
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one.
Lonely man cries for love and has none.
New mother picks up and suckles her son.
Senior citizens wish they were young.
Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colours from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow white,
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion.








​

 
IFortuna said:
The only real stability comes from within, in my opinion.
All that is external is maya (illusion), according to the Buddha.
“Life is an illusion a dream; a bubble; a shadow… ... Nothing is permanent. Nothing is worthy of anger or dispute."

"But Thompson supports the Buddhists' view that the self does in fact exist. “In neuroscience, you'll often come across people who say the self is an illusion created by the brain. My view is that the brain and the body work together in the context of our physical environment to create a sense of self." :unsure::giggle:
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Consider this :

"The cognitive scientist Bruce Hood defines an illusion as an experience of something that is not what it seems. ... We perceive the self as a result of different regions in our brain trying to combine our experiences, thoughts, and behaviours into a narrative, and in this sense the self is artificial." ( Hal 2022 )

What is so inspirational is that it is not black or white. on or off. It is like a dance of our neurons, and our partner being our environment. :)
 
Paco Dennis said:
Consider this :

"The cognitive scientist Bruce Hood defines an illusion as an experience of something that is not what it seems. ... We perceive the self as a result of different regions in our brain trying to combine our experiences, thoughts, and behaviours into a narrative, and in this sense the self is artificial." ( Hal 2022 )

What is so inspirational is that it is not black or white. on or off. It is like a dance of our neurons, and our partner being our environment. :)
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Well said as always. 🥰
 
Remy said:
Interesting and I guess true. But I wonder how this affects those like me who had a completely unstable childhood. I never knew when my mother would flip over nothing and the next 1-3 day screaming, abusive rage would be on. It's probably why I'm always on edge.
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I think it is quite common to internalize this edge you feel or the rage that was forced upon you. I am deeply sorry you suffered this abuse. Perhaps it would be a benefit to speak to someone at length about this who may be able to help even in a small way. Regardless, know that many of us are here for you too. 🥰 I think it is never too late to heal.
 
Gary O' said:
Reminds me of a Moody Blues song I used to like;


Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people look back and lament,
Another day's useless energy spent.
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one.
Lonely man cries for love and has none.
New mother picks up and suckles her son.
Senior citizens wish they were young.
Cold-hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colours from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow white,
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion.








​

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Knights in white satin ?

Always liked that myself.
 
Everything is an illusion. Why do people interpret things differently if not an illusion?

Stability is an unwavering state of existence between two extremes.
 
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