The older I get, the more I realize there is no difference between a ten year old with his friends, a forty-five year old with his employees or a 70 year old world leader with his constituents, the underlying power play in almost every interaction is to massage the egos involved. A minuscule amount of human communication involves folks who are grounded and secure enough in their own souls that validation and competition are entirely unneeded. For these truly evolved individuals, every conversation is another opportunity to learn, grow, share or support.
The overwhelming majority of us, however (and OH YES, I include myself in this less-evolved group), can sniff a challenge a mile away - even an imagined one that was never meant or intended. A teacher, blessed with hundreds of followers, may imagine that one student's eye twitch was a twitch of derision and let it destroy years of amazing, foundational work. Some of us may fool ourselves into thinking that the multiple hours of couch-work spent with the psychotherapist has put the ego in check. Unfortunately, the proverbial pissing in the corner becomes a dead giveaway to the ID monster in the room.
This post is very much a companion piece to yesterday's blog. The need to be liked is wrapped up in the same ego-validation weakness as another's need to deride and put down. It is all part of human power play.
Maybe the foundation of the entire adventure this year will be to achieve the ability to not care and just be.
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