A person of principle is much admired in our society. Political choice is an example. People vote for the candidate who is firm; unwavering; determined; strong; hard-working; has a heart of gold; is heroic; tough; loyal; faithful; well-mannered; Christian; visionary; willing to buck the tide; entrepreneurial; a calculated risk-taker; independent; a family man; patriotic; chaste; redeemed; a softy inside; knows what he likes and what he doesn’t; simple; competitive; underrated, and destined to succeed. The majority sees its own principles mirrored in its candidate.
It is impossible to oppose principles assumed by all to be virtues so the electorate votes on the perception of who possesses them in greatest quantity. No matter the party affiliation, no matter what their policy differences, a candidate must be perceived to possess theses socially trained characteristics.
Principles are a substitute for a greater capacity to understand. They reflect an early and important stage of development when we lack the capacity to understand. When one understands, he or she has no need for principles because he or she is in possession of a skill developed from within.
Principles are a product of environment, inculcated from without. They are unwavering because they are inexorably linked with identity and self-esteem. They serve as wings and stabilizers of one’s sense of who one is regardless of who one actually is. .Once principles are established and reified as opposed to being seen as elements of an earlier stage of development, any contradictory experience is perceived as threat and rationalized.
Only recently has there emerged an understanding, little known to most, which demonstrates that when an experience violates a principle with which one is identified, we tend to discard the experience rather than change our principle. History is replete with centuries of examples of prevailing belief systems overriding simple truths. In psychiatry, demonic possession as an explanation for mental illness has only recently, so to speak, been supplanted and still holds sway in many parts of the world.
We have been acculturated to judge people on their outward characteristics. When exercising judgment, the person who understands appears no different outwardly than the person of principle. However, he possesses an additional capacity to change his mind when circumstances alter cases. In the same way that Pygmies do not develop depth perception because living in dense forest precludes the necessity to see in the distance, our culture lacks the ability to perceive this inner capacity. We are exposed only to the belief that people’s outward behavior reflects his inward development.
One might object that it is impossible to know anyone’s inwardness and that outward characteristics are all we have to go on. This is akin to an earlier time when people, ignorant of microscopes, said that it is impossible to see or even know the existence of something called bacteria. Something is invisible to the conventional eye does not mean it has no existence. No matter how much people in the past focused on exorcising demons, knowledge of microbiology ultimately brought about solutions to infectious disease.
One who understands has the appropriate “instrumentation” to perceive the realities inherent in time, place, or circumstances. He or she does not need to rely on whether these realities match a preexistent model or principle to guide his actions. The content of one’s principles is less important than a knowledge that one is acting on them. This knowledge can provide the space for understanding to enter
Below is an account from the book, Thinkers of the East that more than hints at the development and continuous transmission of such knowledge. Baahaudin lived more than a thousand years ago.
A Morning’s Marketing
Bahaudin Naqshband one morning went into the great market of Bokhara with a long pole. He started to shout hoarsely until a crowd gathered, amazed at such behavior from a man of his fame and dignity.
When hundreds of people had assembled, uncertain of what to think or do, Bahaudin took up his pole and started to overturn stalls until he was surrounded by piles of fruit and vegetables.
The Emir of Bokhara sent a representative to Bahaudin’s house, to ask him to attend court immediately, to explain himself.
Bahaudin said:
“Let the doctors of the law be present, the chief courtiers, the senior administrators, commanders of the army and the most important merchants of the town.”
The Emir, together with his advisors, concluded that Bahaudin had gone mad. Deciding to humor him until they could have him committed to the Abode of Health, the Emir and his court summoned the people named by Bahaudin.
When all were assembled, Bahaudin entered the audience hall.
“You are no doubt aware, Your Presence Bahaudin,” said the Emir, “Why you are here. And you know why the rest of us are here. Please therefore say anything which you have to say.”
“Sublime Gateway to Wisdom! It is known to all that a man’s behavior is always taken as the index of his value. This has reached such a stage with us that a man has to do no more to gain acclaim and approval than to behave in a certain manner, no matter what his inner state may be. Conversely, if a man merely does something considered objectionable, he is regarded as being objectionable.”
The king said, “We do not yet understand what you are attempting to teach.”
Bahaudin said, “Every day, every hour, in every man, there are thoughts and inadequacies which, given vent to, would be illustrated by actions as damaging as my actions in the market-place. My teaching is that these thoughts and shortcomings, due to insufficient understanding, are as damaging to the community and to the individual as if he were to behave in a riotous manner – and more so.”
“What,” said the king, “is the solution to this problem?”
“The solution,” said Bahaudin, “is to realize that people must be improved inwardly, not just prevented by custom from showing their coarseness and destructivity, and applauded if they do not.”
The entire court was so impressed by this remarkable teaching, says the chronicler, that a public holiday of three days was announced, to enable the people to celebrate the receiving of such wisdom.
Bahaudin Naqshband lived in Fourteenth Century Afghanistan, in a Muslim culture. His message has been continuously in circulation since then, in both Muslim and Christian cultures. It has yet to penetrate. Whether legend or fact, this story serves to illustrate the existence of a capacity to perceive inwardness that contradicts our assumption that it has no existence at all, thus exposing us as the primitives.
If we can learn from this I believe we will have gone far toward understanding why it is we continuously elect lying politicians who do things we see as betraying us. In fact, we are electing mirrors of ourselves.
References:
Shah, Idries Thinkers of the East
Tavis and Aronson: Mistakes Were Made (but not by me)