A strange meeting

I had a strange experience today. So strange that even now I am not sure how I feel about it. I met a very interesting person, who sounded uncannily like myself. Now I have been certified to be a confused lunatic by many (including my mother, who probably knows me best and is therefore right), but hearing my own thoughts and ambiguities echo in another person was really creepy.

I must have spent an hour and a half in this gentleman’s company, and we did not talk for even two minutes about the agenda items. Rather we talked about life and the decision making process. I will try to synthesize here what I recall out of the conclusions of the discussion, trying to straighten out my muddled thoughts:

1. Most of us go through life following “mind-patterns” (for want of a better term). All our decisions, all our actions are based on these patterns. It is as if we are programmed to behave in a certain way. As long as we do not question, we are happy. Introspection leads to conflict and dissatisfaction. As long as our thought pattern remains the same, we cannot fundamentally change our lives. And changing the thought pattern is nearly impossible, since that is how we are supposed to be (anyone reminded here of the Matrix, please bear with me – this will not end with a whimper like the Matrix Revolutions J). The only way to save ourselves from this pattern is to be aware of it and try to consciously act against it. (the example quoted of one common pattern was: I want to work for XYZ, because I want to prove myself better than the other people who cannot work for XYZ. Or, I will study at ABC because a lot of people want to study there, but cannot. I am significant in the scheme of things, and will prove this if I achieve success, money, fame. Achievement equals significance)

2. Whenever we take any decision, we never can know for sure how it will turn out. Even post the event about which the decision needed to be taken, we can compare it to an inferior situation and feel pleased with the decision, or we can compare it to a superior situation and feel dis-satisfied. So good or bad is not really about the event or the situation, it is actually about us.

3. There is really no answer to the question of life, the universe and everything, unless it is forty-two (apologies to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). There is no right or wrong, good or bad. Each one of us is insignificant in the scheme of things, and keeps fighting against this insignificance. Each one does whatever we do because we believe somewhere that what we are doing will make us significant.

4. If we let go of this mind pattern and accept that we are what we are, life becomes much more free. Freed of expectations, fears, desires, we can do what we really want to do.

Apologies for the heavy duty dose of rambling. Would love to know – is it only me who has such weird questions? Do you also wonder about the same things? Do you agree with what is written here?