The Happiness Podcast 40 - Listen and Unlearn
Feb 8, 2020
A spiritual teacher contrasts being jolted awake by suffering with waking up through attentive listening. Listening is presented as openness, not agreement, and a tool for unlearning limiting beliefs. The conversation challenges listeners to test ideas, notice resistance, and reconsider religious, political, social, and psychological assumptions.
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Truth Comes From Openness Not Agreement
- Truth cannot be fully captured by words; it appears suddenly as a result of an attitude of openness.
- Anthony de Mello argues agreement/disagreement are about concepts, not truth, so truth may be cited even when you disagree.
Challenge Beliefs That Make You Unhappy
- Challenge and point out the beliefs that make you unhappy so you can drop them.
- Anthony de Mello frames spirituality as unlearning and says his role is to describe falsehoods so listeners can let them go.
Listen To Discover Not Confirm
- Listen with an attitude of openness, not to confirm existing views but to discover something new.
- Observe reactions like shock or agreement as signals that you're hearing something that challenges your beliefs.