I had been re-reading The Untouched Key by Alice Miller when the Ohio School shootings occurred. Her message is clear, abuse to children causes angry violent young adults and adults who then do violence to others in the world. Especially appropriate is ‘Chapter 3′ in The Untouched Key which speaks to the continuing creation of war cultures in our societies by the violence done to our children. Watch her video “The Roots of Violence“, and commit to non-violence towards your self and towards others.
Who are you, really?
An interesting Ted Talk entitled “Is There a Real You” offers one way to develop some perspective on the idea of self. Based I think largely on Buddhists views of the self, this approach offers Western thinkers a way to view the self with more flexibility and openness. Compare and contrast it to Eckhart Tolle’s concept of the “pain body”, another Eastern view of the self.
I feel it is important that one have a quiet place within themselves to view their thoughts and impulses. I sometimes use the metaphor of being at Grand Central station in NYC. There are some people who are always on a train, they get off one train, and board another. To develop an ability to sit at the station and watch the trains come and go (i.e., your thoughts and impulses), before you choose which train to ride will help you make more mindful decisions about your actions.
