SOUL SALON: ECCENTRICI-TEA PARTY
Definition of eccentricity : the quality or state of being eccentric: deviation from an established pattern or norm, especially odd or whimsical, unconventional, irregular behavior, an oddity or peculiarity, in conduct, having an odd or unusual manner.
Consider that these definitions are being created from the inside of a cultural point of view (and enculturated through endless educational repetition), that demands that everyone conform to conventional, limiting standards, so that people will be more controllable and socially manageable. Thus, children with unusual, special gifts and talents are often ridiculed and demeaned by calling them eccentric due to those gifts. So the word eccentricity is used as a perjorative, negative reinforcing term to try to keep people coloring inside the lines of accepted social standards. As awake beings, we are here to be living examples of changing that use in the English language. Here is why.
Often the greatest breakthroughs in all areas of human endeavor from science to the arts, come through beings who would NOT conform to ordinary standards of behavior, dress, conduct etc.. I would personally say “Thank you” if someone called me eccentric.. that is, I would frame it not as derogatory, but rather as a compliment.
Have you ever been called eccentric? What is something about you that has been either called or you would yourself name as eccentric?
What is something you do that others may call eccentric?
Share a time in your life that you choose to express some aspect of yourself that may have been viewed as odd or peculiar by the culture at large.
Do you have any unusual gifts, talents or abilities that the culture may not be able to understand, accept or relate to?
Who is a favorite artist, musician, actor, writer, that you know has been called eccentric, odd, unconventional, peculiar by the culture at large? What did you love about them?
The great linguist from the tradition of Ordinary Language Philosophy, Ludwig Wittgenstein, defined language in this way: “The meaning of a word is its use in the language and language is a way of life.” That is to say, the way we view reality and our very perceptions of that reality are shaped and limited by the language that we are born into speaking. For example there is no word for time in the Hopi language. Imagine how differently you would perceive reality if you had no concept for time? If you are aboriginal you have no word for “I” or “my”.. because in their world view, nothing belongs solely to “you”, all is collectively shared. In English because of the intrinsicially embedded subject/object dualism, it is almost impossible to express words without perceiving and indicating that everything must be split and categorized in a dualistic form ie: good/bad, right/wrong, them/us. So the English language creates a strong separate sense of the individual “I” and the “rights” that that “I” has come to think belong to it intrinsically as an individual. This dualistic use of language separates us even from nature, allowing the separate “I” to see itself as having the right to use and abuse the resources of nature without regard to the consequences of that wanton disregard of our absolute connection to and symbiotic dependence on nature.
Knowing the power of our words to create reality, calls us to pay more attention and awareness to the language we do choose to use and work with.
With all of the material I have written, I have struggled with this limitation of the English language and ended up using words like “seemingly” and “apparently” as qualifiers, especially when speaking of things such as “apparent” difficulty, pain, separation, and duality. This is a reminder that in truth, Unity cannot actually be broken, that many of our perceptions in duality are illusory and can be consciously changed if we look at them from a more expanded perspective.
What is an example of language that intrinsically separates and dualizes?
“You make me feel upset.” “There is only one right way.” They should change the way they are acting, thinking..etc….”
What is an example of language that unifies and includes rather than separating?
“I have made myself upset, projecting my upset on to you. It is MY upset.”
“ I see from what you are saying that there are MANY ways to look at the hologram of what is.” “The only change that can really be made is change to the self.” “I hear from your point of view, what you are trying to communicate.”
