Too soon to tell

Introspection vs judgement

I chuckled when I read about a historian recently being asked for his opinion on the French Revolution. “Too soon to tell,” he replied.

That’s become my go-to response when asked what I think about the Iran war, the economy, UFO’s, etc. We may think we know what’s going on but there’s usually a wild card waiting around the corner.

So, instead of having strong opinions and butting heads with those who think differently, how about looking for the gift ? Instead of a judgement, a thoughtful perception might be of more value.

For instance, the Iran War. My opinion won’t stop dying. It won’t reconcile conflict. But, I can examine what I’m told and ask questions like: “When do I rush into something to try and fix it without thinking things through? When is magical thinking clouding my judgement? Who do I identify as my enemy and why?”

In other words, what deep relevance does this situation and every other one have for me? When I ask that question and take time to answer, what’s happening has value. Otherwise, I’m just another arm chair quarterback complaining about things.

Socrates said that the unexamined life isn’t worth living. I’ve referenced that quote a lot in my memoir writing work and tended to think it meant reflecting on memories, which it does. But we can also examine our lives in present time when presented with some situation that we would usually assume a distance from. It’s just something and someone “out there.” Yeah, but I’m aware of it now. Why?

My wife likes to use the metaphor of a fishing pole. Catch the thing and reel it in. Whatever this is… it’s about me! If I’m aware of something, surely there’s meaning attached to it, beyond me pronouncing my grand and wise judgement! What’s the gift in the event, conversation… even a thought and a feeling?

There are distractions a plenty out here in this wild world. Meanwhile, our inner lives beckon for attention. Reflecting on the meaning of things can become a habit, something we do automatically, adopting the identity of a life-long learner.

For me, this replaces arrogance (I know what’s going on) with humility (I’m discovering something important about myself). And it’s the environment of what could be called our third act, that late season in life where we explore and discover the meaning of our amazing human adventure.

I understand that, with this attitude and developing this habit, that we’ll keep growing until our last breath and the last chapter can be the best.