Practically — hierarchies help us organise ourselves in the society. They are a good thing.

Spiritually — hierarchies are void. Void because you will die anyway. God doesn’t give a fuck about your place in some illusionary hierarchy.

Your specific value does depend on your place in hierarchy.

Your intrinsic value doesn’t.

Equating your intrinsic value with a place in some fleeting hierarchy is obviously pernicious — it is detrimental to you as a human being. That beside it being intrinsically delusional, a false sense of objective significance and thus denial of death and impermanence.

It is obviously pernicious — whether you view yourself above or below. The former makes you blind — the latter makes you impotent.

Therefore it is imperative to explore hierarchies coldly and pragmatically — while being spiritually, psychologically separated, detached from that “game”,

 

How do you separate, detach?

You act. Action is humbling.

You stay innocent, vulnerable, open. So that the truth can always reach you.

You are appreciative, grateful and loving. Of life, of yourself, and of everyone else.

You give.

 

1. You act.

Action is humbling.

REAL action is humbling. Action which is new — which therefore confronts you with the unknown — and this unknown teaches you and humbles you, shows you how little you know, how little you control.

 

2. You stay innocent, vulnerable, open. So that the truth can always reach you.

One of two things happens when you make yourself vulnerable:

-You expose yourself to real attack

-You expose yourself to illusionary attack

When the real attack comes — you overcome — and become stronger.

When the illusionary attack doesn’t come — since it can’t come for it was illusionary — you become liberated.

Liberated from illusionary limitations.

 

3. You are appreciative, grateful and loving. Of life, of yourself, and of everyone else.

When you love someone, truly love someone — you aren’t exactly so preoccupied with how you two relate in some hierarchy.

Love cures pride

Love obviously cures hate

 

4. You give.

You may be unable to love your brother like Jesus would

But you can give

It’s a trick, really.

You give — and now the two of you are in the same team.

Instead of competing — cooperate.

Instead of criticising — consider how you could make someone’s life better (if you’re so smart).

Just give. It is tremendously liberating.

 

Act,

Be vulnerable

Appreciate,

Love

Give