You can only comprehend so much elevation

If it’s too good — it’s too alien

And it’s too threatening

 

There are some good reasons why “too good” should be viewed with scepticism:

-What if it’s too good to be true?

-What if you are being duped?

-What if there’s a good reason why this “goodness” is not more common? What if there’s a catch?

-What if it’s so good that it’s NOT useful, what if it’s too idealised, thus too impractical?

 

But the above objections pertain to the IMPRESSION of “too good”.

That which is actually too good — is real, and is by definition extremely good. It’s good and more.

 

And it is alienating

Because you don’t really want “too good”

You’d want a little better,

You’re scared of “too good” because its too much of a change

It’s not just you who smell the catch — your own EGO smells the catch

Your own EGO just wants to survive.

It wouldn’t mind a better life, it wouldn’t mind looking more attractive and successful — but it will not risk rocking the boat too much. Homeostasis is more important. Survival is more important.

 

Indeed the degree of cognitive dissonance you will experience is directly proportional to:

-how much EGO you have around certain belief

-how contrastingly SUPERIOR the new reality is

And of course this cognitive dissonance is measured by the severity of denial

 

Thus the more pride you have about who you are and what you accomplished and why your life is the way it is and why you made the choices you made — the harder it will be for you to admit that it’s time to do something different

And the more reason there is to do something different (such as vastly superior reality) — the greater the conflict, greater the dissonance.

 

This conflict is resolved in ways more iilogical or less illogical — depending just how conflicting the contrasting reality is

If you accept 90% of this new, superior reality manifested before your eyes — you only have to “debunk” the last 10%

If you reject all of it — you will have to do a lot of denying, a lot of attacking, a lot of conspiracy theorising, a lot of hating.

 

And indeed if you see someone in deep denial,

or very belligerent towards certain social group or trend or phenomenon,

or particularly obsessed with conspiracy theories,

or even just plain “negative” and hostile,

you can BET on there being some powerful cognitive dissonance at play, driven by the combination of strong ego around a certain complex — and strong desire for this new superior reality, conscious or unconscious,

It’s essentially a conflict between WHO WE ARE and THE SUPERIOR REALITY we want for ourselves. And the stronger each is — the greater the conflict

And the greater the conflict — the most this “goodness” provokes NEGATIVE response, rather than positive.

 

Furthermore the more this superior reality is contrasting with your own reality — the less realistic it appears, the less relatable and real.

That which you don’t even believe to be real — you will of course feel little incentive to attempt.

You will perhaps entertain yourself with the idea of it — but you will never take it seriously — you will never make but a single step in that direction.

 

Now, solution?

Solution is same as ever — ego is not your friend. What you think of you is not your friend. Ambition is not your friend either.

The irony of self-improvement is that you have to give up on improving yours SELF, that is: give up on improving your EGO,

Instead focus on improving your LIFE

While deriving as LITTLE PRIDE from your successes as possible

As the more you perceive yourself as this “success” — the less willing you are to continue taking more risks, failing and winning and winning and failing

Instead just focus on DOING BETTER TODAY, in a tangible way.

That is real

Take pride from doing your best today — not from any fixed accomplishment,

And with this attitude — when a new, jarringly superior, shockingly surpassing REALITY is revealed to you — it does NOT conflict with your EGO

You look at it dispassionately

You consider how you could incorporate it’s elements into your life

And when I say dispassionately: I mean really dispassionately

For if you train yourself to derive all satisfaction, all happiness, all confidence from HOW YOU LIVED TODAY — then external vicissitudes will hold far less bearing you

And ironically — now that you want less from the world — you resist it’s fruits less. You’re less blind to it’s opportunities. Your eyes are open and you are free to choose