External vs Internal focus

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4 years 3 months ago - 4 years 3 months ago #346754 by
Would someone be kind enough to expand on this idea please!

It's hard to explain.
What I am attempting to describe is an abstract representation of a rather complex mental duality, that I see in every aspect of life.

The problem of life presents two very different paths to tread.
(either path is acceptable)
(to best understand this, think of it as abstractly/symbolically/Jungian as possible)

I like to call it the "swimmer" (A) vs the "floater" (B ).

The one who takes action and fights an external battle (A) vs the one who stays in their little bubble and fights an internal battle (B ).

That of the avenger, the fighter of truth and justice (A).
Or that of the monk, the sage, the mindful man on the hill, watching the weather change (B ).

The first (A) has the amazing quality of passion and righteousness, of fighting the good fight to mold the world into something better, STRIVING TO ACTUALIZE THE UNTAPPED INHERENT POTENTIAL BUBBLING BENEATH OUR REALITY!
And he has truth (or what his naturally-biased internal ideology deems as truth).

But so does that old peaceful fellow on the hill (B ).
And you might say his truth is truer, as he more readily possesses something the other will always struggle to obtain.
Peace. True, deep, sigh-of-content peace and happiness.
Why? Because he does not worry superfluously.

So, who are you?
Are you one to sacrifice yourself for the world? A
Or are you one to sacrifice the world for yourself? B

A, the need to struggle against the world, at the sake of focusing on your internal reality.
Or B, the need to battle yourself and pass through your own Valley of the Shadow of Death to obtain self-knowledge and hopefully obtain peace and contentment, at the expense of mitigating your external reality.

A, the warrior vs B, the philosopher.

Everyone is capable of both, and everyone varies between each, but usually we have a preferred state.

Obviously those focused on politics are the external types (A), the "swimmers", those going against the flow and expending their energy to directly alter their external reality.
Whilst the internal types (B ) view the political types as superfluously expending energy better spent managing your inner life. Hence they are the "floaters". They go with the flow, because they focus more on their inner reality.

Honestly, in my opinion, a balance of each is necessary for a healthy and fruitful world.
I don't know, I did my best.
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4 years 3 months ago #346755 by Carlos.Martinez3
May I ask - who has this problem you speak of ?

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Nosce te ipsum / Cerca trova
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4 years 3 months ago #346756 by Adder
Replied by Adder on topic External vs Internal focus
People probably have different skills and interests which if able would alter their focus more externally.
Since its more a shared space of limited resources (so much that options are very limited for most people), folk probably shift to the inner unless their interests are accessible, for then it is easier to extend oneself out into the environment.
Energy balancing to competing demands, but often its easy to assume workload is the same for all people per task and from that delude ourselves that we have an appreciation of their energy priorities and reserves from examples of performance alone.
I'd say we are more alike then apart, but still different enough that specialisation and teamwork makes this species successful in doing complex stuff.

Knight ~ introverted extropian, mechatronic neurothealogizing, technogaian buddhist. Likes integration, visualization, elucidation and transformation.
Jou ~ Deg ~ Vlo ~ Sem ~ Mod ~ Med ~ Dis
TM: Grand Master Mark Anjuu
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4 years 3 months ago - 4 years 3 months ago #346773 by
Replied by on topic External vs Internal focus

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: May I ask - who has this problem you speak of ?

Why, every unfortunate human being with the mental capacity for reflection of course!

Of course not everyone will view it as a "problem", per se.
But this underlying duality exists within us all.

For me it is quite a struggle actually.
I am torn between the two.

I could do everything within my power to try to make a difference in the world, which is the just, honorable, and morally right thing to do.

Or I could just ignore the world's malignant condition in favor of pursuing what will actually make me happy, which for me would be focusing on my intellectual and spiritual pursuits.

I desire to be both "swimmer" and "floater", yet the issue is, I would accomplish more in either if I just solely focus on one or another.
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