Charles Cotton wrote, " To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than their own heart in the closet. " I believe that to be a rather profound statement. Charles Cotton was a poet and a sportsman. His poetry was considered " burlesque " in his time and he wrote a great deal about fly fishing as well. I expect he considered the poetry while fishing. I also expect he, " met his own heart " in the closet while fishing the lonely streams and rivers in search of trout. He did marry his cousin at one point in his life. I was reminded recently of this quote by someone close to me. That someone has yet to meet their own heart in the closet. It is my belief that person never will.
I think Mr. Cotton discovered that until you can face your own shortcomings you will live alone, even though surrounded by others. There are those that strike out, they live by offense. It becomes an unconscious habit, a reaction to everything that displeases or disturbs their fabricated world. They must do that or risk bursting a fragile bubble that surrounds and insulates them from the real world. Their defense is feigned offense. It must be a lonely existence. As to it being the rarest courage, that only exists in their minds. They are convinced of their own righteousness, with room for no other. It is the nature of man to justify his actions with noble words and metaphors. Courage replaces foolishness in Mr. Cotton's statement. Unwilling to face the truth, unwilling to examine their own heart, it is described as courageous. In reality it is fear.
Each of us must face our own hearts. Call it introspection, self awareness, or some other term but it is an essential element to a happy life. Happiness arrives with the truth. Anything less than the truth will mislead us. It is true we may not like what we see, what we learn. Disappointment, anger, frustration and despair are emotions all wish to avoid; we cannot. Those emotions will haunt us until they are exposed for what they really are, the past. They are a response to the past, nothing more. They should be the impetus for a better tomorrow, not an anchor to hold us back. George Orwell said, " happiness can exist only in acceptance. " I agree. The thing is you must be willing to accept whatever it is, whether good or bad. Yes, you can find personal happiness in acceptance, but happiness can also be a lonely place. Happiness unshared is a bitter pill indeed. H. Jackson Brown may have expressed it best when he said, " Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own. "
This morning I awoke with these thoughts on my mind. They are a questioning of self. I share my thoughts for others to contemplate, not as an instruction. Perhaps it is an attempt to heed my own advice, to subscribe to whatever wisdom I may have accumulated over the last 65 years. Or perhaps it is a defense by offense, masking my own fears. I'd say it was an inquisition! The inquisitor is myself and that is a good thing, as least I'll listen to that person: sometimes. Or maybe it is an act of conscience. Conscience is neither good nor bad. Conscience is being in the closet and then turning on the light.
I think Mr. Cotton discovered that until you can face your own shortcomings you will live alone, even though surrounded by others. There are those that strike out, they live by offense. It becomes an unconscious habit, a reaction to everything that displeases or disturbs their fabricated world. They must do that or risk bursting a fragile bubble that surrounds and insulates them from the real world. Their defense is feigned offense. It must be a lonely existence. As to it being the rarest courage, that only exists in their minds. They are convinced of their own righteousness, with room for no other. It is the nature of man to justify his actions with noble words and metaphors. Courage replaces foolishness in Mr. Cotton's statement. Unwilling to face the truth, unwilling to examine their own heart, it is described as courageous. In reality it is fear.
Each of us must face our own hearts. Call it introspection, self awareness, or some other term but it is an essential element to a happy life. Happiness arrives with the truth. Anything less than the truth will mislead us. It is true we may not like what we see, what we learn. Disappointment, anger, frustration and despair are emotions all wish to avoid; we cannot. Those emotions will haunt us until they are exposed for what they really are, the past. They are a response to the past, nothing more. They should be the impetus for a better tomorrow, not an anchor to hold us back. George Orwell said, " happiness can exist only in acceptance. " I agree. The thing is you must be willing to accept whatever it is, whether good or bad. Yes, you can find personal happiness in acceptance, but happiness can also be a lonely place. Happiness unshared is a bitter pill indeed. H. Jackson Brown may have expressed it best when he said, " Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own. "
This morning I awoke with these thoughts on my mind. They are a questioning of self. I share my thoughts for others to contemplate, not as an instruction. Perhaps it is an attempt to heed my own advice, to subscribe to whatever wisdom I may have accumulated over the last 65 years. Or perhaps it is a defense by offense, masking my own fears. I'd say it was an inquisition! The inquisitor is myself and that is a good thing, as least I'll listen to that person: sometimes. Or maybe it is an act of conscience. Conscience is neither good nor bad. Conscience is being in the closet and then turning on the light.
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