“Pay close attention in conversation to what is being said, and to what follows from any action. In the action, immediately look for the target, in words, listen closely to what’s being signaled.”
MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.4
Things are rarely as they seem on the surface. Words contain hidden meaning and disguised signals; you have to read between the lines if you want to understand where someone is coming from, and what they truly want.
The things that people say often come from deep places and hidden motivations — motivations that even they themselves may not understand or be aware of. Further, the things that you say come from thought processes and feelings that aren’t always obvious to you. You have to dig into them to understand.
One of the ways you can examine your thoughts is by using the third part of the three-pronged approach. You can use the rational side of philosophy to take a look at your thoughts and organize them into a logical framework that makes sense.
You can look first for the source of your thoughts, and what’s driving them. Is it base emotions like fear, greed, pride, addiction? And what is the actual meaning of what you’re trying to say, and what you’re trying to accomplish?
Perhaps even more importantly, you need to determine how your thoughts are influencing your actions. What are you aiming to achieve with your actions, and who/what is the real target? And “what follows from any action?” as Marcus says above in the quote from The Daily Stoic today. What’s the result?
Understanding how your thoughts feed into your actions (and vice versa) and reading between the lines to find the real, sometimes hidden meaning will help you identify where you need to grow as a person. It’s not always obvious! Sometimes it takes a little digging.
