One's Nature

[benny]

I'm having difficulty reconciling the notion of a nature - a fixed disposition in which a person acts - with the notion of self-development. On the one hand, Leo has mentioned in at least one of his videos that as you grow and self-actualize, you learn things about yourself, such as your strengths and weaknesses. This implies that there are things about yourself that you come to discover as you grow through your journey. This further implies that there are preexisting and immutable characteristics about oneself that are immune from change.

 

My problem is this: how am I supposed to know what I can and can't change about myself? It seems to me like blaming an undesirable trait on your nature is a limiting belief that prevents progress. That leads me to another question: do we even possess a "nature" in the sense that there are fixed traits about who we are as individuals that we can't change, or is our entire being malleable?

 

Been struggling with this one for a while now. Anybody have any perspective on this? 

[Visitor]

A persons nature is akin to personality. Personalities are largely formed by the collection of beliefs, or belief system, of the person. Everybody has a different collection of beliefs and convictions. A major change in beliefs can change a persons personality and/or nature.

Beliefs are self-imposed agreements as to what we agree to be true or not. As much as we can take on a belief we can also edit them. We do this all the time, but most of these are about superficial knowledge and not so much about our deeper self. Those that practice deep introspection about their own truth often make profound changes of attitude, perception, and behaviour. Many become humble, gentle, loving, patient, tolerant, forgiving, truthful, meek. Where before, they had little of these virtues.

To change an undesirable trait requires a willingness to change it without compromise. Any compromise is the thin edge of the wedge. It will split apart any goal of success. Psychologically, new habits take at least three months practice, with out compromise, before it becomes natural (nature) for them.

To change something, it must change to something else. Don't change one undesirable trait for another undesirable trait. Many do this because it is easier. In some circles, they call this 'changing the witch for the bitch'. It is a compromise which normally fails to meet your true desire for change. So change it for something opposite to its nature.

If nothing changes, nothing changes.

It works if you work it.

[Nahm]

@benny Great post. To me, it seems we are the current expression of all the thoughts, actions, and experiences we've been repeating. If you change those things, you will see you have changed. It is so gradual though that you might not notice, as we hold one conscioussness at a time. When I want change, I write down what I want and tape it to the wall. After some time it becomes incorporated into doing, feeling, thinking, simply from the repetition. Thus revealing, that was merely what my experience was anyways, I just 'thought' it was more. 

[benny]

Both very informative. Thank you both.

Edited May 11, 2017 by benny