The Mutability of Preference and Opinion

Think back in your life for a moment and try to remember times your preference or opinion changed. You used to like one sort of music or another. You used to hate one kind of food as a child but love it now. There should be a number of examples you can immediately think of and many many more if you put your mind to it.

“Happiness is not getting what you want but wanting what you’ve got”

Each of us has within us the ability to change our desires. The reasons we do so are usually brought about by environment though. We once liked a certain style of clothing because everyone else did, but now we see that same style as absurd… because others do.

There are many tools available for changing one’s psyche and overcoming the animal within and usually those tools manipulate our base desires to a more productive end. For instance, a philanthropist can overcome the immediate selfishness of wanting to keep all his possessions by instead turning his selfishness to longer term goals. By giving away his money he gains respect, admiration, self-worth and gratitude. All of these things can sate the lust for self advancement we all have while bettering the world as we better ourselves.

Another tool that can be used to manipulate your psyche to a better long-term end is rebellion. Once you have grasped that many of your desires and ideas were shaped by those around you without your permission or even knowledge you can turn your rebellion and lust for freedom against that programming which was put inside you. You can rebel against a part of yourself which you no longer grant validity. In doing so you break the hold that others have over you and gain true freedom.

When you can journey down this path you can begin to see how there are movies like waterworld or a variety of other “hated” movies which you could actually find a way to enjoy. You may so strongly believe that it is your own will that makes you hate waterworld that this example may not have the ring it needs but it is unlikely that early in your progress you will be able to even find your own unaltered opinion. I hope for your sake that you can think of at least one thing which is “universally hated” that you either secretely or openly like. If not then it should be blatently obvious to you that your will has been utterly taken from you by mob mentality.

With the supposition you are not utterly a drone, then find an example in which you differ. Find that spark of individuality and nurture it. There is a feeling of satisfying rebellion that goes along with it. Knowing that you are your own person and you have decided that others opinions be-damned you will like whatever you want to like.

If you can do this you can expand it every day. You can expand it to every part of your life from your taste in food and movies, to what clothes you wear. Once your individuality has expanded and the slavery of your mind is ended, new options will open themselves to you.

When you can begin to find the good in every situation. When you can decide to not only accept every situation but love it and all it has to offer. Only then are you truly free. Difficulties simply become learning experiences. Trials become a challenge to overcome and a contrast which make other times even sweeter.

Rebel against the preferences put in you. Fight againt the opinions that were slipped into your mind. Free your mind from slavery. Why should you not feel utter joy and contentent at every moment? Why should your life ever feel incomplete?

If you have changed your opinions then you can change your opinions. If you have changed your preferences then you can change your preferences. It’s time to become the master of your mind and to love life at every moment.

It will not happen instantly; it never has before has it? Then patiently work towards being easy to please. Inexorably move towards needing nothing but what you already have to feel complete and satisfied. It is the feeling you’ve been after all this time anyway. Why not try changing the inside instead of the outside to achieve the happiness you want? You’ll find it is far easier and always more successful.

One place to start is money. Do you need to get a promotion so you can work more long hours and fret more? Do you need to have more to protect from others and more to lose? Do you need more money to get more stuff to make more money which will never make you happy?

Look at you life and ask yourself what you really want. Do you want to feel good inside? Peaceful and content? Or do you want to try for more of something which you will likely never get. Do you want to waste your life desperately trying to get happiness or do you want to start feeling more happiness right now no matter what is going on? Isn’t searching for something more simply just another way to say that what you have isn’t good enough? …that your life isn’t good enough. Isn’t it just a way to convince yourself you are unhappy and therefore actually make yourself unhappy?

Do you really think that something from the outside caused you to feel good? Isn’t feeling good simply chemicals/electricity inside your brain? Didn’t your own brain produce the feeling of happiness you’ve felt before? Wasn’t there a time as a child the simplest things enthralled you? Satisfied you? When someone slays a monster in a video game, are they relieved because they have ended some real threat to their person? Was the adrenaline coursing through their veins there because they were actually in danger?

Why have you been so desperately searching for things to give you a feeling when you’ve had the power to simply produce the feeling inside you all along? Isn’t that silly?