Mere Cognition

Lately I've been noticing the ever-present trend of reasoning through concepts without giving much consideration to how one may be influenced by their own biases and presuppositions, coupled with a shallow investigation into the circumstances around whatever's being thought about. This is by no means new and it's extremely pervasive - it's just been highlighted in my mind as of late.

Take the following hypothetical:

• You perform a task.
• The person you're performing the task for mentions that you missed something in that task.
• You mention that you followed all the requirements of the task, as far as you're aware.
• The person dismisses your statement and completes the task their own way.
• You opine that you can't fathom what the other person's considering as being missed.
• The person retorts that, of course you cannot fathom you'd make a mistake, that's the definition of a narcissist.
• You look like the confused guy meme, because you never said you couldn't fathom making a mistake, rather that you couldn't fathom what the other person was seeing as a mistake.

This sort of failure to pay attention and think things through is a concerning lack of discernment and a potential danger area for lack of perception.

Here we have a perfectly reasonable interaction that devolves into chaos because one person is obviously looking through the lens of sin, thinking the worst of the other, instead of being charitable and considering that their reading may be incorrect. This could be from a variety of different factors, ranging from just having a bad day, to trauma, to actively murdering one another in the heart.

This sort of failure to consider context and examine the situation holistically, tends to present itself in the person's biblical interpretation and exegesis of scripture. The person can oft be found to make the same mistakes in interpreting scripture as they do in conversation.

I think the root cause most often boils down to pride. This is why proper humility is a key aspect of the Christian walk. If we think less of ourselves (e.g. deny ourselves), take up our cross, and follow Christ - then as we are progressively sanctified, we begin looking less through that lens of prideful sin and looking more through the humble lens of scripture.

I've been camping out in Psalm 62 a lot lately, as a lot has been happening in the ever weird life of this cogitator... Waiting on the Lord is a must, so that's what I've been doing.

Over the past few months, I've been, a) remembering more dreams than usual; b) having more recurring dreams than I ever have; c) had a mix of semi-lucid and lucid dreams, which is anomalous... usually taking control in dreams is like trying to swim in molasses - it just doesn't happen no matter how hard I push.

But I remembered to write down another recurring dream. This one is writing about the setting, as it's popped up in dreams that had different subject matters.

This one is about a rather normal, yet oddly laid out house.

Odd. I've dreamt of this house before.
From the front, house is sometimes a duplex, sometimes a regular house. Vaguely Victorian.
Back yard is large and rolling with hills, maybe half acre. Tall trees, hedgerows. Lush and green.
Beyond looks like rolling Appalachian forest. Meadow beyond the yard boundary.

Ground level opens to foyer. Immediately aft is the kitchen, overlooking a deck.
To the left of the foyer, down a few steps is a study like room. Long rectangular shape. Just through its archway to the right down a few more steps, a living room like place. Doors at the back open up to ground level below the deck. Couch. Television. Computer desk in the corner.
From the foyer, stairs up to the next level. Next level is open to the kitchen with railings. To the left and the right are doors to bedrooms. Bedrooms are normal.
Stairs lead up to a third level. Room is dusty, like it's been unused for years. Rocking chair next to a small table, lamp is on the table. Room looks like a study. Bookshelves.

Most of the dreams themselves were rather normal, mostly dialogue I can't remember, with a different cast of people usually.

I remember there being one of them where I was trying to avoid someone, I believe. I don't recall anything else.

My dreams are normally about working something out from the waking world and are mostly reality based. I'm not sure if they really mean anything but it's interesting nonetheless. These are somewhat of an anomaly.

Maybe I'm eating some food that's gone bad and I don't realize it. Yeah, we'll go with that theory for now.

Philosopher Francois de La Rochefoucauld:

“Nobody deserves to be praised for goodness unless he is strong enough to be bad, for any other goodness is usually merely inertia or lack of will-power.”

Psychologist Jordan B. Peterson:

"You should be a monster. An absolute monster. And then you should learn how to control it."

Bible, Genesis 4:7:

"...And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."