A short spoken mini-chapter by Brian Johnson that links Rorschach-style inkblot interpretation to the Buddhist idea of emptiness: situations are inherently neutral and meaning is assigned by the observer. Johnson's point is practical and motivational—because experiences are 'empty' of intrinsic meaning, we can train ourselves to choose empowering interpretations and respond more constructively.
Hi, this is Brian with another mini chapter from A Philosopher's Notes. This one's called Ink Blobs and Emptiness. While we're on this whole subject of not taking things personally and the fact that what other people think of you says more about them than anything else, how about a couple more ideas to really bring the point home? First, ink blobs. Ever heard of Rorschach tests? Basically, psychologists can sneak a peek into their patient's consciousness by asking them to describe what they see when they look at a picture of an ink blob. Now, there's nothing in the ink blob other than blobbiness, but what the patient says they see tells us a lot about what's going on inside their little noggin. Second, emptiness. It's a Buddhist concept that basically says everything is empty of meaning. Everything is inherently neutral. Kind of like that ink blob. The meaning we give to any particular empty or neutral experience is often an unconscious expression of how we see the world. So if I'm a pissy person, I'll interpret a neutral event negatively, whereas if I'm a happy person, I'll interpret that same event in a more empowering way. Now, the cool thing about this whole emptiness business is the fact that given the inherent emptiness of any given situation, every moment has a hidden potential. We can train ourselves to choose the most empowering perspective, and ultimately, that's what it's all about, right? Ink blobs in emptiness. Good stuff. All right. I hope you enjoyed Ink Blobs in Emptiness. Here's to choosing the most empowered response from that neutral ink blob and having another awesome day. Hope you enjoyed. Look forward to sharing with you soon.
