You can gain
a great degree of insight into how a person approaches life and defines what
constitutes “living,” by the predominate metaphors he uses regarding life.
From my
book, Legendary Leadership:
Complete this sentence stem: “Life is like …”
For Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you’re gonna get.” Life is a series of surprises.
Albert Einstein said, “Only a life lived for others is a
life worthwhile.” Life is service.
Helen Keller said, “Life is either a daring adventure or
nothing.” Life is an adventure.
[….] Each belief creates a particular kind and quality of
life.
Which brings
me to this question: What happens to people whose predominate metaphor is,
“Life is a War”? Well, to begin with all of life is framed, thusly: Us v Them, Good
Guys v Bad guys, Winning v Losing. Individuals whose overarching metaphor for
life is War for a Cause approaches relationships, church, business, society,
the political arena, and everything else, as a warrior. Consequently …
Homes become
boot camps
Churches are
gatherings of Navy Seals for Jesus
Education is
where I am provided weapons and ammo with which to destroy the enemy
Art is
propaganda
The
Political Arena is where we “take no prisoners”
In Business,
we destroy competitors
Recreation
is “resting up so I can get back out there and crush the enemy.”
And all the
people in my world are sized up, measured, evaluated, and judged, by the
standard of my (present) Cause, be it religious, political, or societal.
“Come on,
Wilson, join us and make your life count for something.”
If you
aren’t joining their Cause, if you aren’t with “us” fighting against “them,”
then your life counts for nothing … and you’re probably one of “them.” Such
people are often clueless as to how in the world St Paul could write, “Mind
your own business, lead a quiet life, and work with your hands, so as to not
stand in need of charity.”
“Man. I
guess even Paul could be a slacker.”
Ah, there’s
nothing like a Great Cause to make us feel that we are doing Something
Important, as it defines and imbues us with feelings of significance and
meaningfulness. Now, think about that for a moment. Does this mean that people
whom choose to not join our cause are insignificant and meaningless? Is my
sense of self and even my worth as a human being derived from my fighting for a
Cause? And tell me, if my Cause goes down in smoke, who am I now? What do I do now,
so as to regain my sense of worth?
Is it any
wonder that so many of these people run around picking fights, creating enemies
where there are none? They are worthless, or at least lack meaningfulness and a
sense of significance, unless they’re bludgeoning an enemy.
When your
dominant metaphor for life is War, tell me this:
Do you ever
enjoy a night out with friends, where you simply enjoy the presence of others,
or do conversations invariably turn to the battles, the Cause, the burning
issues of the day (to you)?
Do you have
any friends who aren’t fellow combatants, or potential converts to the Cause?
Can you sit
and watch a sunset, being overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of creation,
with a still mind and soul, or does your brain start tracking the progress of
the Cause, the players and combatants, and the next move against The Enemy?
Do you only
read books that are directly related to your Cause? How long has it been since
you dove into a book solely to lose yourself and be inspired by a great story?
Newsflash Battles for Causes are events that we may
engage in, while we are living life:
they are not Life, not “what life is all about.” If we choose to define our
selves in terms of our battles, then the potential for living and experiencing
life as God intended actually diminishes to the point where the human inside
the armor disintegrates and disappears. If this is you, I’m thinking you may
want to take off the armor and tend to your self. It’s okay. Really. It’s not
like God is helpless without your being on the battlefield.
Copyright, Monte Wilson, 2105
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