This question is very relevant in the time we live in. The rhythm of life, accelerated by the need for constant movement, hurry or achievement, emphasizes the importance we give to action. Just being, when it seems like the whole world is caught in the whirlwind of action, seems so passive! By working, we feel active, we feel that we have taken responsibility for our lives. But have we really taken responsibility for our own lives and given them fulfilling direction? Let us, therefore, consider this thought in our current context.
We live in a century of scientific and technological progress that is rapidly moving into the digital age. Under the influence of globalization, the world we live in has supposedly turned into a “global village”. The word “village” evokes images of tranquility and community, a community in which births, weddings, festivities, and even death bring people together. Yet, despite living in a world brought closer by technology, it seems that we live in a period of increasing conflicts and divisions.
Let’s take a look at what an average day looks like. In our advanced world. When we wake up, our minds are flooded with hundreds of things we need to do. Thanks to technology, we can manage our accounts, finances, and even shop for groceries online. At work, we turn on our desktop or laptop computer to open an inbox full of emails waiting for our attention. And before we even start sorting through the piled-up mail, new ones keep coming in. It’s a world of instant response. We constantly respond to the demands of the cyber world and the needs and requests of our immediate, tangible environment. We almost long for the old-fashioned mail, where there was enough time between sending and receiving for reflection, without the pressure of an immediate response.
To cope with the numerous and increasing demands, we try to find ways and certain “quick solutions”. While cooking or waiting at a traffic light, we think: “Why not make a postponed phone call to our parents or friends?” obavljanje više zadataka istovremeno) is actually not good. Recent neuroscientific research has shown that the brain doesn’t actually perform tasks simultaneously. It simply switches quickly from one task to another. Every time we switch, for example, from listening to music to writing a text message or having a conversation with someone, a stopping and starting process occurs in the brain. Since we have to do this quickly when we have multiple tasks, this process leads to decreased efficiency and increased mental exhaustion. In fact, studies have found that multitasking decreases productivity and quality of work. It also affects our ability to concentrate and fully engage in each task. So, contrary to popular belief, multitasking is not the best solution for managing time effectively. It’s better to focus on one task at a time and give it full attention for optimal results. Our brain is rough, so instead of saving time, it wastes it (even if it’s just a microsecond), it’s less efficient, we’ll probably make more mistakes, and eventually it can become energetically exhausting. No wonder it results in fatigue, despite seemingly managing time and successfully completing tasks!
It is said that time is the greatest “equalizer”; the rich, the poor, students, corporate executives, men and women – we all have twenty-four hours a day. But for someone who makes the most of (read: “overloads”) twenty-four hours, they are considered successful and efficient. We glorify constant busyness because it gives a sense of productivity, action. Socrates said that we should beware of the futility of a busy way of life. Futility? How, when my life is so filled with activities? But let’s better consider that thought…
We are constantly in contact with people, and our family and friends are “closer” to us, despite the physical distance, thanks to a wide range of available of electronic devices and digital media. However, even though we are constantly in touch, are we truly connected in the true sense of the word? It seems that it is easier to connect through the internet than to have a face-to-face conversation. Ask the people around you what they prefer more – to call someone or to send them a text message? Many will probably choose the latter. We say it saves us time and is less disruptive… True, it is convenient. Plus, we don’t have to listen to other people’s opinions! But is that a genuine relationship? Or have we reduced it to a mere transaction?
Technological progress is not bad. But it is important to ask ourselves if technology serves us or if we have become its slaves? Do we have control over it or does it control us? That is the real question!
We play different roles in life, and each of them comes with certain responsibilities and expectations. In each role, we try to satisfy a certain need: for approval, financial security, acceptance, status, power, prestige, etc. We feel stretched in different directions. … we’re all rushing somewhere, working, working, working, and overexerting ourselves to fulfill our many roles. Are we driven by internal or external motivators in our efforts to satisfy each of our needs? When will we, for example, say that we have enough? Looking around, we see that others have more. Am I content with what I have or do I feel uncomfortable because I’m missing out on something?
I want to provide the best education for my child, so I send them to the school that all my friends say is the best and where their children are educated. It’s sad that the child has to give up their playtime because they lose two hours every day commuting to and from school. But it’s the best school! However, the influence of peers doesn’t only affect teenagers, but also the decisions of adults. How can we feel masters of our own lives if we’re constantly trying to keep up with others and seek their approval?
Furthermore, we allow ourselves confusion by mistaking our desires for our needs. By definition, needs are necessary for survival. Wants, on the other hand, are merely imposed demands. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we cannot live without comfort and luxury, turning our wants into apparent needs. For example, although it is nice to have the latest model of a mobile phone, do we really need all of its available features and applications? Perhaps societal conditioning pressures us into that. Who dictates what is enough? Are we behaving automatically, following the “herd”? It seems as though we are being guided by something external, without even realizing it.
In short, to work means to be occupied with completing tasks from a to-do list, driven by external incentives, doing something because it is expected of us or because we fulfill some insatiable need. Furthermore, as technology and artificial intelligence gradually and cunningly permeate our lives, the threat of mechanization looms over our heads. Therefore, it is time to consciously and continuously affirm our true human nature. So, what about being? First of all, let’s consider what it means to be a human being. Human beings have always asked themselves: “Who am I?” Different philosophical schools and theologians describe the human constitution in different ways, but its fundamental principles remain remarkably the same.
According to the Western tradition, for example, a human being has the ability to act on different levels of consciousness, while the “center” of their consciousness changes and shifts from one level to another. Thus, we can say that we have a “lower” consciousness focused on the physical, emotional, and mental levels, but we also have a “higher” consciousness, an area that goes beyond ordinary consciousness, called the “transcendental” level.
When our focus is on survival, comfort, and pleasure, we say that our consciousness is focused on the physical body. On another level, when we are driven by emotions – “I’m not in the mood”, “that’s exciting, let’s do it”, “I’m hurt” – we can say that our consciousness is fixed in the emotional world. Then, there is a time when our consciousness is predominantly focused on mental activities, such as thinking, analyzing, and problem-solving.
However, true understanding and self-realization come when we are able to go beyond all these levels and connect with a deeper sense of self-awareness, a higher consciousness that transcends the limitations of the physical, emotional, and mental realms. This is where we find our true essence, our true being.
In conclusion, the journey of being is a journey of exploration and realization, where we strive to understand and embody the full potential of our human existence. It is a constant quest for self-discovery and self-actualization, guided by the pursuit of truth, purpose, and ultimate fulfillment. we analyze, seek facts, or allow our opinions, preferences, or aversions to influence our decisions and actions; then our consciousness is on a mental level.
Different traditions speak of the inner battle between two forces present in humans; the one that pulls us down is earthly and material, while the other elevates our consciousness to higher levels “like a fire that gives light and rises towards the divine”. This constant battle represents the human being, the only creature with the ability to choose. So we can say that being born as a human being means having a choice: allowing the lower self to take the lead or enabling our higher self to guide our actions and ways of reacting to circumstances.
How to bridge the gap between our lower and higher self? How to take a step from potential ownership to its realization? Are we truly expressing our true human potential as human beings? And what is the true human potential? When can we say that we have truly expressed it?
Being a human being is Being – being fully present in the moment, physically, mentally and spiritually, as opposed to partial presence, a state of confusion with many stimuli from the external world. This means being focused with consciousness. Only when we are aware can we dedicate ourselves to a specific moment before it passes and disappears. Being means connecting with the purpose of what we are doing and dedicating ourselves to it. For example, when we are with a friend, let us be a friend in the fullest sense. If we say we are a citizen, let us be a true citizen.
Our mind is like a monkey jumping from one branch to another. It tirelessly jumps from one thought to another, from one idea to another, or constantly moves between the past, present, and future. It is fragmented and rarely whole. This often leads us to think, “When and where did that important moment escape me?” It could have been some task we were engaged in, a conversation with someone, reading, whatever. The “inner monkey” takes hold of us and disrupts us. These disruptions manifest in various forms. Sometimes they occur as distractions, oth about the voice of the inner judge who finds fault and doubt, whether in ourselves or others. Sometimes it appears in the form of emotional turmoil – when we are upset or angry. At those times, we are so consumed by our emotions that we don’t notice the immediate reality. Sometimes it is fear and anxiety that hinder us and distract us from being present in the moment. This can be anxiety caused by fear of what others will say about us or fear of failure, of losing something or someone we are attached to. When these voices are loud and strong, they divert our attention from the present. As a result, we don’t fully experience the moment and lose its essence.
In all of this, are we giving our best? Are we committed in our relationships, in our work? Or are we just going through the motions? That is a question we must ask ourselves. Deadlines and to-do lists are not inherently bad, but it is bad that we are obsessed with “how much” instead of “how”. When we sacrifice quality for quantity, it is very likely that we are superficial in our work and neglect depth. To be means to bring depth and meaning into what we do.
The ancient Egyptian culture emphasized the importance of dedicating oneself to what one does and bringing meaning into everything one does. They called this nether. Therefore, we can say that to be means to bring nether into everything we do and to fulfill the meaning and purpose of what we do. When we converse, for example, let us speak in a way that others understand us and listen with the intention of understanding. Whether we breathe, eat, pray, or work, let us do so in a way that connects us with the meaning of what we are doing, with the purpose of that action, and not just because it is expected of us. Let us do it wholeheartedly, with dedication, and giving our best.
Another interesting ancient Egyptian concept is Mahat, which means Justice. The realization of justice is the realization of our potential. When can we say that we have fulfilled our potential? Perhaps we can begin to fulfill our potential only after we determine the purpose of our existence. Is the purpose to accumulate wealth or power? Or is it to know who I am, why I am here, and what my role is in the grand scheme of things? Let us strive for justice and align our actions with our true purpose, so that we may truly be. the opportunity of this life? There must be a deeper meaning. Perhaps this means understanding life; understanding the meaning of changes and cycles, ups and downs, life patterns. In short, the purpose of our lives could be the search for truth. Quoting Socrates: “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom”, I wonder if, by leaving childhood behind, we have stopped being amazed?
To be human means to experience enthusiasm (the Greek term en+theos means “in God”). It means seeing meaning in everything – in the people around us, the trees, animals, even rocks and sand. Enthusiasm comes from the realization that we are connected to the divine and that we have a higher purpose.
The main difference between animals and humans is our ability to choose. As human beings, we have the ability to elevate our awareness and understand that what limits us is our mistaken identification with our lower selves. Choosing an identity of higher consciousness means seeing that we are not defined only by our bodies, our emotions, but that we are much more, and we can overcome We strive to prevent ourselves from being overwhelmed. In doing so, we exercise our free will; the will with which we choose and become who we are, the will with which we follow our true purpose in life and do what is right. Of course, it is not easy, but it can be practiced and applied.
In conclusion, the dilemma of choice between being and doing is not actually a real dilemma. Because it is not about this or that, but about both. We need to live with the paradox of simultaneous doing and being. What is important in this process is to bring being into doing so that we can lead a more meaningful life and express our human potential.