Criticism Blocks Inner-Knowing

Criticism is the enemy of inner knowing.

And it’s everywhere in our culture. Self-criticism is probably our most pervasive problem preventing emotional well being.

We’re transitioning to a new world view, but criticism has us trapped in-between the old one and the new one.

The old social order relied on self-criticism to keep the rules and norms of society running smoothly.

The just emerging social order relies on inner-knowing.

But self-criticism blocks your inner-knowing.

THE OLD WAY….

In the past, we lived in a top-down culture which expected us all to follow the same rules. Criticism and self-criticism were the main mechanisms for enforcing this system.

It was a simpler time, with coherent top-down rules. The orderliness of Newtonian physics let us believe everything could be standardized.

Comparing ourselves to others was (is still) how we learned the top-down rules. In school you got an A or an F, you got gold stars (or not), your career rewarded you with money (or not). There still are so many ways society judges us as winners or losers.

Self-criticism was essential to make this system work. A top-down culture controlled us through criticism. And we cooperated by INTERNALIZING the criticism.

But the world has become way too complicated, for this simplistic understanding. There are no simple rules to follow anymore.

THE NEW WAY….

Now we are trying to find our way in a more complicated and chaotic culture.

Absent the simpler rules, the only way to make optimal choices is to know yourself and your own inner wisdom.

By default, now we have to rely on ourselves to make good choices

Now it’s necessary to have an inner guidance system—a clear view from the inside-out.

Self-knowing is the necessary orientating tool required in today's chaotic times.

NEW RULES….

• Each of us has a unique path.

• We each have our own very brilliance.

• No two of us are meant to make the same choices along the way.

• Each of us has our own individual lessons to learn in life.

• A commitment to our individuality brings an inner sense of harmony and peace.

• You can't compare ourselves to the other guy because the choices he’s making, probably have nothing to do with you.

But self-criticism keeps stuck between the old way and the new way.

We don't yet sufficiently know how to trust the instructions we get from inside because self-criticism prevents self-trust.

How can we trust our inner-knowing? When we go inside to listen for inner-knowing we find self-criticism constantly babbling away?

Our inner-environment is indecipherably messy and dangerous.

Self-criticism undermines your inner knowing big time.

You can’t clarify what is going on inside until your heart can tolerate seeing it.

Self-compassion gradually works to soothe and clarify the criticism and then we can see whatever else happening inside.

As trust grows, through self-compassion, your self-critiquing falls away. All critiquing naturally falls away.