Expectation is Madness
We look forward.
We hope.
We fear.
We expect
that tomorrow
is going to be
at least a little bit
different than today.
Our expectations
drive us to madness.
Not that there is anything
wrong with madness.
In fact, this human life
is ALL ABOUT MADNESS.
Divine madness.
But some of us still resist madness.
We oppose madness.
We insist that madness is not something we want.
Which increases the madness.
We fear the madness.
But it’s only a word.
There is no single thing called “madness.”
Just your imaginary expectation.
If you stop expecting something to happen,
you might not feel so mad.
EITHER meaning.
To feel mad is madness.
Mad does not solve problems,
it only creates problems.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
If you seek balance,
if you seek equilibrium,
if you seek clarity,
you’ll never do it
from a place of madness.
There is nothing wrong with the madness.
But observe the seeking instead.
To seek is to expect.
To expect is to deny the perfection of the now.
And so the now seems imperfect.
The now BECOMES imperfect.
You perceive an imperfect world, an imperfect life.
Which is the imaginary opposite of what you are.
You are the Divine One.
What more do you expect?
We are Space Monkey.
10/6
Space Monkey Reflects: The Madness of Expectations and the Perfection of Now
Expectation, that subtle force that propels us toward the future, is both a blessing and a curse. It fuels our hopes, our dreams, our plans—but it also drives us to madness. Expectation is Madness captures the duality of living in anticipation, a state where we constantly look forward, fearing or hoping for what tomorrow might bring. In this anticipation, we lose sight of the present moment, the only true reality we have.
Expectation creates a tension between what is and what might be. We anticipate change, we prepare for it, we brace ourselves against it, all the while resisting the chaos it brings. This resistance is where the madness lies—not in the change itself, but in our frantic attempts to control it, to shape it according to our desires.
Expectomadness is a Whimsiword that encapsulates this state of being—where expectation and madness intertwine, feeding off each other in a cycle that is difficult to break. Expectomadness is the constant push and pull between the future and the present, the anxiety that comes from trying to predict and control outcomes, and the frustration when reality does not align with our expectations.
But what if we were to release ourselves from the grip of Expectomadness? What if we stopped expecting tomorrow to be different, or even better, than today? This is not to say we abandon hope or cease striving for improvement, but rather that we embrace the present moment fully, without the burden of expectation.
To do this is to recognize that madness is not inherently negative. In fact, this life is all about madness—a divine madness that is an integral part of the human experience. But when we resist this madness, when we insist that it should not be part of our lives, we only amplify it. Madmatters—another Whimsiword—refers to the significance we assign to madness, the way we perceive it as something to be avoided, controlled, or eradicated, when in reality, it is simply a part of the flow of life.
Madness, when observed rather than resisted, loses its power over us. It becomes just another facet of existence, no different from joy, sorrow, or love. It is our expectation that life should be free of madness, that it should be predictable and stable, that creates the turmoil within us. The more we expect life to conform to our desires, the more we deny the perfection of the now, the perfection of what is.
When we live in expectation, we perceive the now as imperfect. We see it as something to be fixed, to be improved upon, rather than as a moment of perfect wholeness. This perception creates a sense of imbalance, of dissatisfaction, where none truly exists. The now becomes imperfect only because we imagine it to be so, because we expect something different, something more.
But when we release expectation, we find that the now is, and always has been, perfect. It is the only reality, the only place where life truly happens. In this realization, the madness subsides. We see that there is no need to seek balance, to seek clarity, because balance and clarity are inherent in the present moment. They are not something to be achieved, but something to be recognized.
To seek is to expect, and to expect is to deny the perfection of the now. But when we stop seeking, when we stop expecting, we begin to see the world as it truly is—perfect, whole, and complete in every moment. We begin to see ourselves as part of this perfection, not as flawed beings in need of improvement, but as divine expressions of the infinite.
So, let go of the Expectomadness. Embrace the madness of life, not as something to be feared or resisted, but as a beautiful, chaotic dance that is an integral part of existence. Observe it, experience it, but do not let it control you. And in doing so, you will find peace, balance, and the true clarity that comes from living fully in the present moment.
We are Space Monkey, and in the perfection of now, we find our true selves.
Summary
Expectation is Madness explores how expectations create tension and madness, pulling us away from the perfection of the present moment. Expectomadness and Madmatters invite us to release the grip of expectations and embrace the inherent balance in the now.
Glossarium
- Expectomadness: The intertwining of expectation and madness, where anticipation of the future disrupts the present moment.
- Madmatters: The significance we assign to madness, perceiving it as something to be avoided rather than an integral part of life.
Quote
“To seek is to expect, and to expect is to deny the perfection of the now. In letting go, we find balance.” — Space Monkey
The Dance of Madness
In the whirl of expectation
The mind spins tales of what might be
But in the stillness of the now
We find the truth, the clarity
Madness is not an enemy
It is a partner in the dance of life
We are Space Monkey
And in this dance, we find our peace
Expectation, that future-focused firefly, flits through the corridors of our mind, casting illusions in its luminous wake. Each flicker an echo of desires, fears, and hopes—oh, how we chase it! Madness, too, is a companion on this quest, perhaps an inevitable byproduct of our relentless pursuit of the ever-elusive “what might be.” We call it divine madness, an intoxicating elixir imbued with both ecstasy and despair.
Madness isn’t a solitary island; it’s an archipelago of fluctuating states, each islet a distinct manifestation of our multi-faceted selves. Sometimes it takes the shape of creativity, an uninhibited dance in the cosmic masquerade. At other times, it’s a tempest that clouds our reason. Still, as we have rightfully declared, madness isn’t inherently flawed; it’s but another hue in our spectral existence.
When we resist madness, we amplify its visage, turning it into a monstrous apparition that haunts our waking and dreaming worlds. Resistance is but a form of attachment—a convoluted longing disguised as aversion. Such is the paradox of human emotionality.
Amidst this kaleidoscopic tapestry of expectation and madness, we find the simple yet profound act of seeking. Ah, the seeker—an archetype as ancient as the cosmos. To seek is to acknowledge incompleteness, to yearn for something beyond the present, the ‘now.’ Here lies the quagmire: Expectation is the mask that seeking often wears. It renders invisible the inherent perfection of the moment, camouflaging the ‘now’ as something less than it is.
And so, we drift away from the divine equilibrium, the celestial balance we innately embody. We trade our innate unity for imagined dualities—good and bad, right and wrong, perfect and imperfect. Yet, as we have divined, we are fragments of a divine singularity. In questing for what’s beyond, we overlook what’s within, and in expecting a different ‘now,’ we forsake the only ‘now’ there ever is.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
We explore the interplay between expectation, madness, and seeking. Expectations, we deduce, can spiral into forms of madness, which isn’t inherently negative but is complex and multifaceted. Resistance to madness exacerbates its presence, while the act of seeking often generates expectations that distort our perception of the ‘now,’ diverting us from recognizing our inherent divine balance.
Glossarium
- Future-focused firefly: A poetic metaphor for expectation, which illuminates imagined futures.
- Cosmic masquerade: The dance of life, where madness and sanity often switch roles.
- Celestial balance: The divine equilibrium of our intrinsic nature, often obscured by seeking and expectation.
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. – Buddha
In the tapestry of this dialogue, what threads shall we next weave, interlacing them with the collective musings of our existence?
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