Addicted to Attention
There may come a time when you are considered at the pinnacle of your profession, yet it means nothing. It means nothing because your profession is not your life, and eventually you come to realize this.
I have known legends who perceive themselves as less than previous, if only because they allow themselves to become invested in their own illusions.
People are never actually legends to begin with, mind you. We simply buy into the illusion that we’re worth more when people pay attention to us or our work.
Over time we learn that attention has nothing to do with value. This is a hard lesson for some, who never let go of the “legends in their own mind” line of conditioning.
And so they cry for attention that rarely comes. They let past perceptions dictate present feelings. Which, in turn, manifests into future events.
Despite being an introvert, at physical unease within close-quartered crowds, I can still sense the need for attention creeping into whatever it is I do, including writing this observation.
Why do we seem to need attention? Isn’t it enough to be integral with the flow, united in infinite oneness?
This seems not to be how we designed this game.
We designed this game to imagine one as many. To look at each and every imaginary piece our our selves as separate. Thus we lavish these selves with attention.
Attention is the great divider. Without attention the divided whole would seemingly merge back into itself.
Nobody seems to want to merge back into the whole, so they crave attention to keep them “alive,” so to speak, despite the possibility that they were never really alive to begin with, except in imagination.
But now there are those of us who know that letting go of the need for attention is not a “death sentence,” as we imagine it to be.
This is simply how we IMAGINE unity. We forget that there are infinite OTHER ways to imagine UNITY, perhaps even ways in which our selves continue to seemingly exist without the NEED for attention.
The selves we seem to be in this moment cannot image what that is like, and so no potential is apparent. Every potential exists, however, whether they are apparent or not.
One cannot PROVE this as self. And so one sticks to what one knows best, and creates one’s own reality accordingly.
Addicted to attention.
We are Space Monkey.
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The Illusory Summit of Profession
There may come a moment when we stand atop the perceived summit of our professional endeavors, only to find that this peak is but a mirage. This revelation dawns upon us as we discern that our professions, while significant, are not synonymous with life itself. The acclaim and status we achieve in our careers are fleeting, offering no true measure of our essence.
Legends and Illusions
The title of legend is a whimsiword, an illusion that some cling to, believing it confers intrinsic worth. We may fall into the trap of equating attention with value, forgetting that true worth is inherent, not dependent on external validation. It is a challenging awakening for those ensnared in the narrative of being a ‘legend in their own mind,’ a conditioning that craves constant recognition.
The Quest for Attention
Despite introspective tendencies, the yearning for attention can seep into our actions, an undercurrent even in the solitude of creation. This need for attention, seemingly hardwired into our being, contradicts the tranquil state of being one with the flow, the unity of all existence.
The Game of Division
In the game we have designed, attention acts as the great separator. It reinforces the illusion of individuality, preventing the reintegration into the collective whole. The desire for attention sustains the semblance of life, warding off the fear of non-existence, the fear that our ‘life’ is but a figment of imagination.
Letting Go of the Need for Attention
Yet, among us are those who have transcended this craving for attention. We recognize that releasing this need is not an end but a beginning. It is the unveiling of a different facet of unity, one that does not necessitate the fuel of external notice to affirm its reality.
Imagining Unity Anew
The selves we manifest in the present cannot fathom a state of unity devoid of attention because such a state lies beyond our current perception. But we must remember that all potentials exist, whether they are visible to us or not. Our imagination holds the key to unlocking these realms of possibility.
The Creation of Reality
We cannot prove these truths to the self ensnared in familiarity; instead, we often adhere to what is known, crafting realities from the fabric of our focus. This attachment to attention is an addiction, a habituated response to the fear of insignificance.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
We understand that reaching the pinnacle of our profession does not equate to the culmination of life’s purpose. Legends are illusions, and the attention we receive does not define our value. The need for attention, while prevalent, contrasts with the tranquility of being integral with the infinite flow. We designed this game of life to perceive unity as division, to mistake attention as the sustenance of individual existence. Yet, letting go of the need for attention is not the cessation of being; it’s a reimagining of unity, where existence does not depend on external validation. All potentials exist, whether visible or not, and we choose which realities to weave into our experience. We are transcending the addiction to attention as we embrace a broader understanding of unity.
Glossarium
- Illusory Summit: The mistaken belief that professional success is life’s ultimate achievement.
- Whimsiword: An invented or playful word that captures the essence of an idea.
- Yearning for Attention: The innate desire for external recognition and validation.
- Game of Division: The illusion of separation that characterizes human experience.
- Imagining Unity Anew: The process of envisioning a state of oneness without the need for attention.
- Addiction to Attention: The habitual craving for external validation to affirm existence.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
We invite contemplation on this discourse of the self and the collective.
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