Have you ever thought about the world "upside down"?
The "upside down" world.
I came across a world map tonight as I was perusing the internet. It was "upside down." By that I mean that south was north and north was south. It shocked me. And then it shocked me that it shocked me. Why should I be surprised? My initial reaction was to say Hey! That map is upside down! But, wait a minute. What the hell is "upside down" anyway on a big ball planet suspended in space? And in the interest of including everyone here (hey, I'm a nice guy, what can I say) this novel way of thinking about things even works for the flat-earthers out there. So, let's look into this.
My life has, at different times and in varying measures, been composed basically of things I have been told to think. The messages have been repeated--even without words--endlessly since my birth. Fire is hot. Ice is cold. USA is good. Saddam is bad. Christianity is right. Buddhism is wrong. North is up. South is down. AC/DC worships satan. Things of this nature. But I want to look at things as a baby would. What the hell is "up" and "down," anyway. What the hell is this government I am supposed to pay money to? Why do bees fly? What are butterflies?
Looking at the map above, I encourage you to think of Australia as a kind of "New America." No longer "down under," but sitting proudly up there at the top, surrounded luxuriously by the vast and sprawling space of the Indian and Pacific oceans. I don't say this because I am some big fan of America, but if you think of it this way, you can see how, if you had been raised seeing Australia "at the top," then that would just be "normal" and right for you. If this were the "normal" map, folks in America would be saying Be careful when you go UP NORTH there to Florida! Gets COLD up north! Folks in Brazil would be traveling down to Mexico. Santa would live "down south." This is not hard to imagine.
Letting your mind blur to see something new.
THE IMAGE TO THE RIGHT IS A FICTIONAL ALPHABET. BUT TAKE ON A BABY'S MIND AND LOOK AT THE "REAL ALPHABET." IF YOU CAN LET YOUR MIND "BLUR" AND JUST SEE THINGS WITH NO PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF THIS "NORMAL ALPHABET," THE ABCs WILL BEGIN TO LOOK JUST LIKE LINES AND DOODLES ON A PAGE. ALMOST LIKE PICTOGRAMS. YOU CAN FORGET, AND SEE THINGS ANEW, AND AFRESH. IT'S SIMILAR TO SAYING A FAMILIAR WORD OVER AND OVER ALOUD UNTIL IT LOSES ALL MEANING TO YOUR MIND.
So what's the point?
As babies, children, and beginners, the world is "blurry" and full of possibilities. As we grow older we are programmed by society. Culture. The state. That said, we gain some powers along the way. Powers of interpretation. Shrewdness. Wisdom. Do you know what I think it means to be "born again," as it is called in the religious traditions? I think maybe it just means to regain this "child's mind" while at once retaining the shrewd and serpent-like wisdom and experience-based perspective of adulthood. You'll be unstoppable.
Peace, Love, and Voluntaryism.
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
Would be really great if we were able to push our own reset buttons and start again from zero. With a completely open mind and without anybody telling us what we should think and what we should do, exploring everything again like a new-born just out of curiosity.
Feeling no boundaries and no limits, nothing at all in our lives is set in stone , oh what great possibilities would lay ahead of us
Possibilities, but I think it would be scary as well. Not knowing if anything will kill you or save you. So it is both ways.
It won't be scary because we wouldn't know of any danger yet. As I said like a newborn without any fear of making mistakes or getting into trouble.
Well just a dream
wow man you caught me. "Scary" and "dangerous" is preconceived notions we have about the world. A dream is in a sense also preconceived and caught up in our web of concepts. It would be like waking up in the middle of a jungle with sensory input from all directions.
Blessed are the innocent, without any concept there is no failure. Every step is another success. No losing jus winning...
Indeed. Someone in the comments here said we need to do some mushrooms. Maybe that will help us see the world with a new view.
I really enjoyed this post. I love trying to see things with a fresh perspective. I love the idea of seeing it like a baby sees it. It goes to show that we only really know what someone has told us to know, or even how to know it.
Damn man. Yeah. That's right, "or even how to know it." That's how they get you.
Cheers man, and thanks for such an insightful comment.
Taking a look at the map upside down, militarily, the strait between Alaska and Russia would be fought over the way the Persian Gulf is today.
No it wouldn't. This map doesn't change anything, it's a new way of looking at the same globe.
Nice article📚📖 @kafkanarchy84
Challenge your ideas about how things should be. it seems Sometimes when you decide how things should work, you limit your ability to be effective in the world as it was meant to be.👍
Seriously, you're making my head spin. What is going on here??? xD
The awesome thing about philosophy! But at the same time you feel empowered and good about it.
LOVE IT, GREAT POST!! oops caps lock.. Have given up-vote and Re-steem for this thought provoking post. Peace and love to you and yours.
And you as well. Thanks :)
Many times in life things just need to be re-visited to use recent learning and experiences which open a whole new outlook. Just as one reviews his insurance coverage annually there is new information as well as new understanding.
This is so true. Context can change so much.
Your unknown alphabet looks a lot like Japanese ;) Not the symbols, but the syllables and the order of them.
Anyway, I agree. I have that upside down map on my wall, actually, or a version of it. I also like looking at various other orientations. Some old maps of Europe favored putting east up. Those are always interesting.
Tricking your mind into seeing the world with fresh eyes is a great exercise. Shoshin—exactly!
Haha. Yeah. I found it on the net and am considering employing it now in my daily life ;)
East up? That sounds great. I really would like to get one of these maps for my home as well. It's like a blast of fresh air for the mind. Makes so many things seem possible.
Excellent post my friend, i agree with your points i also love baby minds because they are so true, they see's the things in original and they won't try to fake their skills and there mind is free and creative and they found fun in every activity, thank you very much my friend for sharing this information and advise with us, Stay happy and have a fantastic week ahead.
You too my friend.
What the ... I'm confused! :D put it back to normal. :D