We talk a lot here about “knowing” — how can we be sure we really “know” anything. Can we ever be certain that what we know (actually what we think we know) is, in fact, reality?
Every decision we make poses the same question: “In the current context, what does your knowledge tell you is the best option?” That doesn’t mean we answer the question correctly or that we even answer it at all. The point is, we rely heavily on “what we know” to get through each day.
Letting the toast sit too long in the toaster? Mistake. Shame about the ruined toast. We knew in our heart it was stupid maybe because experience informed us. Maybe if we had listened to our head, instead of to our heart in this instance, we’d now be eating toast instead of making new.
When I hear Donald Trump’s voice, every atom of my being screams “He’s corrupt!” To want him investigated, tried and punished for that would be wrong. My heart here is deeply biased. But my head knows there are receipts that back up what my heart believes. My head will bail out my heart here.
The problem with letting our hearts guide us is that our hearts work purely from want and desire. Our heads want and desire things too — but whereas our hearts don’t care about the obstacles in our way, our heads can think of nothing but. No path to what we want? It’s not happening. If you’ve ever been a teenager in love, you know how awful that feels.
If our heads were always in charge though, to be fair, we might never dare anything — like love. Our heads might never risk the humiliation and heartache of rejection and so never allow us to approach the object of our desire. That’d be a shame. In the case of Donald Trump, our heads should be fairly screaming at us about how corrupt and dangerous he is.
Better yet, our heads should be providing our hearts with every bit of evidence out there. After all, don’t we aspire to our heads & hearts being on the same page?