Consciousness in the Face of Unconsciousness Part 5
July 17, 2025
Consciousness in the Face of Unconsciousness Part 5
You have heard the expression “All good things come to those who wait” (Violet Fane, 1892). You have likely listened to another, which comes from Murphy’s Law — “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong” (Edward Murphy, c.1948). These two expressions represent two ends of a continuum. One end is the subjective view that everything good comes if we are patient, while the other is that things will inevitably go wrong if they can.
While the two expressions are subjective views of reality, both extremes and everything in between can be true. Realizing the objective view necessitates our search for the truth, logic, science, and objective measurement.
In consciousness, we cannot go only on our subjective view. A subjective view is, by definition, one that is influenced by personal feelings, experiences, and interpretations, without being based on objective facts. It reflects a biased or emotional perspective.
However, a subjective opinion is not necessarily inferior to objective views. Just think of Nathan Hale’s quote before his execution, in which he said, “I regret I have but one life to lose for my country.” That is Nathan’s subjective opinion about his country and his willingness to sacrifice his life for it. Those who strive for consciousness revere and respect such subjective convictions and experiences. Art, literature, and music are other examples of subjective expression. However, not all subjective expressions are positive. For example, lies are subjective. The lies and propaganda perpetrated by the Third Reich, or any entity, are subjective and their deception can be so great enough to change the course of history.
In consciousness, we understand subjective expression, its beauty, as well as its nefarious uses. But we also know that objective reality is the truth about how things really are. If we rely on subjective expression only, we are not anchored in the facts. Facts are truth. This means that consciousness is grounded in facts before it expresses itself subjectively.
As is the case for many of us, I was more driven by my ego fixation than consciousness during my teens and early adulthood. I viewed the world very subjectively through rose-colored glasses. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, and rose-colored glasses were a salvation for me at times. Especially in preparing for a life and a career, knowing that anytime, my draft board could summon me to a questionable war, rose-colored glasses served me well. I continued with my studies as if I would be spared. Even though that hope came true, I had no objective facts to back that up. The subjective denial got me through. As I became more conscious, fortunately my coping mechanism of denial transformed into a more mature faith. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Hebrews 11:1.
Yes, sometimes the subjective helps us believe in what we hope for. It is somewhat similar to Ann Frank’s subjective entry in her July 15, 1944, diary that fed her soul when everything was at risk. She wrote, “Despite everything, I still believe that people are good at heart.” This was written only one month before Ann and her family were arrested and sent to concentration camps, where they died.
I respect Ann’s comment, “despite everything.” This was the objective part of her that did not deny that she, her family, and millions of people were being cruelly treated and that everything could be lost. Ann held the subjective and the objective together in the same space. That is consciousness, even at age fifteen.
Spiritual practice: What is a current dilemma in your life? What is your subjective view about the circumstance? What are the facts? Can you hold these two views at the same time? Why or why not?
Self-inquiry: What would be your thoughts about humanity if you were imprisoned for your beliefs or your ethnicity?
Dear God,
You and I remember in 1971, my visit to the attic space where Ann and her family hid silently for over two years. My heart went out to her. At that time, I was young and felt as if her plight was long ago, in another world, in another context. But in reality, she died only four years before I was born. We were in the same context. You taught me that unspeakable can touch any life at any time. Please help me to learn from Ann how consciousness holds both ways of looking at the world and moving through it. Amen
