You can be at odds with those around you. They hold positions just as you do. Rather than proceeding forcefully, which would only widen the gap, an approach to find common ground would be useful and can benefit mutually in small matters.
What appear to be irreconcilable differences may be a result of a simple polarity in viewpoint compounded by a lack of understanding. Tolerance of the other and the passage of time can help resolve some stubborn impasses.
The text reads:
“Here the isolation is due to misunderstanding; it is brought about not by outer circumstances but by inner conditions. A man misjudges his best friends, taking them to be as unclean as a dirty pig and as dangerous as a wagon full of devils. He adopts an attitude of defence. But in the end, realising his mistake, he lays aside the bow, perceiving that the other is approaching with the best intentions for the purpose of close union. Thus the tension is relieved. The union resolves the tension, just as falling rain relieves the sultriness preceding a thunderstorm. All goes well, for just when opposition reaches its climax it changes over to its antithesis.
“…every relationship between individuals bears within it the danger that wrong turns may be taken, leading to endless misunderstandings and disagreements. Therefore it is necessary constantly to remain mindful of the end. If we permit ourselves to drift along, we come together and are parted again as the day may determine. If on the other hand a man fixes his mind on an end that endures, he will succeed in avoiding the reefs that confront the closer relationships of people.”
Keep your eye on the bigger vision. Do not look for quick fixes. Do not compromise yourself nor placate others for the sake of reducing tension. Those things do not work. In fact, people in positions of power often resort to the psychological manipulation of those that they hold power over. A common version of this is known as the Stockholm syndrome. Wielding their power, they make life unbearable for those that they dominate. By modulating the intensity of discomfort, they exert powerful control. When more pressure is applied, the result is fear. When the pressure is lifted somewhat, there is euphoria. The subjects then become slaves to their emotions and to those pulling the strings. Don’t let this happen to you.
