Conversations For Transformation: Essays Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

No Favorites

Monticello Vineyards, Napa Valley, California, USA

August 26, 2011


I am indebted to Ricki Wolman and to John Frederick "JFH" Hammond who inspired this conversation.


Life has no favorites. As easy as it is to do, as easily as we find ourselves doing it, it's not useful interpreting individual lives, both our own and others', in terms of being lucky or not, in terms of being generously endowed by Life or not, in terms of being favored by Life or not. And we're thrown  to explain individual lives in these terms. Even if some or all of the above could be argued to be applicable, none of them are profound enough to qualify as count‑on‑able forces which can be reliably harnessed to make a life work.

There's no responsibility in looking to Life to provide through luck, endowment, or favor. There's as much chance of Life providing through luck, endowment, or favor as there is of winning the lottery with a ticket - and statistically there's as much chance of winning the lottery with a ticket as there is of winning the lottery without  a ticket.

So if Life appears (as it does - from time to time) to have favorites, what's the likelihood that's simply not true? What's the likelihood Life has no favorites? What's the likelihood favorites (in other words, people we perceive  to be Life's favorites) are simply people who make themselves available to Life?  If it appears to you as if you're a favorite, as if you're somehow getting special, preferential treatment, what's the likelihood you make yourself  a favorite by being available to Life? Could it be that being a favorite of Life is simply a matter of taking responsibility for your own  life? Could it be that simple?

Examples:


You say: "I'm blessed. I feel truly blessed  that Life is turning out this way for me.".

No you're not.

You're not blessed - any more than any of us are blessed. Either we're all  blessed, or none of us are. Life is Life. It's got no favorites.

It's you  who's blessed Life, and that's what accounts for Life turning out the way it's turning out for you.



You say: "Life has always been good to me and I'm grateful!".

No it hasn't.

Life is Life. It's got no favorites.

It's you  who's always been good to Life, and that's what accounts for Life always being good to you.



You say: "Life seems to be picking up rather than slowing down.".

No it isn't.

Life is Life. It goes at the same speed for everyone. It's got no favorites.

It's you  who's been picking up, and that's what accounts for Life not slowing down.


Life has no favorites. You're not a favorite. You're not getting special, preferential treatment. You're no different than the people you perceive to be Life's favorites. You're the same as them. And they're the same as you. Life simply works  better when you're responsible, when you give yourself to Life. And that's a possibility everyone's equally endowed with.


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