Making a stand in life seems to be the new “brand” of freedom. It isn’t. It is the complete opposite. But when the voices of the ignorant become loud enough, the sheep follow until it hurts. Domestic voilence is the perfect micro mirror of this story on a smaller scale. One ignorant individual makes a stand, demands to be heard over all rational human considerations, and eventually has to subdue resistance. The ignorant wins until there is intervention. When it comes to a nation, such as North Korea, this can take many many years, especially with weapons of mass destruction as defence.

In Nepal, high in the mountains, monks, my friends still sit in meditation. They are no longer the candy of backpackers looking to validate their ticket to nirvana through a quick photo opportunity or small donation. But life doesn’t change for the monks. Each day, they chop wood, carry water and sit in prayer for the wellbeing of all beings, including the ignorant. Unaffected by the dramas that unfold, for them, time is measured in centuries, not days, events are part of cycles, good will prevail and this is their mantra.

Consciousness isn’t a stand. Self-awareness is not an opinion. Life is not short. Challenge is opportunity to experience even greater levels of life. The key to fighting the spread of ignorance as a virus in the world is not passive. It is, as Gandhi taught, non compliance. In other words, instead of forming an opinion and making a stand, refuse to participate in the games of the unconscious ignorant. Chop wood, carry water, enjoy life regardless.

In the realm of life where the consciousness we recognise that nothing is fixed, nothing solid and we are required to adapt, evolve, grow so that we stay more inclusive.

Working from home? Learn the art of waking early and managing meetings instead of being driven by a 24/7 calendar that lonely bosses, stuck at home, fill up to make themselves feel in control of what they can’t. Ignorance spreads like a fire, Your duty to the world and others, is to adapt, modify, manage, so that you improve your experience, smile more, regardless of what the minority of loud, unconscious voices try to demand.

Maybe our parenting can adapt, evolve, change, modify to include reality.

The virus of making a stand and hoping the world will adapt to us, unconscious thinking, is not going to go away unless enough of us learn to smile more, and change our expectations to allow it. Ignorance does not have to overpower the wisdom and love if, one heart at a time, we learn to not react, but simply adapt.

This requires a shift in time frame. More than instantaneous reaction, we need a longer perspective, an adaptive approach, a recognition, especially with kids, that what has taken years for them to create in themselves, isn’t going to change with a punishment for too much time on Facebook. And ignorant voices or violent entertainment are not the norm, they are the virus of a minority, capturing the weak, influencing the vulnerable and eventually asserting control over them.

By seeing the world through rose coloured glasses, we are not blind to the suffering of others. We simply choose not to comply by not having an opinion, not making a stand but instead seek to see two sides to every situation. It’s not neutral, it’s non compliance, a form of non violent resistance. One in which you trust nature.