The Cult Of Personality

I have a tremendous respect for human beings. I see heroic qualities in people around me and look up to and learn from the people in my life. I also learn a great deal from people I have not physically met, but who have had a great impact in my life. I have been taught to see great teachers as personal friends and mentors. I am so grateful to the teachers of my life, and even some famous artists and athletes that have taught me.

I look to these various people for qualities that I can learn from. As Bruce Lee in his martial art Jeet Kune Do suggested, I have taken what works for me and adapted to my own uses. I look to these greats in human history, but I do not look up to them or put them on a pedestal. There would be too many times that I would study some great teacher and later find some racist statement or action. 

Isn’t that true for all us these days? We know so much about each other, more personally than I want to know. Not just spiritual teachers. I am sure each of us has performers of one kind or another that we learned some disturbing fact or action they have been apart of.

I am a rebel, so I rebel. One of life’s ironies is me being a father and having someone rebel against me. Oh well, it is all part of it. The greats of human history are just human like the rest of us. They made great mistakes just as we all have. Regular people are my heroes, and I know they have made mistakes too. 

I am looking to be a light in my own life. Personality cults are dangerous for all who take part in them. They are even bad for the person who is the head of the group, because it makes egocentric people into narcissists and  narcissists into sociopaths. The head of a cult of personality begins to worship their own self. 

Look in your own heart for what you value. Make learning to calm your hobby. Do not wait for someone else to make a difference. Do no hate and do not put any authority figure above you. Be prepared to forgive, because being human is hard. Follow your heart, and pay attention to the subtle, and do not give up before it is time. Your life will show you what you need to do.