Knowing yourself

You act towards goodness and righteousness, otherwise you are not motivated and cannot act.

The greatest men in history all lived by discipline:

• They woke up early.
• Trained their minds.
• Controlled their desires.
• Focused on their mission.
• Pleasure is a trap, a fool seeks it, a wise man controls it.

 

imagine waking up every morning with an invisible yet impenetrable shield not armor that isolates you from the world but a shield that filters the essential from the trivial this is how Carl Jung conceived our ideal relationship with our environment know thyself he repeated tirelessly echoing that ancient Delphic maxim that so fascinated Socrates yung understood that we are like emotional icebergs barely a tenth of our psyche is visible true power authentic strength lies in the depths of our unconscious there in that nurturing darkness dwell our most elementary truths but also our sharpest vulnerabilities remember to subscribe activate the bell and enjoy philosophy how is it possible then that the hurtful words of a stranger can tear us down why do we allow others expectations to carve our identity as if we were soft clay in strange hands yung was clear because we have forgotten to look into the mirror of the soul your vision will become clear only when you can look into your heart who looks outside dreams who looks inside awakens this reflection by Yung condenses the first fundamental lesson emotional impermeability begins with an inner journey it’s not about building walls but digging wells deepening your self-nowledge until you find that spring of certainty that no external criticism can cloud when you know your abysses others shadows lose their intimidating power modern society has turned us into creatures obsessed with external validation we count likes as if counting treasures we measure our worth in retweets and comments jung would observe this phenomenon with fascination and alarm we have externalized our sense of identity so much that a simple decrease in digital attention can cause existential crisis the first step toward imperturbability according to Jung is the integration of the shadow that dark part of ourselves that we keep hidden not only from others but even from our own consciousness the shadow contains everything we reject our fears insecurities primitive impulses hidden desires and curiously it is in that denial where our maximum vulnerability resides when someone points out a flaw and you feel that immediate burning that visceral defense rising from your gut you are facing a projection of your shadow jung would say that these disproportionate reactions are the map that marks the treasure of your self-nowledge where it hurts where it stings that’s where you must dig what you deny subjugates you what you accept transforms you this Yungian maxim explains why some people seem emotionally untouchable it’s not that they lack sensitivity it’s that they have integrated their shadowy aspects so deeply that external criticisms find no resonance within them there is no crack through which to penetrate because they have already explored and accepted their own fishes think of those occasions when someone tried to hurt you by pointing out something about you but instead of feeling pain you experienced indifference what happened simple that characteristic had already been integrated into your self-concept it wasn’t a revelation it was a confirmation working with the shadow involves a constant exercise of brutal honesty ask yourself each time you feel an intense negative emotion what is this person or situation touching in me what sensitive point has been activated this emotional archaeology exercise is uncomfortable even painful but it’s the price of inner freedom jung observed that the people most susceptible to external influence are those who maintain an idealized and inflexible image of themselves they have constructed a character so rigid so polished that any crack threatens to bring down the entire building their identification with the persona that social mask we all wear is so absolute that they have forgotten it’s just a disguise not their true essence individuation that nuclear concept in Yungian thought that describes the process of becoming a psychologically complete individual it’s not a destination but a path not a goal but a horizon in constant expansion and it is precisely this process that makes us impermeable to harmful external influences when Jung spoke of individuation he was referring to that capacity to distinguish what we really are from what others expect us to be separating the wheat from the chaff the essential from the accidental individuality is the only refuge of human consciousness he used to say and he was right those who know their own center of gravity do not oscillate with every breeze of outside opinion imagine a tree with deep roots it can bend with the wind even lose some branches in the storm but it remains firmly anchored this is the individuated person flexible on the surface immutable in essence criticisms may graze its bark but they do not reach its core have you noticed how some people seem to move through life with unshakable serenity they observe social dramas like someone contemplating passing clouds it’s not apathy they show but a deep understanding of themselves that allows them to discern which battles deserve their energy and which are mere miragages jung understood that most of our external conflicts are reflections of unresolved internal conflicts we project onto others what we don’t want to see in ourselves and therein lies the secret when you cease to project you stop becoming the target of others projections or at least they no longer affect you because you recognize their illusory nature the inner work that Yung proposes requires courage not everyone is willing to face their own demons to recognize their capacity for pettiness envy or cruelty we prefer to see ourselves as heroes of our own story never as potential villains but it is precisely this fragmentation that makes us vulnerable the archetype of the inner warrior although not explicitly formulated by Yung naturally emerges from his conception of the human psyche it is that part of us capable of establishing boundaries defending our psychic territory discerning between constructive and destructive influences it’s not about aggression but protection not about attacking but maintaining integrity finding meaning makes the unbearable bearable wrote Yung and in that phrase condenses another fundamental aspect of emotional impermeability the search for meaning when we imbue even the most painful experiences with meaning we transmute them from poison to medicine what could destroy us becomes a catalyst for growth think of that devastating criticism you received years ago the one that at the time seemed to tear you apart isn’t it true that seen in retrospect it showed you something valuable about yourself didn’t it perhaps impel you to develop an aspect of your personality that remained dormant jung would call this meaningful synchronicity apparently negative events that carry seeds of transformation the problem is not that we are affected by others opinions but that we allow them to define us we build our identity like a mosaic of external expectations forgetting that true strength resides in authenticity personality develops only through life but it does not exist without defining itself in relation to others Jung said reminding us of that essential paradox we need others to discover ourselves but not to define ourselves contemporary society has elevated social approval to the rank of a new religion we measure our worth in external metrics followers likes professional recognition jung would see in this trend a dangerous externalization of personal power every time you delegate to others the authority to validate your existence you hand over the keys to your emotional well-being a valuable Yungian exercise consists of asking yourself what would remain intact of my identity if I lost all external recognition who would I be without my titles my social achievements my status that which survives this hypothetical stripping away is your true core the one that no criticism can reach radical sincerity with oneself is perhaps the most powerful tool Yung left us i would rather be whole than good he claimed challenging centuries of moralism that have taught us to repress essential parts of our nature this ruthless honesty vaccinates us against external manipulation because how could someone use your flaws to control you when you yourself have recognized and embraced them the Yungian concept of the golden shadow is particularly relevant here we don’t just repress what we consider negative we also deny luminous aspects of our being undeveloped talents ignored potentials gifts that frighten us by their magnitude sometimes what affects us most is not criticism but others recognition of that greatness we refuse to inhabit young understood that true inner freedom requires reconciling with our dual nature we are angel and demon creators and destroyers healers and executioners accepting this internal multiplicity makes us immune to the fragmentation that others try to impose on us i am all that and more we could respond to any reductive label observe young children before socialization molds them they express anger without guilt joy without moderation sadness without shame they don’t divide their emotions into acceptable and unacceptable this emotional totality is what Yung invites us to recover not to return to a childlike state but to integrate that primordial spontaneity with adult wisdom the trap of external affectation is that we tend to react from our wounded child or our internal critical parent jung identified these patterns as complexes constellations of emotions memories and thoughts that are automatically activated by certain triggers developing what he would call the internal observer that capacity to witness our reactions without completely identifying with them is another pillar of imperturbability where love reigns there is no will to power and where power predominates love is absent this Yungian observation illuminates another aspect of our vulnerability we confuse connection with submission love with approval when we desperately seek external validation we establish power relationships where there should be authentic encounter the Mandela symbol appears recurrently in Yung’s work as a representation of the self that organizing center of the psyche that transcends the ego in diverse cultures from Tibetan monks to American indigenous peoples the mandala symbolizes totality cosmic order the integration of opposites and it is precisely this integration that makes us impregnable to external disintegrating forces consciousness is born through suffering yung affirmed paradoxically it is in our moments of greatest vulnerability when we can access our greatest strength the wound is a passage not a destination each time something or someone affects you deeply you are faced with an invitation you can react from the wounded ego or respond from the integrating self the archetypes of the divine child and the old wise man coexist within us the first connects us with innocence spontaneity wonder the second with perspective equinimity panoramic vision yong proposed that true psychological maturity consists not in abandoning the child to become an elder but in allowing both to dialogue and enrich each other when someone tries to manipulate you emotionally they appeal to your inner child vulnerable needing approval fearful of abandonment the answer is not to repress that child but to allow your inner wise man to contain and guide it it’s an internal movement imperceptible to others that radically transforms your relationship with external influences synchronicity that characteristically jungian concept offers us another key the external events that disturb us are not mere coincidences but signals pointing to aspects of our psyche that require attention the emotionally sovereign person doesn’t ask why are they doing this to me but what is this showing me about myself dreams that royal road to the unconscious according to Freud and Jung constitute a space of psychic self-regulation where we can process potentially harmful influences jung observed that many emotional disturbances are spontaneously resolved during REM sleep when the unconscious reorganizes and metabolizes experiences that the ego cannot digest on its own thus we arrive at the final understanding true invulnerability doesn’t consist in not feeling but in feeling fully and even so maintaining your center yung distinguished between reacting and responding reaction is automatic unconscious dominated by unintegrated complexes response is conscious deliberate born from the totality of being your vision will be clear only when you can look into your own heart Yung insisted who looks outside dreams who looks inside awakens this inner clarity is what allows us to discern between external voices that deserve our attention and those that simply reflect others projections the process of individuation never ends there is no point of arrival where we can say that’s it i am completely immune to all external influence life is movement constant transformation what doesn’t affect you today might deeply move you tomorrow because you have changed because you have accessed new layers of your being let’s remember that even Jung that tireless explorer of the human psyche experienced periods of profound crisis his famous confrontation with the unconscious after his break with Freud took him to the edge of the abyss but it was precisely that descent into his own darkness that allowed him to emerge with the tools that would revolutionize our understanding of the human mind the Yungian proposal is not to achieve a state of absolute impermeability but to develop selective permeability like a cell membrane that allows the passage of nutrients and rejects toxins our psyche can learn to discriminate between influences that enhance our growth and influences that hinder it ultimately Yung’s deepest teaching on how to ensure that nothing and no one affects you could be summarized as follows it’s not about building higher walls but cultivating deeper roots when you are firmly anchored in your inner truth you can afford to be flexible on the surface the strongest winds can bend your branches but your essence remains intact and in that paradox being immovable and fluid simultaneously lies the secret of true inner freedom

The world is neutral,

As long as you are unaware of the unconscious stories you tell yourself about people, success, love, your worth.

You will keep reacting blindly.

 

 

 

Perfecting the character

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, I have only been sent to perfect righteous character.”  Musnad Ahmad 8952

• The goal is to create the highest moral individual.
• A being in which all of the Islamic moral traits are imbibed in the character of the human being.
• Shariah defines for us the relationship between human beings.

Remembering Allah is Remembering Yourself

“And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. It is they who are the defiantly disobedient.” 59:19

• Forgetting Allah leads to losing self-identity (e.g., purpose, morality).
• True self-awareness is tied to consciousness of Allah (taqwa).

Quantum Physics & Consciousness

“Man is a witness against himself, though he may present his excuses.” 75:14-15

• A Qbit or quantum bit implies an infinity of states.
• In any direction that you measure it, you get zero one.
• We cannot explain consciousness with mathematics, because mathematics is created by consciousness.
• Consciousness is a field which includes:
  • The observer
  • The observed
  • The actor
• Why do you want to believe that you are only a machine?
  • So you can be totally irresponsible, because their are no consequences.
• Why do you want to believe that you are a soul?
  • Being totally responsible for all your actions.
• A machine dies, a soul, field or conscious being that survives death.
• The heart is light, love, peace, joy, comprehension, knowing.
• The value is in knowing, not in usefulness.
• When we die, we enter a world where meaning is the only currency.
• Each of your 50 trillion cells has the genome of the entire body.
• A cell can express new things that were not present at birth.
• A computer is a purely classical system, it is an on/off switch.
• We are not the body, we exist in a deeper reality.
• We falsely believe that we are the body.
• If we observe only the symbols that the body produces, that we become closed to other symbols.
• To know is to bring into existence.
• If the body is left to do what it wants, it becomes predictable, it acts according to how it was programmed.
• The body responds to what the consciousness wants.
• The body simply memorizes things that important for the body to function.
• The body does not have free will.
• The ego that believes itself to be the body.  The ego also believes that it should do certain things and not others.
• The ego is making the body do what it wants.
• Sometimes the consciousness needs to actively change the brains thinking habits.
• To act with free-will from the
• True courage is comes from the consciousness, not the body.
• As the consciousness learns, the body learns.
• The body mirrors the consciousness.

Working for yourself (Competition) vs Working for the greater good (Cooperation)

• Competition
  • Working for yourself, is limited
  • Competition tends to separate
  • Life is the survival of the fittest.
  • Consciousness is the emergent property of the brain.
  • How can more come from less?
  • In classical physics, the sum of the parts is the sum of the parts.
  • Emergentism is a property of Quantum Physics.  It does not exist in classical physics.
• Cooperation
  • Working for others, the sky is the limit.
  • Cooperation is the foundation of the world.
  • If we don’t learn to cooperate, we will kill each.

Panpsychism is a philosophical theory that all things have a mind or mind-like quality.

• Consciousness is a fundamental feature of the physical world
• Physics can only explain qualia, which is only the entry to the inner world.
• Qualia are the experiences of the senses and the inner feelings.
• Comprehension is the path to meaning.
• Then there is meaning, which is in the realm of metaphysics.
• Metaphysics can only be known from the inside.
• Physics is incomplete, because it does not allow the inner world to exist.
• Identity is how one sees itself, how one was created.
• Identity is how we look at ourself as a Multi-dimensional object
• There are conversations happening in front of us.
• We can perceive only one band in-front of us, where there in communications happening.
• With a cellphone, we can pick up the signals in the space around us.
• Qualia exists in the field.
• Electron is matter, energy and information.
• Every electron field knows itself.
• The quantum field of the electrons in the universe are communicating with other quantum fields.
• Quantum physics shows that the whole is the sum of the parts.
• Every creation comes from the inner world, the quantum world.
• Knowledge and existence are aspects of the same thing.
• Knowing creates a structure.
• Knowing oneself is the deepest longing of man.
• Materialism, Scientism or Physics says that everything that exists must be measured, otherwise it does not exist.
• You cannot have consciousness without free-will.
• Quantum physics does not describe reality, only what you can know about reality.
• A computer cannot be conscious because it does not have free-will.
• Physics can tell you where a particle is.
• Quantum physics can only tell you the probability of the placement of a particle.
• When conscious free will is applied, then the wave function collapses to a state.
• The I is not the body.

1. Quantum state is a representation of a conscious experience or Qualia.  Truth transcends proof.
   1. It can only be experienced from inside.
   2. What you say about what you feel, is only a symbol of what you feel.
   3. Consciousness and free-will are fields that do not exists in space time.
   4. Space time is manifested from a free-will decision taken from the quantum field.
   5. The body is the bridge between the quantum information and the classical information.
   6. Live symbols include speech, which has more capacity for meaning.
   7. Classical symbols include written words, which is static.
   8. Matter is a manifestation of mind.

• We cannot know ourselves in entirety.  We are constantly discovering ourselves.
• The observer affects the observer.
• When I speak I observe you.
• My speaking affects you and me.
• Who am I?
• Know the totality of oneself.
• Why am I here?
• Why am I suffering?
• Sentience & Consciousness is required to know oneself.
• Consciousness comes from a tree, with no brain.
• Consciousness does not come from the brain.
• When the body and brain dies, we don’t die.
• Consciousness is beyond matter, space and time.
• Consciousness is a far richer tool, than we can ever produce.
• We can explore the invisible universe.
• AI cannot be better than us, because creativity is non-algorithmic.
• AI does not have consciousness and understanding.
• Quantum information is the representation of inner experience.
• The collapse of the wave function is the representation of the free-will.
• Purpose is the correct cause

Truth & Reality

Classical Reality – Space and time is not the only reality

 

Fitra (Human Nature)

• The fitra is nourished by religiosity.
• God does not tolerate evil and neither should we.
• If a person is in touch with their fitra, they are automatically attracted to Islam.

 

We are all connected

“O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both many men and women…” 4:1

• Only if we believe we are separate, I can do something bad to you, it does not affect me.
• If we are connected, hurting you is my problem too.

Dealing with others

1. Self-Accountability: The Quran repeatedly reminds individuals to focus on their own actions and accountability before judging others. For example, in Surah Al-Hujurat (49:11), it says:
   “O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.”
2. Avoiding Assumptions and Backbiting: The Quran discourages making assumptions about others, spying on them, or engaging in backbiting. In Surah Al-Hujurat (49:12), it states:
   “O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.”
3. Justice and Fairness: The Quran emphasizes the importance of being just and fair, even if it goes against one’s personal feelings or interests. In Surah An-Nisa (4:135), it says:
   “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.”
4. Compassion and Forgiveness: The Quran encourages Muslims to be compassionate and forgiving rather than harsh or judgmental. In Surah An-Nur (24:22), it says:
   “And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
5. Only Allah Judges Ultimately: The Quran reminds believers that ultimate judgment belongs to Allah alone. Humans are not in a position to judge others’ hearts or intentions. In Surah Az-Zumar (39:53), it says:
   “Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'”

 

The Overman

Theme	Key Quote	Liberalism	Islam’s Vision of a Just Society
1. Nietzsche’s Übermensch	“I teach you the Superman. Man is something that shall be overcome. What have you done to overcome him?”	Emphasizes individual freedom and self-determination but risks promoting conformity to progressive ideals.	Encourages self-improvement (Ihsan) within divine guidance, contrasting with the Übermensch’s self-created values.
2. Critique of Christianity	“It reduced Christ, an Übermensch-exemplar, into an establishment entity. To Nietzsche, this desacralized the anti-establishment values which Christ personified.”	Critiques traditional Christianity for dogmatism but replaces it with its own moral framework (e.g., social justice).	Critiques institutionalized religion that loses its spiritual essence, emphasizing a return to divine principles (Tawhid and Adl).
3. Liberalism and the Last Man	“Nietzsche admonished against liberal idealism for promoting the use of man’s lower instincts and for calling their gratification ‘progress.’”	Focuses on material comfort and instant gratification, creating the “Last Man.”	Prioritizes moral and spiritual well-being over material comfort, rejecting hedonism and materialism.
4. Übermensch and the Herd	“The Übermensch is an uprooted extension of the herd… He makes no attempt whatsoever at severing ties with his origins.”	Values individual autonomy but enforces conformity to progressive ideals.	Balances community (Ummah) and individual accountability, resonating with the Übermensch’s balance between individuality and social responsibility.
5. Will to Power	“The Will to Power conventionally predates other primal impulses… It is the need to impose our creative will on the rest.”	Supports individual ambition but often channels it into socially acceptable forms (e.g., career success).	Encourages striving for excellence (Jihad al-Nafs) within divine limits, directing ambition toward serving humanity and upholding justice.
6. Man of Resentment	“Men of Resentment are driven by the need to stifle those at an advantage to them… They claim to despise the powerful—yet keep trying to associate with, mimic, and be the powerful.”	Focus on victimhood and identity politics can foster resentment.	Condemns envy (Hasad) and promotes gratitude and contentment, seeking to eliminate systemic injustices that breed resentment.
7. Void and Ideology	“There is no more susceptible victim to the snares of ideology than modern man… He escapes to ideology to achieve a semblance of a life’s mission.”	Emphasizes individualism and material success, leaving individuals feeling empty and seeking purpose in ideological movements.	Provides purpose through submission to Allah and spiritual fulfillment, addressing the void through faith, community, and meaningful contributions.
8. The Ideologue	“To the ideologue, it is not merely his convictions that are under attack, but his assumed identity and reason for living.”	Creates ideologues who equate their beliefs with their sense of self, leading to defensiveness.	Encourages critical thinking and reflection, warning against blind adherence to ideology and promoting intellectual humility.
9. Ideological Myopia	“The ideologue’s perspective is already contaminated by both binary thinking and hypocrisy… Reality and its multi-dimensions cannot be filtered through the one-sided lens of ideology.”	Focus on progressive ideals can lead to binary thinking (e.g., oppressor vs. oppressed).	Promotes a balanced perspective (Wasatiyyah), rejecting extremism and emphasizing the complexity of human nature and justice.
10. Ideology as Propaganda	“In democracies, the value of ideological impact lies not in its ability to improve lives, but in its capacity to translate as majority votes.”	Reduces ideology to a tool for gaining power through electoral politics.	Emphasizes sincerity and integrity in leadership, warning against hypocrisy and manipulation, and promoting transparency and accountability.