Causes don't exist

Our brain likes it. A cause. Where did it all start? At the big bang. Where did your life begin? At birth. How did you come to be like this? Because of my father...

Etc.

It's all bullshit and not true.

Let me explain. John Bell, a mathematician dedicated his life to finding causality in the universe. He did not find it. The big bang is not the beginning, because what caused that? A shrinking universe? And before that? Um...

You name it. There are only consequences. There is no beginning and there is no end.

Our brain doesn't like that. There must be a cause.

My problems are because of my father. Are they? Imagine if your grandfather had never met your grandmother, your father would not have been there. So it is your grandfather's fault. Who is the enabler...

But if your great-grandmother hadn't made that slip in a Paris hotel with that soldier your grandfather wouldn't have been there. So it is the fault of that hotel owner in Paris. He should never have let them in.

That's the enabler. Not so. If you think through, there are only consequences.

'Ok Ed, nice but what should I do with that?'

Well, if you think in terms of causes, then automatically there are often culprits and victims. There are causers and they cause something in which others are thus victimized. That can be positive, but often it is negative.

So with this you create a kind of finger-pointing which is sometimes useful to catch a perpetrator, but for yourself it is not very useful. After all, you are a victim, whereas if you would think in terms of consequences, then you are no longer a victim.

Because that "perpetrator" also has a story. Which is the consequence of another consequence, of another consequence all the way to the Big Bang. Not that it excuses anyone's actions, but it allows you to let go of something for yourself more quickly. This creates space, understanding and can even create compassion.

Our brain doesn't like that very much, but our heart does ❤️

Also listen to this podcast: