Think about this possibility…That which is seemingly the opposite is actually closest in likeness to it. We tend to see opposites (light/dark, hot/cold, shy/arrogant, love/hate, enlightened/egoic, etc) as residing at extreme ends of a spectrum, having nothing to do with the other, when in fact there is truly no divided line between them. Light becomes dark gradually, like with the turn of a dimmer switch, the melting away of one characteristic for incremental degrees of another. I used to think shyness and introversion was a lack of ego, and partially it is. But really it is the ego preventing the soul from freely being expressed; it is a fear and defense mechanism of the ego itself to prevent the potential for further damage or attack. Fearing embarrassment or ridicule builds a wall of glass around the ego, just as much as arrogance builds around the humble soul. Thus opposites are mirrors into ourselves, identical in nature, only differing in degree.
Going further, instead of perceiving polarity on a linear scale with extremes separated by distance, can we see that perhaps the scale runs on a circular dial, with the opposite ends actually meeting together? It almost feels like a glitch in the matrix, sometimes pain is perceived as pleasure, love is perceived as hate, extreme cold is perceived as burning, etc. Have you ever known someone so ‘spiritually enlightened’ yet they exude an arrogance built from ego itself, unable to humbly receive guidance, criticism, or a differing view? They have studied and seemingly been evolving up the scale of enlightenment, yet almost to a point where they missed the ‘enlightened’ memo and their ego is now surrounded by a crown of thorns. This is seen on a larger scale regarding religious or spiritual faith when we often feel our belief is ‘right’ and that which differs from it is lesser-than; is this not ego robed in righteousness, especially when we can not be all-knowing? It seems that perhaps there is a very thin line between opposing energies, a stealthy thread covertly connecting them. We are only human, and as such, none of us are perfect. Therefore to continue to grow and evolve and be free, humility is a necessary quality to maintain; as with the principle of polarity, even a ‘master’ is still a student in degree.
So my thought is that perhaps when faced with opposition, instead of reacting (judging, controlling, hurting, etc.) maybe we can all see its relatable nature, and come from a more humble, connected, and loving space.
