HOW TO DEAL WITH DELUDED PEOPLE

I really wish that I didn’t feel compelled to write this blog post, but it has been something I have thought about for the last year. I’ll just come out and say it: most people today are seriously deluded.

This is no small thing, either. And if I had to attribute this observation to anything it would be this:  the information most people absorb today is not reality-based or truthful, and is  designed to keep people on edge; it is doing its job very well, unfortunately. A recent poll I read on the internet surveying voters indicated that 79% are angry or frustrated about something.  Also, people are being assaulted with an unprecedented amount of information and are unable to cope with it. The result is that their basic world view has shifted, and it now includes ideas that demonstrate a tenuous grasp on so many things; hence delusional.

It is also a product of the fact that today there are no acceptable standards for behavior for just about anyone. And in this world of popular transparency, there are almost no barriers  left, so anything goes!

And it is the very rare individual today who honors their word about anything. This puts human interaction in a whole new context. Of course, people have lied through their teeth throughout human history, but today, there is no shame in it. And if you are so brazen to ask for an explanation of why someone did not come close to doing what was promised, or God forbid, ask for an apology, you are usually met with complete denial, or no response at all!  It is so easy to rid someone from your life by a simple text, or just clicking them away. Poof!!!

This is challenging stuff, folks. For those humans who aspire to a higher level of consciousness, this tests it all. How do you respond with kindness and love when someone is so obviously off-balance and delusional, lying to your face, or avoiding responsibility for their words or behavior?

 

1. In order to respond with love and kindness, you need to detach; you can’t take anything personally. You could work your whole life to achieve this very simple mindset- or you could just decide one day that you have suffered enough- nothing needs to be taken personally.
2. Laugh it off. I know, you are shaking your head. So easy to say but not so easy to do in the heat of the moment. But it is definitely worth the effort.
3. Don’t engage. When you detect that someone is seriously delusional, don’t push it. Don’t even ask for an explanation, because you then get sucked into a vortex of utter confusion; and you want to avoid that because it could be difficult to escape.
4. Love the performance. Look at the behavior as some Oscar worthy performance, and you have a front row seat! Enjoy it to the maximum!
5. Remember that it’s all an illusion that you create. That’s right: increasing empirical evidence points to the fact that your reality is created by your own thoughts. If embraced, this theory leaves nobody at all to blame, and you can’t claim you’re a victim either.
6. And here’s the best part of all: get down on your hands and knees and thank whatever God you believe in, because you are not one of the deluded people. You are not consumed by fear, hatred,  paranoia,and a divisive world view, and no matter how many untruths are thrown at you, YOU CAN  STILL TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD.

I  welcome feedback on your perspective and experience.