Comforting interpretation
Her house was well known for making the best fresh juice… I was passing near her house when I decided to visit her and check in on her…no…it was not just for this reason…In fact, I do not deny my desire to drink her delicious juice.
I knocked on the door, looking down at the ground…The door was opened… I found myself in front of an elephant's foot that I feared to step forward!!!
_ "No, son…I know what I'm suffering from…it's a simple case, and the reason for this swelling in my foot is that I have eaten pulses and meat today. Don't worry, everything will be alright. No need to see a doctor…Thanks for your concern."
_ "Are you sure this swelling is due to pulses and meat?
She ignored my question, as she used to hear just those questions she could or wanted to answer. I confirmed that she was guessing about the cause of swelling. For the old lady, seeing a doctor means making the invisible visible…She was afraid of having any X-ray or getting periodic checkups, out of fear of discovering any illness. She had a tendency to get a comforting explanation…to attribute each pain or swelling to pulses and meat. And she would, perhaps, eat from those kinds on purpose to tighten up the interpretation and get some peace of mind. She now knows the cause of her illness!!!
The resort to comforting interpretations might be caused by the fear of the unknown; the old lady was afraid of discovering an incurable disease, as it may be attributed to the deceiving ideology, when those embracing it fancy that it alone provides the real interpretations. Or to justify persistence of a given behaviour, or because of the feeling of helplessness at the consequences and benefits of any new explanation. In the 19th century, the philosopher Comte reproached the microscope and denounced it for debunking the simple image of the gas laws. As a matter of fact, the microscope tormented scientists and defeated the cozy explanation.
When I pressed the old lady to go and discover the real reasons, she seemed upset, wrinkled her forehead, and took her cane, while threatening, because she got fed up with anyone trying to get her out of the illusionary world she created for herself.
As we were sitting, she received a guest…He looked – after having sat – at her foot and said:" Don't worry, pulses and meat do more than that…"
She was relieved to hear that…She stared me down…She said to the guest:"Lord, what would you like to drink? Surely you want the juice…hahaha…" and she paid no heed to me, although I had stayed with her for more than half an hour…I discovered that she brought those who relieved her closer to her; those who kept repeating what she wanted to hear. She could not live without getting an explanation, she wanted a reason which made her feel secure, because the lack of an explanation was a terrible nightmare. And any reason would be indispensable, as she would severely resist any shocking interpretation and irrevocably expel it. I already went out and did not come back, without even taking a glass of water, after my throat had got dry!
Numbers of people were coming in crowds to visit the old lady, emphasizing that selected cause and accusing pulses and meat in exchange of getting a delicious juice, keeping on the self- delusion by adopting that comforting interpretation, repeating it several times, intensifying it in mind, and promoting it in the environment so that it becomes the dominant system of thinking that eliminates any other interpretation.
It is not only a matter of interpretation, those who are strongly supporting comforting interpretations are excited to deal with this cozy reason so that they use it as a basis on which they develop their projects and make their plans. So, they waste their efforts and life, as they live in an illusion and fight for it. They establish their fantasy projects that address the nothingness ; projects which, even appearing lofty, are just illusion, because they have nothing to do with our world. They are swimming in a comforting fantasy world, celebrating the victory of illusion over reality. Groups of comforting people, massed in front of the old lady, shaking the meeting with their cheering " let’s fight meat", after drinking the comforting juice.
I did not change my position or rode the wave, declaring war on pulses and meat, because I do believe that when we defeat the comforting interpretation, we push ourselves to find out other causes. When we resist it as a way of thinking, we boldly announce that we have turned the page of the history of naivety, tampering, and deafeats ; and that we have broken into another stage of awareness, seriousity, and victories. I do not deny that I missed the delicious juice, but I realized, after a week, that a comforting interpretation gives you a temporary peace of mind that does not take long to get away from the real overwhelming reasons…as the old lady died.
Written By: Wael Adel
Translated By: Zoulikha K