MarkStringer.github.io

Mon, 9 Jun 2014 07:07:50

The Imaginary Tug of War

One thing that I was thinking about last night is something that Keith Johnstone talks about in his books. He gets people to play imaginary tug of war - and they all play to win! They all desperately pull as hard as they can on this imaginary rope. The only people who don’t do that instinctively are Zen monks! I’m going to check that now, but I’m fairly sure that was the story -

the only people who don’t desperately pull on the imaginary tug of war rope are Zen monks.

And I really think it’s worth asking yourself - “where in my life am I pulling in an imaginary tug of war.”

I know I do it all the time - joining in arguments that are not only really, absolutely none of my business, but also, simply don’t need winning, probably can’t be won - and simply wouldn’t exist without the “balance” of the struggle.