"I'm going to give you my unbiased opinion."
If ever there were a most oxymoronic statement, it would be this.
How could I possibly present an impartial perspective on anything? But the impossibility lie not in the quality of my observation and assessment.
Rather, it has to do with the word "I".
Once we introduce a personal pronoun into the topic we throw objectivity out the window.
By definition, any sense of self-identity imputes a partisan prejudice. Anything that I believe is skewed through my lens. My history. My background. And most substantially, my sense of me.
In other words, because I believe in a concept of a "me" - this body with its accompanying abilities and limitations - my worldview is completely determined by my perception of "me".
This inattentional blindness is the most delusion-inducing characteristic of the ego. Everyone believes they are right, that their opinions are fair. Everyone believes that if others disagree, it must be because they are lacking in perspective or sanity.
"If only people could see things my way, then life would be so much better."
Sadly, there are 7.9 billion "my ways," and that's just counting one tiny bipedal species of primates known as Homo sapiens.
Yet truth can neither be deduced nor opined. It can only be known. But it is not accessible via the ego mind. Unfortunately we believe otherwise.
From A Course in Miracles:
The ego's [conclusions] are always wrong. Nothing the ego perceives is interpreted correctly. (T-5.VI.4)
The only way to truly experience objective insights is to first realize that we've been misled by the ego. Its teachings and guidance do not lead toward peace. Only to pretense.
[Opinion] without self-deception is impossible. [Opinion] implies that you have been deceived in your brothers. How, then, could you not have been deceived in yourself? (M-4.III.1)
By returning to our mind and saying "no thank you" to the ego we open ourselves to sound understanding. Wisdom replaces opinion. Knowledge supplants conjecture.
The entity formerly perceived as "me" now becomes a channel for love, an extension of peace. There is no bias nor vested interest in any particular outcome. We've transformed judgment into joy.
Join me in Thursday's class where we'll explore the nature of opinions and how we can practically exchange them for an experience far more fruitful. I look forward to seeing you then.