I am a lesser being.

With some focused effort, I am able to see how others see me.

I am not seen by others as me; I am seen by others as a lesser being.

This dexterity was recently sharpened in a dream that encouraged me to think inside-out.

This gives me an advantage. By knowing me far more intimately than others could ever know me, I can project that inside out to touch others, and compassionately work to understand them, entangling my inside with their umwelt, enabling me to see me as a lesser being, enabling them to perhaps see me as an individual, and enabling me to better balance my inside with the (often overwhelming) outside that is both individual and universal.

This advantage, nurtured and sustained, will serve as a constant reminder that I am a lesser being.

It should also constantly remind me that being a lesser being should not hinder personal effort; though it sometimes (perhaps often) does. I believe within the entangled dynamic that is inside-out thinking, in theoretical practice my personal effort gains strength and has more potential for Good.

Being a lesser being, some moments are more difficult than others.

Definition of umwelt from the book ‘Ways of Being’ by James Bridle:

“The umwelt connotes the particular perspective of a particular organism: its internal model of the world, composed of its knowledge and perceptions. In this way, the concept of umwelt asserts both the individuality of every organism and the inseparability of its mind from the world. Everything is unique and entangled.” Page 24.

Technically, my umwelt includes the ‘me’ in myself, but (I believe) this inner umwelt (in addition to being a part of the whole) must also be accounted for separately due to its (often) larger and constantly fluctuating influence. My inner umwelt is my internal model of me, composed of my sense of entitlement, my power-hunger, and my feelings of inadequacy in a given moment. In this way, the concept of an inner umwelt asserts both the individual ego and the inseparability of that delusion from the entanglement of my umwelt-as-a-whole with the world. If indeed everything is unique and entangled (which I believe it is), perhaps I should focus more on the entanglement and less on my individuality.

I am a lesser being.