Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

Information -- A Way OUT
“Some people read for instruction, which is praiseworthy, and some for pleasure, which
is innocent, but not a few read from habit, and I suppose that is neither innocent nor
praiseworthy. Conversation bores, games tire, and thoughts, which we are told are the
unfailing resource of a sensible man, have a tendency to run dry. It is then that I fly to my
book as the opium-seeker to his pipe … Of course to read in this way is as reprehensible
as doping, and I never cease to wonder at the impertinence of great readers who,
because they are such, look down on the illiterate. Let us admit that reading with us is
just a drug that we cannot do without — and so let us be no more vainglorious than the
poor slaves of the needle or the pint.” ~ W. Somerset Maugham
Ultimately, the fundamental solution for any addiction is “releasing by replacing”; which
is to say, letting go of a self-focused, unhealthy behavior by consciously replacing it with
a selfless substitute. And yet, if we try to do this over a significant period of time – say,
for a month, a year, or “for the rest of our lives”, we are almost certain to fail.
All addictions are fueled by the ego – a mental construct that thrives primarily in the
future, and that is fueled primarily by self-centered fear. As such, any truly effective
cleansing of any addiction must come from a behavior that is consciously engaged only
in the present moment, and that is fueled only by selfless Love.
As I’ve mentioned in several earlier chapters, no matter what tactics we use to deal with
our addictions, fighting the ego forcefully never brings lasting results. The ego loves to
be criticized or rejected, and whenever it feels threatened in this manner, it simply
recedes to the back of our minds, quietly gets stronger (while we think we have “made
progress”), and then one day bursts forth twice as strong as it was before.
Fortunately, there is a readily available alternative to dealing with your ego’s cravings for
information – a method that is extremely effective, and one that only involves three
simple steps: 1) Acknowledge your addiction to information gathering, 2) Console your
ego by reassuring it that you are not abandoning knowledge and “evidence” and “the
truth” completely, and 3) Transcend your addiction by going forth (while you are still
experiencing the desire to gather “facts” or “be informed”) and being Kind to another
person. For as long as you choose to do so, you will be completely urge-free … and at
least in these moments, you will no longer be an information addict. Note that the first
letters of these three steps appropriately spell “ACT”, as it is not enough to think about
being Kind, and it is not enough to “beam” Kind emotions to another.
In order to alter your habits and release your self-destructive addictions, you will have to
get up and go do something. Even if it is just for one moment and even if the deed is a
“small one”, you will have to have the courage to actually be the change you wish to see.
And here is a suggestion to help you get started doing just that:
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