As I watched the film I made a list of facts that I would not think of when
visiting the library.
1. Pages breaking when you open a book. I simply thought that when a book
became this brittle, it should be replaced. I also wondered how many people
actually need this book or how many people check it out. It never entered my
mind that maybe that book was out of print, or that it may be the original author.
2. Putting food on books. Let's face it, when I study I find it more convenient to
eat and drink right where I am studying.
I justified this by telling myself I bought the hook, it's mine to do what I want to with it. It
does not belong to the library, it belongs to me. I could have shifted around and said, okay the
book is yours, you may damage it if you want, but what about if someone needs to borrow the
book? Or maybe my daughters would want to use it for reference later on.
3. Pulling a book out of the shelves. As of Wednesday I realized that I have been pulling
books off the shelves the wrong way. I never realized I ~ hurting the book. I just simply
thought this was the way it was done. Today thinking of how many other people pull the
book out the way I used to, I realize that after a couple of years the book would need binding.
Think of all the work the people at the library would have to do just because I, and other
people, were not very careful with the book.
Discussion
The process of self-witnessing is done as an individual self. With
this process we will use the Ennead matrix of the threefold self to
describe the mid b which is the reflective self up to mid a which
is our spiritual self.
In Mid B level you try to justify the reasoning that you have just
made. You evaluate these reasoning in terms of whether they
are correct or implausible. For example, as my number one fact I
would not think of--Pages breaking when you open a book. I
always justified this by reasoning that it was the library's duty to
see that all books were in tip top condition. If they were not,
then all they had to do was replace them. Then you move up to
Mid level C. This is the part of your mind where you try to find what motivations, biases and
preference you have that caused you to justify these reasoning in
the way you did. You ask yourself, what goals am I trying to
achieve through reasoning in this manner? For example, it's
their job to find out books need replacing. Another jump is made
to the third and final part of the threefold self called the spiritual
self. This is the part that examines the assumptions that were
made about this pleasurable experience. You enter through the
High C level. It is the state of mind in which you identify these
assumptions. For example, was it pleasurable for me to assume
that it was not my responsibility to worry about library books?
After you identify these assumptions, you enter High B where
you determine what principles of truth or falsehood exist behind
these assumptions. For example, it is also my responsibility to
care about library books. Finally, you reach the High A level
where you start to examine how you feel about these
assumptions. In doing so you search deep into yourself for
loves, affections, and resistance that either support or condemn
these assumptions. Example: I love books so I will take better
care of them.
After Thought
Now that I have done this exercise I feel a deep respect not only
for books in the library but also for the people who work there. A
library must be one of the most misunderstood place in the whole
campus. Often I feel intimadated when I walk in. It gives me a
feeling of being dumb. I think one of the reasons is because there
are so many book, records, magazines, that supply so much
information. It's hard for me as a person to understand there is
so much knowledge in this world. Instead of looking at the
library as a place of confusion (they are not confused, but I am) I
should take one step at a time, and think of it as a place for my
personal enrichment, and of how it could benefit me as a person.
Then I could share my knowledge with others.