They called role on the first day of first grade. And when my new class mates heard may name read aloud they erupted with laughter. I set my forehead upon the desk and wept.

Why do we care so very much about what others thinks of us? It is due to pride or the belief in a self? What if it (like so many other things) boiled down to evolution? The majority of mammals evolved in such a manner that their survival depended upon the standing they enjoyed in their pack, or herd, or tribe; for the prominent members, held in high esteem, receive the best resources, food, and mating opportunities. In terms of natural selection, those born without the drive for in-group prestige seldom passed on their genetic traits.

Now that we have freed ourselves from the pious character assassination that often accompanies the pain we feel due to the condemnation of fools we could move on to dealing with it contemplatively. During each inhalation you could mentally recite the rhetorical question, “How relax into the awareness of this?” And during each exhalation you could physically relax into the chanting of Tibet’s most famous mantra, “Om Mani Peme Hoong!” Do this for about five minuets, every twelve hours, or so. Every week add an additional five minuets to your practice. And in about thirteen weeks or so you could meditate like a Jedi. _/\_