There are no annoying people in the world, only this one annoyed person. Only when I’m suffering internal agitation can I ever see anyone as annoying.
There are no boring people in the world, only this one bored person. Only when I’m determined not to take an interest in what’s going on can I ever see anyone as boring.
There are no big-headed people in the world, only this one person who feels small. Only when I’m thinking low of myself can I ever believe anyone is thinking too highly of themselves.
There are no power-hungry people in the world, only this one power-starved person. Only when I fail to recognize that I am the source of my own power can I ever believe anyone is seeking to take it.
There are no self-righteous people in the world, only this one self-doubting person. Only when I feel insecure in my own perspective can I ever believe anyone is overly self-assured in theirs.
There are no judgmental people in the world, only this one self-judging person. Only when I’m judging myself harshly can I ever believe anyone is looking down on me.
There are no people in the world with the power to cancel others, only this one person who abandons himself. Only when I’ve abandoned my belief in my own worthiness can I ever believe anyone has the power to deem me unworthy.
When I understand that my pain is nothing more than an illusion of mind, I release myself from fear of suffering and I can understand these notions. As long as I’m attached to my pain, as long as I see my suffering or death as unacceptable, I will argue with these notions...and suffer.