The Doctrine of Basic Badness

There is a well know proverb where a fish is asked to define water. The fish replies, “What is water?” The fish’s entire experience is living in water, so it can’t imagine what ‘not water’ might be.

We’re the same. In a world that espouses our badness we don’t even know what ‘not-badness’ might be.

We are told from a young age that we are bad. In subtle ways, when don’t make our beds or clean are a rooms and in more pervasive ways when fail to conform to others’ expectations.

In the West there are two strains of philosophy that form our consciousness. One is the Platonic philosophy of that everything around us is a (lesser) reflection of some kind external ideal. Second is the Judeo-Christian view of God’s judgment and our own sin nature. Taken together we develop a belief that we are all innately capable of evil. We have to overcome this natural state of badness.

Like the fish you may be unable to imagine ‘not badness’ exists.

Consider for a minute if there is no objective perfection outside of you. What if you are already whole and without fault exactly as you are? Would you act differently? Would treat other people differently?

This is known as basic goodness. The belief that you are not a project that needs fixing but instead a whole, distinct, beautiful creature. In this new world I can release perfectionism and trust myself. In this new world if I make mistakes, I don't need to make excuses or beat myself up.

I encourage you to try feeling your own basic goodness. Notice your instinct for kindness. Your willingness to believe in and forgive others. Notice your own good heart.

I’ll be posting regular reminders to give up perfectionism on Instagram and Facebook and Laura is posting her lovely, channeled Love Notes.