Review - Our Likes & Dislikes

Likes and dislikes are fundamental aspects of human experience, shaping our perspectives and interactions. A re-examination occasionally may help explore one’s nature of preferences, the rigid impact of strong opinions and the potential for growth beyond rigid likes and dislikes. It will also help realize the importance of cultivating a balanced perspective or emphasize the need and power of overcoming personal preferences to achieve greater understanding or connection.

Shapes and preferences of our like and dislike come much from our past experiences. The environment in which we grow including family, friends, society and our feelings at the time of experiencing them. Whatever our understanding of our likes and dislikes know for a fact it is an important part of recognizing and accepting who we are.

Holding likes and dislikes with certain level of compulsion brings discomfort and suffering to many when situations are contrary to one’s conditioning. To worsen matters if one is addicted to egotism the sense of identity chooses likes and dislikes that are not worthy of self. Often the people we dislike could be the better contributors to our well-being, but we have distant them. The food we dislike could be a better supplement for our health but we do not like it.

As humans we have a strong need to feel unique and distinct. Silly but true when someone is very similar to us, it threatens our sense of individuality, thus disliking the person becomes a way to assert one’s own uniqueness. You may hate the mirror you are looking at and may dislike the person holding the mirror for you even more. But you cannot dislike either for the image in the mirror. 

An all-consuming common thought in some minds is everyone dislikes them. This is among people with anxiety, mood disorders, or self-esteem issues. It is okay if some people dislike you, not everyone has good taste. We forever hold explanations all the time to others. The person who likes you doesn’t need it; the person who dislikes you won’t believe it. Why attach ourselves with those who dislike us by constantly thinking of them.

Ruthless approach to likes and dislikes implies a disregard for personal preferences and attachments when making decisions - a sense difficult to maintain.. The right to like and dislike anything and anyone is desirable but why do it in an unseemly manner. Being nice to someone you dislike doesn’t mean you fake. It means you are mature enough to tolerate your dislike towards them.

Social media platforms emphasize on your likes and comments not because you are interesting but to form behavioral addiction in people that then fetches them money. Keep handy a strong third choice with you “not stupid to respond to anything & everything”.  

To be firm on self-built likes and dislikes one shuts doors to many possibilities of life. Review the likes and dislikes to do what must be done and overcome stuck feelings of past likes and dislikes. We are not handed situations based on our established likes and dislikes; one gets what’s available.

Live not to be liked but to be happy. Have the courage to be disliked, for people dislike if they want to be you or they do not like themselves or they see you as threat. If you dislike someone dislike them alone, don’t recruit others to join your cause.

Gurbani explains to humanity if the mind largely believes in its likes and dislikes it is difficult to meet the lord. Entertaining one’s faulty notion of “I me mine” the mind acts as the veil of Maya between oneself and the Lord.