Why do people think so differently from each other?
Synthesized from Source
definition
"Thinking is borrowed from the outside, shaped by upbringing and culture, creating a unique crowd of thoughts within each individual; only in meditation does this crowd dissolve, revealing our shared essence."
According to Osho, people think so differently because thinking is borrowed from the outside—upbringing, education, culture, and countless unique experiences—so no two individuals share the same conditioning; even twins diverge through tiny life events. Hence each person is a conflicting “crowd” of thoughts. Only in meditation, when thinking subsides into silence, do differences dissolve, revealing a shared, nonsectarian human ground.
We think differently because we were taught and experienced different things; when we quiet the mind in meditation, those differences fade.
Why this matters practically
- Fosters empathy: you see opinions as products of conditioning, not enemies to fight.
- Guides conflict resolution: seek shared presence (silence) rather than forced agreement.
- Shifts focus from ‘tolerance’ to inner meditation, naturally easing division.
- Guides conflict resolution: seek shared presence (silence) rather than forced agreement.
- Shifts focus from ‘tolerance’ to inner meditation, naturally easing division.
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