How do you cope with lack of spirituality around you

[FallingStar21]

I am a spiritual person, not religious per se, but my beliefs are quite close to the Buddhist teachings. I also respect and believe there's truth and wisdom in every religion.
My "issue" is that I struggle with the lack of spirituality around me. I mean mostly at work or random every day places where you need to talk to people etc
I never start a conversation of that sort (in fact I shy away from disclosing anything about my personal faith). But as people love to discuss all kinds of things and share their opinions, I have realised that the majority are very much in the material so their interests and priorities are very different. They can often be very sceptical, if not dismissive, of anything that's not part of it and that's another reason I don't say much on such topics.
Of course everyone has a right to believe or not believe whatever they like, but ithe lack of spiritual awareness and mindfulness is really bringing me down. Anyone else feels that way?

@ohmeoh "How? Science does not manage it. There are always priors interpretations. Incomplete understanding and necessary assumptions in order to progress."

The point is that science does what it can to work within observable reality. And any personal beliefs and assumptions are rigorously tested to see whether they fit within observable reality. That's fine. Securing that something is true because that's what you want it to be has no place in science.

"Not from the personal decisions I make for me and mine, no. But at one stage in my life I was a senior Civil servant. And I sure as hell did then. My views were completely irrelevant to my work."

@CurlewKate, you changed what you do for your work then? What made working as a senior Civil servant unsustainable for you? Tbh to have to divorce so much of oneself from the work I do sounds pretty alienating to me but I am interested to hear your views.

"Securing that something is true because that's what you want it to be has no place in science."

It has no place within the Christian faith either.

The only way truth can align with what you want within the Christian faith is if you align your wants with the truth first.

What made working as a senior civil servant unsustainable? (I put senior btw as shorthand for having to make decisions, not as a stealth boast) Having children.

@ohmeoh "It has no place within the Christian faith either."

Well it does, rather. That's what dairh means.

@ohmeoh Or even faith. Dairh sounds like an obscure piercing.

"Well it does, rather. That's what dairh means...Or even faith. Dairh sounds like an obscure piercing."

@CurlewKate, faith is not simply wishful thinking, not according to my understanding and experience of it. I don't think you can actually define what faith means to somebody who you don't share the meaning of it with. That aspect of a common language becomes lost.

I don't particularly want any obscure piercings either!😂😉

"What made working as a senior civil servant unsustainable? (I put senior btw as shorthand for having to make decisions, not as a stealth boast) Having children"

Ah, that does sound pretty alienating and discriminatory too. Doesn't sound like that particular workplace valued or even made made any meaningful accommodations for actual human beings with their own unique perspectives, reproductive powers and responsibilities.

This used to bother me as well @FallingStar21 but the world always offers a way, if you're observant. Have you read Eliade's work on the sacred and the profane? If not, I recommend it.

@ohmeoh it wasn't particularly discriminatory or alienating for the time. Just not compatible with being a SAHM-which is what I wanted to be!

"it wasn't particularly discriminatory or alienating for the time. Just not compatible with being a SAHM-which is what I wanted to be!"

@CurlewKate

But you didn't go back to it? Or look at other options regarding childcare etc. Which role (senior civil servant, SAHM) have you found the most fulfilling?

@ohmeoh "But you didn't go back to it? Or look at other options regarding childcare etc. Which role (senior civil servant, SAHM) have you found the most fulfilling?"

No. Because as I said, I wanted to be a SAHM. So I didn't look at other childcare options. Both roles were very fulfilling- but so different that I can't say which, if either, was more so.

i didn’t say those people are boring, I said I find those people boring, just as I acknowledged they probably find me bonkers! Similarly I find people who talk about football all the time quite boring although they might not be boring people. There’s a difference!!!!

@CurlewKate

Would you go back to your previous civil service role in the future?

Sorry for the questions, I'm just trying to get a handle on how you found a responsible senior role whereby you had absolutely no individual autonomy/ creativity to let your own personal perspectives and understanding to affect the decisions you were making fulfilling or even possible. And find that as fulfilling as the unpaid role pretty autonomous role of SAHM.

Barely, it's still insulting and patronising. If someone came up to you and said that they find you boring because of you're beliefs in spiritualism you wouldn't find that insulting?

@ohmeoh Happy to answer questions. No- won't be going back. Too old now! When I was a civil servant I wrote policy and briefing papers and speeches which was a real intellectual challenge but little scope for autonomy.

@CurlewKate, ah thanks. I think we must have very different strengths. Most of the roles I have taken on have involved quite a bit of autonomy (but never enough!) and allowed me some creativity. None so much as being a SAHM but then I did not find them as fulfilling either. I obviously value these things - I think I feel stifled and clumsy when having to rigidly follow other people's prescriptive procedure. I suppose it depends how much of what you are following aligns with how you would choose to do things if you were making the choice.

No, I’d just think it was their opinion.

To be honest-there have been several comments on here about so called "non spiritual" people that I found quite offensive. I suspect "spiritual"'people would find similar comments about them offensive too, despite the disingenuous denials!

Goody for you. But I think most people would take being called boring as an insult so I hope you don't go around calling people it. Except on the Internet when you're anonymous of course.

"No, I’d just think it was their opinion."

@OMG12 & @Ferona, I think I might struggle not to feel insulted. I think I do have a longing to find unity, common ground and shared understanding with people. Or at least have a hope there is potential for this. It's difficult because I do find myself doing things in my own pretty individual manner -because it works for me. It does make for less common ground, though, especially as people seem to want you to emulate the choices they have made in order for them to feel validated. I don't require validation as much but I do like to feel at least a little bit understood. Unity, as understand it, allows for harmonious diversity.

Are you feeling ok? I’m entitled to think what I like about people. Everyone has an opinion on everyone they meet, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Everyone will form their opinion of other people based on various criteria that are important to them. It doesn’t affect who that other person is, my opinion of them shouldn’t impact on who they are to themselves and others.

People then interact with others also based on a number of factors, eg nature of relationship etc.

I don’t really get upset about it, some people like me, others don’t, that’s life, generally it will be the same for everyone.

Utterly bizarre line of questioning.

I just find it ridiculous that you make insulting generalisations and act all head-tiltingly innocent when anyone points out that the generalisation is insulting.

Like if someone came up to you and said that they think you're an arrogant patronising twat, you wouldn't find that just the slightest bit unpleasant?

Nah, wouldn’t really care tbh. Although maybe there is a difference between a general comment aimed at no one in particular on an internet forum and targeting an individual face to face. But either way meh!

Why do you care about what strangers think about people who hold similar perspectives to you?

So it's okay to insult people if it's anonymous on an internet forum?

Most people care about being insulted. It's quite human. If you don't then good for you, you clearly feel very smug about it.

Why do you feel so upset about comments that weren’t specifically directed at you? It’s very strange. Why are you generalising about how others feel. Do people generally get so upset and angry about comments made by strangers that aren’t specifically aimed at them it must be very tiring searching the world looking for opportunities to be insulted by strangers