
by Gary 'Z' McGee
August 20, 2025
from
Self-InflictedPhilosophy Website
Gary Z McGee,
a former Navy
Intelligence Specialist turned philosopher, is the
author of 'Birthday Suit of God' and 'The Looking Glass
Man'.
His works are
inspired by the great philosophers of the ages and his
wide-awake view
of the modern
world. |

Fallen
by Stuz0r
"To be fully alive, fully human,
and completely awake
is to be
continually thrown
out of the nest."
Pema Chödrön
Imagine that everyone is looking at the world through a pair of
glasses.
These glasses are tinted with their own beliefs, values,
and experiences - these are their "worldviews."
These lenses shape how
they see everything, from politics to morality to what's right or
wrong.
But sometimes, most of the time, these lenses can distort
things or make you miss what's really going on.
But what happens if you choose to have no worldview?
Would it be
like taking off those glasses entirely and instead of seeing the
world through a fixed set of beliefs, you begin to see it as it
really is (or as close as possible), like nature itself - open,
unbiased, and free from judgment?
This approach is about stepping back from the "battlefield" of
clashing opinions - where people argue over whose worldview is
right - and looking at the bigger picture.
It's like climbing a hill
to see the whole landscape instead of being stuck in the middle of a
fight.
By doing this,
you aim to understand everyone's perspective, almost
like an empathic superpower.
You're not tied to one side or one set
of rules:
you're flexible, open, and able to see the world with
fresh, clear eyes.
It gives you a sense of "metamorality" (a term
from
Joshua Greene), where you're able to rise above rigid moral
codes and try to understand what's driving people's actions, even if
they seem wrong to others.
Blind to our blindness
"We can be blind to the obvious,
and we are also blind to our
blindness."
Daniel Kahneman
Kahneman's quote captures why the
"no worldview" approach is so
powerful. People often don't realize how much their worldviews act
like blinders.
For example,
if someone grows up believing certain
groups are "bad" or certain ideas are "true," they might miss
obvious truths that don't fit those beliefs.
Worse, they don't even
know they're missing anything, they're blind to their own blindness.
This is why worldviews, while useful for making sense of the world,
can sometimes be "not so worldly."
They limit us, keeping us stuck
in our own heads instead of connecting us to the broader reality.
The non-worldview approach is a deliberate effort to break free from
this trap.
By rejecting a fixed worldview, you're trying to avoid
the blind spots that come with it.
You're saying,
"I don't want to
be stuck seeing the world through just one lens - I want to see it
from multiple lenses, from every angle, like nature does."
Nature
doesn't judge or pick sides,
it just exists, encompassing
everything...
By aiming for this kind of broad-mindedness, you're
opening yourself up to truths that others might miss because they're
too caught up in their own perspectives.
Metamorality and Empathy
"We are caught in
an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a
single garment of destiny."
Martin Luther King Jr.
The idea of "metamorality" ties into this beautifully.
Joshua
Greene's concept suggests stepping outside traditional moral
frameworks to understand why people act the way they do, even if
their actions clash with our values.
It's about seeing the bigger
picture of human behavior - why someone might lie, fight, or
love - without getting hung up on whether it's "right" or "wrong" by
one standard.
This empathic approach helps you see through the "indoctrinated
blindness" that Kahneman's quote points to.
For example,
if two
people are arguing over politics, their worldviews might make them
blind to each other's good intentions.
The non-worldview approach
would be to step back, cultivate a bird's-eye-view, understand both
sides, and see the deeper human motivations at play, like fear,
hope, or a need for security.
Why Worldviews aren't so Worldly
"To study the self
is to forget the self."
Dogen
Worldviews are often less "worldly" than we think because they're
shaped by our limited experiences - our culture, upbringing, or what
we've been taught (cultural conditioning).
They're like maps that
only show part of the terrain.
The non-worldview approach is about
throwing out the map and exploring the world directly, with
curiosity and openness. It's not about having no opinions at all but
about holding them lightly, ready to adjust when new perspectives
come along.
This flexibility will help you avoid the double blindness Kahneman
describes - missing the obvious and not even knowing it.
It also
teaches a unique type of humility:
the ability to be okay with
uncertainty, because clinging to a fixed worldview often comes from
a need for certainty.
By letting go of that need, you can see the
world more like nature does - vast, interconnected, and full of
possibilities.
It's about cultivating a kind of mental freedom.
It's
a way to rise above the noise of human conflicts and biases, and see
the world with clearer, more empathic eyes, while avoiding the
blindness that keeps us stuck.
It's not easy, but it's a powerful
way to live more openly and wisely in a complex world.
So, what can we do about it?
As we've established, worldviews can act like blinders, limiting our
ability to see the world as it is.
They make us "blind to the
obvious" or, worse, "blind to our blindness," as Kahneman warns.
The
non-worldview approach seeks to dismantle these rigid frameworks,
aiming for a state of broad-mindedness akin to nature's impartial,
all-encompassing perspective.
This approach aligns with Joshua
Greene's "metamorality," where we rise above dogmatic moral codes to
understand others' perspectives with empathy.
But how do we actually
do this?
Let's break it down…
1.) Practice Counter Weltanschauung Dynamics (CWD)
"We don't see things as they are,
we see them as we are."
Anaïs Nin
Weltanschauung Dynamics is about rejecting a single, rigid worldview
and instead embracing a fluid, open-ended approach to understanding
reality.
It's like refusing to wear one pair of tinted glasses and
instead choosing to see the world with naked eyes, adapting to each
new perspective as it comes.
Question your assumptions regularly:
Set aside time weekly to
reflect on a belief you hold strongly (e.g., about politics,
morality, or even daily habits).
Ask,
"Why do I believe this?
What
evidence supports it?
What might I be missing?"
Write down
alternative perspectives to challenge your default lens.
Seek out contradictory voices:
Engage with people, books, or media
that oppose your current views. For example, if you lean
progressive, read a well-reasoned conservative perspective - not to
argue but to understand.
This mirrors CWD's emphasis on avoiding a
fixed worldview.
Practice "Beginner's Mind".
Borrowed from Zen Buddhism (and aligning
with CWD), approach situations as if you're seeing them for the
first time.
For instance,
when judging a coworker's decision, pause
and imagine you know nothing about them - explore their reasoning with
curiosity.
By deliberately loosening your grip on a single worldview, you train
your mind to be more flexible, reducing the blind spots Kahneman
describes.
This aligns with the goal of seeing the world
holistically, like nature, which doesn't cling to one "right" way of
being.
As Jiddu Krishnamurti said,
"The ability to observe without
evaluating is the highest form of intelligence."
2.) Cultivate the
Astronaut Overview Effect
"We are all the leaves of one tree;
we are all the waves of one
sea."
Thich Nhat Hanh
The Astronaut Overview Effect is a profound shift in perspective
experienced by astronauts when they view Earth from space.
They see
the planet as a fragile, interconnected whole, free of borders or
divisions, which often dissolves their sense of tribalism and
fosters a deep sense of unity and empathy.
When caught up in a conflict or judgment, mentally
"zoom out."
Imagine you're looking at the situation from space, where individual
disputes seem small compared to the interconnected web of life.
Meditate on interconnectedness.
Visualize yourself as part of a
larger system - as humanity, as nature, as Cosmos - to foster a sense of
unity and reduce attachment to divisive beliefs.
The Overview Effect will help you transcend narrow, ego-driven
perspectives.
It counters Kahneman's blindness by reminding you that
your worldview is just one tiny piece of a vast, interconnected
reality.
Use it to catapult yourself into a big picture perspective despite
all the clashing small picture perspectives mucking it all up.
Go
Meta.
Scale up.
Usher in a higher perspective and you'll be better
able to self-correct, adapt, and overcome...
3.) Embrace Buddhist
Nonattachment
"You only lose
what you cling to."
Buddha
Buddhist Nonattachment is the
practice of letting go...
It doesn't
mean apathy or detachment but rather holding beliefs lightly,
allowing you to adapt to new information without being tethered to a
fixed worldview.
This dovetails with Counter Weltanschauung
(Worldview) Dynamics
and supports the goal of empathic metamorality.
Practice
Letting Go in Small Ways:
Start with low-stakes
attachments, like your preference for a certain routine.
Then
gradually apply this to bigger beliefs, like political or moral
stances.
When a belief arises (e.g., "This person is wrong"), notice
it, but don't cling to it - let it pass like a cloud.
Reframe your identity:
Instead of saying "I am a
(liberal/conservative/atheist/etc.)," say "I currently lean toward
these ideas."
This subtle shift reduces attachment to a fixed
identity, making it easier to consider other perspectives.
Nonattachment frees you from the need to defend a worldview, which
often fuels blindness to alternative truths.
By holding beliefs
loosely, you create space for empathy and a more holistic
understanding, thus aligning with a vision of seeing through
"indoctrinated blindness."
By integrating Counter Weltanschauung Dynamics, the
Astronaut
Overview Effect, and Buddhist Nonattachment, you can cultivate a
perspective that's as broad and impartial as nature itself.
This
approach will not only help you see through your own blind spots but
also foster a deeper connection to others, embodying empathic metamorality.
It's a lifelong journey, but each step will bring you
closer to seeing the world with holistic, unclouded eyes...
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