Storytelling: When the future is uncertain and making decisions becomes difficult, we should calmly gather our thoughts and craft our own story. Stories hold power—the power to neatly organize complex situations. We accept and understand even absurd stories with interest if they fit the art of storytelling. Storytelling reconstructs the situation and finds and fills in the missing meaning between events based on facts. As a result, we complete and accept a coherent narrative. We experience cognitive dissonance when a narrative isn’t interpreted due to an incomprehensible situation, meaning the gap between events isn’t understood. This cognitive dissonance causes instability, which further complicates the situation. Addressing twists, turns, and future uncertainties requires a focus on storytelling. In this process, I need to identify the parts I missed and complete the meaning. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Jesus taught, “If you got slapped your right cheek, turn the other cheek.” One of the actions that the Jewish Qumran community denied and forbade was “pointing with the left hand.” Violations of this rule brought sanctions from the community. To hit the right cheek means the opponent strikes with an unclean left or right backhand. This cheek slap is deliberately insulting and humiliating rather than merely a pain-inflicting action. Therefore, this teaching of Jesus, “turn the other cheek,” suggests not allowing oneself to be struck by the back of the hand and can signify not being helpless but being active in nonviolent resistance without seeking revenge or retaliation. Perhaps this teaching carries a frightening meaning. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”