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Crystal Flower ~ 365 Photos Challenge #266

Everyone agrees that crystals are a beautiful natural creation. The beauty that then inspired humans to process crystals creatively and make them decorative products that decorate human dwellings space.

Crystal flower decoration is one of the popular decorative products of human works and the price is definitely more expensive than the original flower. Crystal is natural, original, but when it becomes a decorative flower, it becomes fake.

That’s what I think when I enjoy a group of crystal flowers. The authenticity that turns into falsehood. Something that can be commercially far more expensive than what it imitates. We know that it is beautiful, but at the same time, we also know that it is only imitation and fake. It is more expensive if it is measured by exchange rates but is worthless compared to the essential value of life.

This thought then touches our existence, human beings, who increasingly seem increasingly distant from the side of our originality. Apparently, we have moved away and will be increasingly distant from our authenticity, our essence, flowers that are lively, supple, soft and have a distinctive fragrance, into crystal flowers that are unnatural, stiff, fragile, and easily worn out.

We know that crystal flower is a product of creativity that is made according to the concept and taste of the maker, to be consumed by the tastes of those who buy and display it. The artificial flowers are also cultural products that come from and will end in the certain limits of culture and segments of society.

Look around us, can we clearly see two types of people, who are present among us as genuine flowers and expensive artificial flowers? Then, what about ourselves?

This is not a judgment but merely a reflection. People abandon their authenticity, build an image, and become false, or idolize falsehood because they want to be accepted – may also want to be idolized, want to have authority, be worshiped and glorified – by others. That situation also occurs because we always compare our actual situation to what it should be. “Circumstances should” be projections rather than what we think should be. The contradiction occurs when there is a comparison, not only with an object or with someone, but also with our situation yesterday, and therefore a conflict arises between something that was past and what is now there. What now exists only appears if there is no comparison at all, and living with what is now there is living peacefully. Then only then can we pay full attention without the slightest disturbance in what is inside us – whether it is despair, ugliness, cruelty, fear, worry, loneliness – and live with it fully; then there will be no contradiction and therefore no conflict.

If we don’t compare ourselves with others, then we are us. Through comparison, we hope to develop, grow, become more intelligent, more beautiful. But is that right? The fact is that we are like this, and by comparing, we divide that fact, which is actually vain of wasteful energy, the energy that actually is so important to understanding the whole of life. Seeing ourselves as we are, without the slightest comparison gives us enormous energy to see. If we can observe ourselves without comparison, we stand outside comparison, and that in no way means that the mind is stuck in satisfaction.

Funny, so many people want to be Pinocchio in order to be able to perform on stage, while Pinokio wants to be human.

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What do you think?

18 Points

56 Comments

  1. Well, in a sense they are dead, but there is a different kind of life in them. Not the sadness of a wilted rose for example, where we cannot help but lament that something once so beautiful has withered. The colors are pretty and the light plays with them. In that sense they are alive.

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  2. Many humans put on a mask appropriate for the society. Being natural and being yourself… moreover, to be able to tell the truth – is a luxury nowadays.
    Being “real you” is the ideal, but life is complicated and not ideal at all. At least in the family we can afford being natural…

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  3. You are a very wise man Albert. This is a hard lesson for some to learn. My oldest son has a problem with this. My youngest does not. It is also very hard to teach.
    Great thoughts…
    I do like the crystal flowers though! But on the other hand I would never purchase something like this. I don’t usually go for nick knacks.

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  4. Beautiful flowers, wow. I never compare myself to others but I know of many that do that. It could really makes you unhappy to do this. Acceptance of yourself is vital in life. Be true to your own self.

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    • I agree with you. Many people know that but not many people cling to that principle like you, Carol. We grew up in a comparison system. At school, we are compared to other students, as we also compare ourselves with others or vise versa. In social life, too, we compare ourselves with people who are more handsome, richer, more successful, seem happier, and then we comparing our selves with ideal ideas about ourselves upon all the experiences of those comparison etc. Then… we stay in conflict, within.

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  5. I heard a saying and I laughed but at the same time I sighed – “We always try to impress people that doesn’t give a damn about us.”

    I guess it can be the same case with who we wanted to be.

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