People are often unconsciously living out scripts handed down to them — by their parents, by their teachers, by their communities. We are all in some movie or the other, and greater awareness about this brings greater choice.  

Unconsciously living out scripts 

We are each the protagonist in the movie of our lives, but how aware are we of what roles we are playing? How much are you unconsciously living out a movie written and directed by someone else. We are all born into particular situations, shaped by our immediate family and wider culture. As children, we learn and absorb all that is around us, first from our parents and then from school and wider pop culture. 

Slowly, a certain way of being and behaving automatically becomes drilled into us because that is how humans grow. We absorb and learn from our environments — what to do and what not to do, what is okay and not okay. Such that these become the basis for how you live — the lens through which you view and experience the world. 

But, what happens if the deeper beliefs behind why you do what you do are the source of inner suffering? Because they are based on flawed and superficial ideas of what it means to live. 

What gets passed down 

Every family and every cultural environment will have its own scripts. Handed down from parent to child, like the family silver. And, some of these scripts have great wisdom in them — for example, norms and ethics that enable effective cooperation. Others, such as modernity’s insidious culture of status achievement can be deeply damaging to both the individual and the group.  

And, it can sometimes be difficult to notice these scripts precisely because they form the dominant narratives. Because they are the prevailing beliefs around what should be done and how it should be done. 

What movie are you unconsciously living?  

So, we unconsciously buy into so much just by being alive. In a sense, this is unavoidable. No one can stand completely outside of culture and outside of their conditioned experience. And, such an extreme position is not what we are looking for.  

Rather, the point of asking if you are unconsciously living out scripts of any type, is to become awake to your own life. To notice the deeper beliefs behind your actions — beliefs that you never paid attention to because you took them as a “given”. 

Such noticing is the path of self-knowledge that empowers you with real choice.  

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Harsha is a 1:1 coach and independent thinker based in London. He empowers people to find more clarity, confidence and focus in their lives — to cut through the noise, in a world so full of it. Harsha’s new book, Machine Ego: Tragedy of the Modern Mind, is now available in paperback and Kindle through Amazon.