205 People & Thinking

Montage Thinking: Significant Truth #3 would have to be relationships with an introduction by way of people and with sub-themes such as thought, feeling, choice, communication . . . and destiny! Just to mention a few—all presented by drawing on and combining with Significant Truth #1: God, #2: Meaning and #4: Mind—Being & Doing (Blog #186,193).

But now, let’s imagine how people equipped with Montage Thinking, especially people presented with a challenge, deal with a wide range of choices. First of all, please note that Montage Thinking in itself does not guarantee right thinking. That depends on what values control the development of the montage.

Generally speaking, all people can react, respond or initiate, mentally and physically in response to a challenge. If the challenge includes emotional content such as fear or anxiety, they can choose a mental solution, after first replacing fear with confidence and anxiety with peace; or the mind can be overcome by the challenge, resulting in panic and disorderly thinking (Whew! What a choice this one is! Yet many make it!). Then again, they can choose a physical solution (or a little of each—thinking, feeling and physical combined) in the classic responses of fight or flight—actions as a result of hormonal surge by adrenaline or epinephrine, resulting in courage or cowardice.

All these things people do spontaneously. It’s only when thinking is built into an art form, Gentle Reader, that it becomes Montage Thinking. And always remember, villains are as capable of highly developed thinking as heroes. For, example, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes (who stands for superior thinking, if not in all cases doing—alas, he is a drug addict) is paired in many stories with his arch-villain and nemesis, Moriarty, also a brilliant thinker though sadly lacking any socially redeeming virtues.

As you can see, the process of Montage Thinking is brimming with possibilities, permutations and combinations. And therefore, it is necessary (if one chooses, of course) to strive to trim one’s aspirations to the shape of Right Montage Thinking.

As you all know by now, to me the only right thinking whether montage or not is God’s thinking. Rest assured, God’s thinking is so much higher than mine (or ours) that I (or we) cannot possibly ever understand its full measure; but I trust God and that says it all.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

To be continued . . .