As we have stated before, being precedes doing, and it is from the state of being that doing occurs — but how does this relate to the Trivium method of critical thinking? As a reminder, the Trivium method is the repeating cycle of asking what, why, and how, and in that order.
- Grammar (knowledge, input): asks/answers what (what, who, where, & when) questions.
- Logic (understanding, processor): asks/answers why questions.
- Rhetoric (wisdom, output): asks/answers how questions
A person’s state of being is the relative state of contradiction between their knowledge (what) and understanding (why) within them, where either contradictions are or are not present, and then the doing/actions/manifestations arise as the output and synthesis of the two, which is wisdom (how). If contradictions are present between their knowledge and understanding, then their synthesis will lead to impure actions, but if contradictions are not present, they will lead to pure actions. In other words, contradictions are the dissonance between their knowledge and their understanding of that knowledge, and it is their outputted reactions, responses, and behaviors (how) that demonstrate their level of dissonance/contradiction that exists within their state of being.
Emotions are the first layer of output (how) for measuring the state of contradiction within a person, and can be used as a feedback device to add more knowledge (what) to the overall situation for processing (why). Actions, behaviors, and manifestations can also be utilized as a second layer of feedback (how), to add extra knowledge (what) to the overall situation for processing (why). Although it is much easier to work with the first layer of emotions, as manifestations can become too costly, and slow down the overall processing of information, if relied upon too heavily. There are times where the second layer is required to fill in gaps in knowledge though, as feelings do not always bring in enough information; thus processing of the information will stay incomplete if manifestations are not able to be examined and processed.
what? → why? → how?
In this way, we encourage people to bring in as much information (what) as possible, process it (why), and then feel into it (how), and if their emotions are still not feeling aligned, they now know more about ‘what’ they are feeling, can seek to understand ‘why’ they are feeling it, and process it further. After cork screwing between knowledge and understanding, through utilizing the feedback from their feelings, they are then ready to test the waters and allow for actions, behaviors, and manifestations to arise in a limited fashion. If the feedback from these tests are aligned, then it is beneficial to proceed forward, but if the feedback reveals more misalignment, it is best to slow down and ask more ‘what’ and ‘why’ questions, founded upon their newest feedback.
This summarizes how both emotions and manifestations can be utilized as feedback to work the trivium methodology, to remove internal contradictions from an individual’s life experience. The removal of contradictions also effects a change in their being state, allowing for their subconscious (nature), unconscious (nurture), and conscious (Divine) minds to work together in harmony, rather than in disunity — which causes new, better serving life experiences to manifest. This use of the trivium method is what we call the Unity Process, where the Two (knowledge & understanding) become the One (wisdom).
