the willing suspension of disbelief

 

The word "disbelief" has taken on new meaning for me.

"It is now life and not art

that requires the willing suspension

of disbelief."

~Lionel Trilling~

I used to associate disbelief with wonder and awe, with brilliance or great beauty. It meant I had come upon something beyond my wildest imagination, or ability, or awareness. A book, or a work of art, or a piece of beautiful music, perhaps. I wanted to know who created it. Who wrote it, or composed it, or painted it? Always prompting a surge of envy.

For example, I nearly abandoned my desire to write in retirement when I read "Talk Before Sleep" by Elizabeth Berg, the story of a dying woman and the friends who kept vigil at her bedside, written with wisdom and humor. 

I envied the author. I ached to be able to write that well, but I didn't believe it was possible. It shut me down until the thought occurred to me, "If others can write well, I should at least give it a try." With that, I beat back my own disbelief, and I got to work.

Natural beauty is another source of wonder-struck disbelief for me...

"Keep close to nature...

Wash your spirit clean."

~John Muir~

Yosemite

...as is music, with chord progressions, harmonics, and orchestration that would never come to me. Heart-aching, spirit-lifting, soul-soothing sounds of wonder and awe that inspire reverent disbelief.

What are some of the things that bring you to amazement and admiration? To disbelief?

"Suspend, for a moment, your disbelief 

and encounter once again

the sense of wonder you knew

when there was...magic!"

~Andrew Lord~

Now-a-days, unfortunately, disbelief has a more ominous edge. 

It brings to mind the growing horrors of war in Ukraine and in the Middle East. Who thought we would ever witness such violence against children, women, and the elderly? Such cruelty. Such suffering. 

Unbelievable.

Who thought our democracy was in jeopardy when we believed it was infallible? Who hasn't greeted the deception, lies, and arrogance of our leaders with utter disbelief. 

"Truth will always be truth

regardless of lack of

understanding, disbelief, or ignorance."

~W. Clement Stone~

Disbelief can be the harbinger of beauty, wonder, and delight...or it can tether us to fear, deceit, and rancor. The willing suspension of disbelief can lead to a whole new perspective on life as we understand it. It invites us to embrace what is real and true.

"You have to let it all go...

fear, doubt, and disbelief.

Free your mind."

~The Matrix~

jan