Questions 1 and 2 of The Work of Byron Katie Are Very Similar
Question 1 is “Is that true?”
Question 2 is “Can you absolutely know it’s true?”
At first it seems pointless to have two out of the four questions of The Work be so similar. But let’s look at the difference between these two.
Question 1 Is A Simple Question
But to answer this question for a given thought requires some real stillness.
For example, looking at the photo above, “The water is too cold to swim in, is that true?” To answer that question I have to really contemplate.
What does “too cold to swim in” mean to me? It depends on the temperature of the water. But also on how hot or cold I am. And on how hot or cold the air is. And the wind. And it depends on how long I stay in, and what clothes I have to put on afterwards. It depends on my circumstance. If I’m being chased by a bear, my answer may be different: “Nope, not too cold to swim!”
In other words, you have to consider all aspects of the situation to answer the question, “Is it true that the water is too cold to swim in?’
And Sometimes There Will Be Conflicts
For example, from past experience if I swim in water this cold I have gotten a headache. But on the other hand, if I’m really hot, I might rather get a headache than keep dying of heat.
This kind of debate may start up in your mind when you’re asking yourself “Is it true?” And I encourage you to listen to the debate, hear out both sides, and take a vote.
Majority rules for me in Question 1 of The Work. If 51% of me says no, and 49% of me says yes, then my answer is no. (Remember the final answer for questions 1 and 2 is only yes or no.)
Question 2 Is A Little Different
Question 2 is a chance to look again in case your answer to question 1 is “Yes.”
Instead of “majority rules” (taking a vote like Question 1), I see Question 2 as looking for an anomaly. Looking for an exception to my theory. Or looking for any possibility that I may be wrong.
All it takes is one anomaly to disprove a theory. And even just a potential anomaly can shake my confidence in my story. That’s what I’m looking for in Question 2.
For Example, What If There Are Bathers In The Water?
If I see people swimming the water, and they’re not jumping up and down, or shivering, or making loud noises, or if they’ve been in the water for a while, it makes me reconsider my theory that the water is too cold to swim in. These people swimming are an anomaly. They make me doubt my story.
But it doesn’t mean that my theory is incorrect, after all these people may be from a very cold climate and find this water perfect even though it’s freezing. It could still be too cold for me. But the fact that they are swimming in it still causes a shadow of a doubt to come over my story. And that opens me further to inquiry.
Why All This Theorizing? Why Not Just Test The Water?
This is a good point. In the case of the water here, there’s a simple test: I can put my fingers in it. In cases like this, when direct testing is possible, that’s always the most direct route to the truth. That is exactly where you’ll find your anomaly, or not.
But a lot of times, when you’re doing The Work, you don’t have that luxury. You’re dealing with things you can’t change, or test directly, or things from the past. For example, “He didn’t like me,” and the person is now dead.
There’s no way to test it directly, but I can still look for anomalies in my memories of his past behavior, or in what others said, etc. When direct testing is not possible, you have to sleuth a bit. That’s what makes inquiry interesting–and what makes it powerful enough to handle any situation if your mind is open to it.
But Don’t Take The Easy Road Out
Just because it takes only a shadow of a doubt to get a no in Question 2, doesn’t mean that I can use the blanket statement: “I can’t ever know that anything is absolutely true.”
This is cop out. This is not inquiry.
I still have to find something genuine. I have to look. If I don’t find an anomaly, then my theory still stands, and my answer to Question 2 is still a yes. I have to find some shred of evidence, even just a possibility of it, before I can say, “No, I can’t absolutely know it’s true.”
Have a great week,
Todd
“I have helped people do The Work on rape, war in Vietnam and Bosnia, torture, internment in Nazi concentration camps, the death of a child, and the prolonged pain of illnesses like cancer. Many of us think that it’s not humanly possible to accept extreme experiences like these, much less meet them with unconditional love. But not only is that possible, it’s our true nature.” Byron Katie, Loving What Is
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