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The podcast episode “Deep Dive Into Greeting & Grounding” delves into the philosophical concept of self-greeting, which emphasizes acknowledging one’s actions and desires without judgment. It explores the link between conscience, desire, and grounding oneself amidst modern distractions. Drawing on Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalysis and cultural references like Nasreddin’s wisdom, the episode advocates for inner alignment and maintaining one’s truth while being open to the perspectives of others.

Generated by Google’s NotepadLM website given these links and the customization:

1) Greeting Oneself: Conscience Is Not Superego But Law of Desire

2) World’s center: foothold on ground truth

Customization:

Link greeting yourself to standing firm on the ground!

This is part of Numerical Discourses

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All right, everyone, welcome in. Get ready because today’s deep dive might have you looking at your entryways a little differently. Ever heard the phrase “greet yourself”? It sounds a little strange at first, right? But it’s actually rooted in this verse from the Quran: “When you enter the house, greet yourself.” And today we’re going to uncover how much wisdom is packed into those four words.

We’re diving into two fascinating articles by Işık Barış Fidaner. He’s a computer scientist who brings a philosopher’s perspective to this idea. We’re going to look at how self-greeting, desire, and finding solid ground in this world flooded with information are all actually intertwined. Ready to explore?

Absolutely. What I find so interesting is how Fidaner links the simple act of greeting yourself to something as foundational as Adam and Eve. Wow. He suggests their transgression wasn’t just about disobeying God, but about wronging themselves. They crossed a line, and in doing so, lost the ability to really, truly greet themselves.

You know, it’s funny how a story we might think we know so well can suddenly have these new layers. Like, I’d always focused on the disobedience part—the divine command aspect of it.

Yeah, but wronging themselves? That’s interesting. How does Fidaner connect that to self-greeting?

He brings in the work of Jacques Lacan, the psychoanalyst. Lacan argued that we’re only truly guilty when we betray our own desire—not desire in the sense of just chasing pleasure, but something deeper, like staying true to that internal compass.

Right, and that’s where Fidaner makes the link. When we can’t greet ourselves, it’s often because we’ve strayed from that compass—betrayed that deeper desire.

So, there’s this idea of an internal alignment, almost like if I walk into a room, but I’m carrying the weight of actions that don’t sit well with me, it’s going to be hard to greet myself authentically because there’s a disconnect.

Exactly. And you know, Lacan called that deeper desire we need to honor the “law of desire.” It’s about recognizing and respecting what he calls the “field of constant circulation” within us—the space where we exchange greetings not just with others, but with ourselves.

Okay, I’m definitely going to need some help unpacking that. What does it actually mean to greet yourself? Am I supposed to stand in the doorway and have a conversation with my reflection?

It’s not about a literal greeting, but an internal check-in. Can you acknowledge your actions, even the ones you’re not proud of, without judgment? Can you trace them back to their source, to the desire or maybe fear that might be driving them? That’s the essence of self-greeting. It’s about taking ownership, but not in a blaming way—more like, “Okay, this is where I’m at. This is me.”

Precisely. And this is where Fidaner makes a powerful connection to conscience. He suggests that feeling guilty often stems from an inability to greet ourselves after we’ve, you know, messed up or crossed that threshold. It’s like that dissonance we were talking about. If you’re carrying around guilt or shame, it’s hard to face yourself authentically because a part of you knows you’ve strayed from your own truth.

Exactly. And this is where Fidaner makes a key distinction between criticism and analysis. Criticism judges the action, right? Analysis seeks to understand it. So instead of beating ourselves up, we’re trying to understand the why behind our choices—like, what desires were we trying to fulfill, even if they were misguided.

Yes. And that understanding can be incredibly powerful. It’s the first step toward bridging the gap between who we are and who we want to be. Because when you can acknowledge those internal drivers, that’s when you can begin to stand firmly on your own ground, making choices that align with your true self.

So we’re talking about understanding those internal drivers, right? But it’s like we live in a world that’s constantly bombarding us with external messages—other people’s opinions and expectations. How do we stay grounded in our own truth when it feels like there’s so much noise pulling us in different directions?

Yeah, that’s where Fidaner’s second article comes in, with this idea of finding your “center of the world.” He illustrates this with a story about Nasreddin, you know, that wise fool figure.

Oh, I love Nasreddin’s stories. They always turn things upside down in the best way.

Exactly. So, the story goes, someone asks Nasreddin, “Master, where is the center of the world?” And Nasreddin points down at his donkey’s hoof and says, “It’s exactly here. Measure if you don’t believe it.”

Classic Nasreddin. Obviously, he’s not being literal. So what’s the deeper meaning here? What’s the real center?

It’s the beauty of it, right? Nasreddin is kind of poking fun at our tendency to search for some external point of reference, some absolute truth. He’s suggesting that the true center is wherever you plant your feet—wherever you find your own solid ground.

So, it’s not about finding some universal truth out there, but about grounding ourselves in our own experiences, our own values, our own—like we were saying—internal compass.

That feels connected to what we were just talking about with self-greeting, actually.

Exactly. And this ties back to Lacan, who talked about “thinking with our feet.” He wasn’t being literal, of course, but there’s a really profound truth hidden in that playful statement. It’s about recognizing the importance of lived experience, of grounding ourselves in the reality of our bodies and our interactions with the world.

It’s like that feeling you get in your gut when you know something is right or wrong, even if you can’t really explain it—like your body is picking up on information that your mind isn’t even aware of yet.

Precisely. And Fidaner even quotes, I think it’s a Jungian feminist, who says that “women are knowing creatures because they’re made of the skin of the sole, which feels everything.” It’s a beautiful metaphor for how our bodies—not just our minds—can be sources of wisdom and grounding.

So we’re talking about trusting our instincts, our lived experience. But we also live in a world that’s just saturated with information—everyone’s thoughts and opinions all vying for our attention. How do we balance that? How do we stay grounded in our own truth while also being open to other perspectives?

That’s where this idea of “walking in language” comes in. Fidaner uses this metaphor to describe how we navigate the world of ideas. Every conversation, every book we read, it’s like taking a step in a new direction. We encounter new metaphors, new ways of seeing things, and with each step, we get closer to understanding other people’s perspectives, right?

Yeah, but we don’t want to lose ourselves in the process.

Exactly. That’s why self-greeting is so important. When we can greet ourselves—when we can acknowledge and accept our own internal landscape—it creates a more solid foundation for engaging with the world. We’re less likely to be swayed by every passing opinion or trend because we’re standing firm on our own ground.

It’s like we’re walking toward someone else’s dream, as Fidaner puts it, trying to understand their internal world, but we’re not abandoning our own center in the process.

Absolutely. We bring our whole selves to that encounter—our experiences, our values, even our doubts and uncertainties. And in that space of shared understanding, that common ground, something kind of remarkable can happen. We can connect with others authentically without losing ourselves in the process because we’ve already done the work of finding that solid ground within. We’ve greeted ourselves.

Precisely. And that allows us to stand firm even as we’re walking in the world, open to new ideas and perspectives. It’s about finding that balance between honoring our own truth and being open to the truths of others.

It’s like that saying, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” If we haven’t taken the time to greet ourselves, to find that inner grounding, it’s going to be a lot harder to really show up authentically in the world and in our interactions with others.

Yeah, that’s so true. And I think that’s ultimately what I find so hopeful about these ideas. They offer a path for navigating this complex world—a way to stay true to ourselves while also being open to connection and understanding. And it all starts with that simple act of self-greeting. Who knew those four words could hold so much, right?

It’s amazing how these seemingly small practices can often unlock such profound insights. It’s a good reminder to never underestimate the power of those everyday moments.

So as we resurface from this deep dive into self-greeting, desire, and finding our center, I’m left with this question for our listeners: Where do you find your solid ground? What helps you stand firm in who you are, even amidst this constant flow of information and opinions? It’s a question worth pondering, and maybe even a practice worth exploring.

Until next time, everyone, keep diving deep.