The best way to live in this real world is to free ourselves of demons and tribal gods.

Edward O. Wilson
About This Quote

The best way to live in this real world is to free ourselves of demons and tribal gods. The idea is that tribal gods are imaginary beings that people seek comfort in when they are frightened. It’s the survival instinct. It’s how we survive when everything around us seems to be falling apart.

These imaginary beings are anything that gives us comfort, whether it's media, religion, or politics. The problem is that these things can become our gods if we treat them as such. One way around this is to start using our brains instead of our hearts.

We can do this without abandoning our communities or losing touch with our friends. We all know people who have stopped watching TV because they realized it wasn't doing them any good, but it's hard to turn off our hearts completely.

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  2. One is often so busy doing life that it is easy to avoid evaluating whether you are putting your energy in the direction you value most.
  3. Recognizing that you are not where you want to be is a starting point to begin changing your life.
  4. You will be your best self when you take time to understand what you really need, feel and want.
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