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Inner- and Outer-directedness a la Woody Allen, of all people

January 05, 2010

Posted by Wallace+

Woody AllenThree months (or so) ago, I wrote, in "A Word from Grace Street," about inner-directedness. Yesterday I listened to a podcast of the 12-29-09 broadcast of NPR's "Fresh Air" and was rather surprised to hear Woodly Allen on inner-directedness. It was an interesting interview in general, but what I found most compelling was his answer to Terry Gross' question, whether he cared what people thought about his personal life. His answer was excellent:

"If I say I don't care, it sounds so cold and callous, but, let me put it this way: How could you go through life taking direction from the outside world? I mean, what kind of life would you have if you made your decissions based on the outside world and not what your inner dictates told you? You would have a very inauthentic life."

Whatever one may think of Allen's life, and the choices he has made (and, for that matter, whatever one thinks of his movies), clearly he has found some wisdom along the way. (And, as it says on the wall of my seminary, "Seek the truth, come whence it may...")

Good for you, Woody.

And may God help us all to live authentically. Life is too short for anything else.

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