I’ve been thinking this week about disconfirming evidence, or incidences where our perceptions of ourselves and our outer lives are inconsistent.

As we arrive at the heights of our abilities, yogic or otherwise, increased mastery does not necessarily mean that we learn from our experiences. In fact, higher levels of knowing can keep us from seeking out evidence that reveals our weaknesses.

Disconfirming evidence arises from honest feedback. As we move through life, it can be increasingly difficult not to rationalize criticism. Learning how to engage with critical interchange is a powerful way to free ourselves from patterns that thwart our efforts to reflect, revise, and grow.

Disconfirming evidence can be hard to take in because malleability becomes secondary to stability. We start to bias toward who we believe ourselves to be rather than who we truly are. Receiving input that contradicts one’s self view is uncomfortable but it’s also a big opportunity to clarify our needs, values, and interests.

Disconfirming evidence is something that penetrates our defense structures and allows us to see aspects of ourselves that need attention. When truth reaches us, it is rarely ambiguous. We feel it land and disrupt the cozy sense of ourselves. The body is a great place to locate the genuineness of critical feedback. It is guileless and lets us know what issues are worthy of our efforts.

It is relatively rare to have both an understanding of ourselves from within and an accurate sense of how others perceive us. Both abilities are required in order to be truly self aware. When we gain the confidence to listen to disconfirming evidence, we cultivate coherence between our inner and outer selves.

Over time feedback that contradicts our self view becomes an ally, illuminating aspects of ourselves that are unknown to us. Rather than fear criticism we begin to see it as part of the flow of infinite becoming.