Spectrum of Spirit: A Digital Sanctuary for Spiritual Discourse and Community

Justice is a concept I tend to go back and forth on. Yes, I hope and dream of a world where we as humans can come together and work for the benefit of ourselves and others around us based on what each individual expresses. On the other hand, with that comes an expectation of every individual to know oneself well enough to assess what may help them flourish, more often than not leading to believing they know what’s best for others as well. In other words, justice requires judgement, and I am not a fan of judgement of others. The subtle look of surprise, the attack in a question of “why?”, and the removal of opportunity/punishment from authority are all different levels of judgement sent from one individual or group to another individual or group. I don’t think any criticism achieves the justice it hopes for, and sometimes the “justice” people seek is harmful for both the prosecutor and the defendant. I believe these moments of judgement and seeking something unattainable in justice aren’t always trending or top of the headlines, but are continuous jabs that sting unexpectedly and personally.

In this blog, I hope to look at the stings we leave on each other, both from the one stinging and the ones stung. I believe it’s important to have pride in one’s “battle scars”, but I believe it’s even more important to study them, analyze them, break them down to get to some of the negative feelings that sit underneath the surface. In writing these blogs, I hope to inspire others to decrease the moments of irritation, misrepresentation, and criticism shared from one spirit to the next. I believe interactions like the ones above only harm the spirits of both parties, unraveling one’s own insecurities, and revealing one’s own discomfort with themself.

The Irritation of Injustice

During my sophomore year of college, the historic COVID times, I decided to test the limits of my body. Growing up, my dad loved having survival playing on the TV. One of his favorite shows to watch was Dual Survival, and the two men would travel to the ends of the Earth and show the rest of the world one way to survive in extreme conditions. One of the main guys would travel to the hottest terrains and the coldest territories barefoot for reasons I am not 100% certain of. Regardless, this always sat in the back of my mind, and this winter season in the snow of New Hampshire, this would be the time I would live out my fantasy. As the winter term started, I would traverse campus in slides and wool socks, avoiding as many piles of snow as I could, to prove to myself that I could one day work up to being barefoot. About a month later, I found myself taking classes from my computer with my feet in a bucket of water, aiming to rehydrate my feet from the chilling air. Long story short, after a few trips to the campus clinic, they told me this was the way to resolve the issue of my constantly itching and irritated skin. I’m sure my body was crying out for my head as I showed my feet that had brought me through 20 years of life this cruel injustice.

On the Sadhguru Podcast, Sadhguru shares some shorter wisdom on how to love those who irritate you¹. Sadhguru opens up the podcast by restating the question and reframing the inquiry stating one doesn’t have to pretend they love someone else, they just have to understand the other is irritating them². Sadhguru explains the other is irritating you because they are not the way you expect them to be or want them to be³. Sadhguru continues, irritation is happening because they have held what is right and what is wrong and attaches actions to what one has decided is the right way to be⁴. Sadhguru poses a hypothetical, if there is another way to be, it will irritate the individual first, leading to anger and hate towards them, possibly influencing one to kill them because one expects everybody to be like them⁵. Sadhguru asks, if everyone in the world were like you, could you be in your own home, if there was one person like you, could you live in the house⁶? Sadhguru believes it’s good that everybody in the world is the way they are and every human being is unique⁷. Sadhguru expands further, there is no one like anyone on the planet, and that makes each human precious⁸. Sadhguru then suggests another question, how could one be irritated at something so precious⁹. Sadhguru concludes by claiming irritation is due to one’s blindness to life, an inability to open one’s eyes and look at life¹⁰.

I loved this short podcast from Sadhguru and resonated with a lot of the wisdom he shared. The individuals or groups that irritate someone aren’t always due to someone interrupting them, but it can be attributed to one’s expectations for how that individual or group is supposed to show up. The party that upsets someone may have dismissed them, but there may be a chance the one dismissed hasn’t accepted the unique being they have interacted with. Even more so, sometimes the other reflects traits that one has, striking a nerve pertaining to the aspects of ourselves we aren’t the biggest fans of or attacking the uniqueness one thinks they hold. I believe this irritation is one that can feel immediate and unjust, however I would challenge you to reflect on the emotions that arise in these situations and seek justice within your own perspective, removing the blindness in your own experience, and open your eyes to life’s connections.

Cultural Injustice

I believe narratives can build and destroy. I don’t think this is something we don’t know, but think it’s important to continue the theme of injustice for this blog. In the NBA, one of the top players in the NBA, Kevin Durant, has been reported to be talking with a negative tone about his current teammates and organization, the Houston Rockets. The tweets recovered were slandering some of Kevin’s teammates selfishness and ability; wishing his current squad had characteristics similar to his teammates of old. Kevin Durant has a history of having second accounts or burner accounts on social media platforms like X to post his thoughts or respond to comments of those criticizing his performances. In NBA discourse, there have been those critiquing Durant for being exposed once again on social media and destroying another possible NBA championship contender from within. Others have hoped these tweets weren’t actually from Durant, but were AI created to spark controversy during the All-Star Break. In terms of injustice, I wish both parties, Durant and the media, would aim to reconcile their differences in opinion and hopes, to free all involved from misjudging each other or displacing current events based on past experiences.

On the Cultural Gabfest Podcast, the host Dana, is joined by Amy Nicholson and Jamelle Bouie as they discuss “Wuthering Heights” and the doomed duo Cathy and Heathcliff¹¹. Dana opens up the panel asking Amy what she thinks about the adaptation of “Wuthering Heights” and Amy responds expressing she’s a fan of the director, Emerald Fennell¹². Amy is aware of the criticism Fennell has received, her audiences critiquing the way Fennell pokes fun at the luxurious and somewhat religious background she had¹³. Yet, Amy thinks she can make fun of the class and snobbery in English culture within her own point of view, and Amy welcomes her ability to do so because she cannot speak on this experience¹⁴. Jamelle hops in the conversation later, expressing his difficulty to put himself in the film, considering the fact Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordie are the two actors who are playing teenagers¹⁵. Jamelle likes the story of Wuthering Heights, and he likes how the story takes place in a society where teenagers are having to make adult decisions¹⁶. Yet in the film, every time he looks at Margot Robbie, he can’t get over the fact that she’s thirty-five¹⁷. Jamelle closes his opinion expressing the many problems he had with the movie, the main one being the creators of the film expecting the audience to believe Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordie are two characters who have never engaged in any intimacy¹⁸.

The amount of disappointment present in the two stories above prove to me the type of culture we live in. A culture where proven stars on the court or the stage are judged on their performance due to circumstances outside of their efforts in their arena. I believe the injustices shown to these creators in their own respective careers can be seen as a microcosm of our society. I believe we tend to judge others’ efforts based on things that are unrelated to the current event. With the presence of social media and even in our brief stint with generative AI, everyone’s life is valuable to the public and people can access and process information on levels we couldn’t before. They say “with great power comes great responsibility” and in this case I 100% agree. I believe one way for us to endure the continuously transforming exploitative culture we live in, is to remember the times of injustice we have faced, whether because of background, past decisions, or role in an event. I believe remembering these moments will strengthen one’s ability to not judge, not seek justice, but see the repercussive ripples of cultural injustice and what that does to us as human beings.

Owning Injustice

As of right now, I am quite a lone wolf. If I don’t have work or don’t have a service to attend to, I could spend my whole day in my room indulging in my passions. There have been moments where I’ve been called out on this, both internally and externally, and tried to find people that resonate with me in my areas of interest. So far, that list consists of a few people who connect with me in one of those areas of interest, but my interaction with them exists almost solely in online spaces. I say this to say, today, I have embraced my lone wolf title. I own the claims of others even with the criticism out there about people who live on an “island”. I understand the risk I am taking and enjoying this season of life until change comes. I hope to continue to stand strong on my values and allow my purpose to continue to play itself out, no matter the amount of criticism coming my way.

On the Magic Our Way Podcast, the hosts come together to examine the criticisms of Disney adults¹⁹. After the introduction, one of the hosts explains this experience with the term “Disney adults” and the criticism he has seen on online platforms towards this loosely defined community²⁰. The two go back and forth of the terms they have heard in regards to adults who go to Disney parks, or are fans of Disney studios, and close with their new discovery of a “Disney adult” being used as an insult²¹. The host gives a forewarning, stating they’re not aiming to convince anyone to love Disney and they’re not claiming every Disney adult is perfect, but want to speak from their experience of being “Disney adults” if these claims hold water²². The first criticism claims “Disney adults” are childish and they haven’t grown up, the assumption made is that Disney is for kids, so loving Disney as an adult is a signal of immaturity²³. One of the hosts comments that this criticism is an overgeneralization, a stereotype, and does not agree with it²⁴. The other host jumps in, stating how complicated Disney is and doesn’t agree with the critique either²⁵. The moderator shares another common criticism of “Disney adults”, they cling to their childhood, a sign of emotional regression, a way of neglecting present day responsibilities²⁶. The other host denies this, stressing how much responsibility is required to pay a mortgage and budget to be able to afford a trip to one of Disney’s parks²⁷.

I feel like I have discussed artistic expression plenty of times in my work, yet this time, this is something different. This time we are addressing the culture around fandom of artistic expression, instead of attacking the artist or the art, we have escalated to degrading the audience. However, the hosts on the Magic Our Way podcast, don’t allow the harmful comments sway their fandom, matter of fact, it encourages the host to bring these comments to light based on their experience. Now, I am not a fan of the negative assessment of the commenters’ character, but I’m glad the hosts refuted the external judgement and attempted to dictate their internal reality. They appear to find joy in being “Disney adults” and stand against the dismissal of “Disney adults” maturity and adult responsibility. I encourage you as the reader to own your current identity, no matter the insults or injustices that come your way, to be the best version of yourself.

Reframing Injustice

Feel the sting of injustice. Personalize your beginning. Let wisdom irritate you. Own your culture. Recognize and reframe. Understand art. Inhale criticism. Reveal your expression. Originate your sensitivities. Echo your convictions. Ask eternally. Weather the mystery. Harden your twin. Deepen your soul.

Bibliography

1. The Sadhguru Podcast, “How to Love People Who Irritate You #DailyWisdom,” podcast audio, February 18, 2026, accessed February 18, 2026, https://open.spotify.com/episode/5UKeoQHL4SkeglwYFezVVr. ↩︎
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19. Magic Our Way, “Disney Adults: Debunking the Biggest Myths & Criticisms,” podcast audio, February 17, 2026, accessed February 18, 2026, https://open.spotify.com/episode/2us7MiwgayhNa66OofrwBU. ↩︎
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