Sentient, Hearts and Brains Wanted

One of my favorite Jungian scholars, James Hollis, has quite often remarked that, "Consciousness is as good as it gets."  Hollis, who after serving the C.G. Jung Center in Houston, Texas for many years, is now the Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington, D.C.  In his comment, he refers to a keen awareness of ourselves, a mindfulness of who we are, what we want, and what we must do to move forward. So, yes, I would say that's pretty close to the top of where we'd like to be in life.


Today's Power Word #11 offers us a way to express that consciousness: sentient.


First, let's get the pronunciation out of the way.  The preferred pronunciation seems to sound like this, two syllables with the accent on the first syllable:  (sent shuhnt)


A second pronunciation would sound like this, with three syllables, the accent again on the first syllable:  (sent tee uhnt)


Your choice.  The British use the first one and Americans use both, if they use it at all, which is why I chose sentient as word #11. This is one of those words with exactness of meaning, not to mention using the word will make you sound smart, which never hurts.


Origin
Sentient:  From the Latin sentire, to feel or perceive; present participle form, sentient, sentiens
First recorded use:  1595-1605


Definition
Sentient: conscious of sense impressions; sensitive to perception or feeling
Synonyms:  aware, conscious, mindful, cognizant, perceptive
Antonyms:  insentient, devoid of feeling and consciousness


Uses
Adjective:  sentient
Adverb:  sentiently
Noun: sentient (a person who is keenly aware of his/her surroundings and thoughts)


Examples
1.  Taking the life of a sentient being is not always a crime, especially if the victim is an animal used for food.


2.  Vegetarians choose the path of avoiding meat for health reasons but also because they believe all living creatures are sentient, making it a sin to slaughter them.


3.  The electronic robotic vacuum whisked across the floor with its sentient detection of dust, magically disappearing in its wake.


4.  Being out on the street and hungry, the disheveled man was fully sentient of his degraded state.


No doubt we sentients are capable of feelings, sensing all things around us, but do we always take time to engage in mindfulness?  Do we slow down just a bit and really think about the needs of others as well as our own needs, not just the material needs but those of the heart and spirit?  And if we did, what do you think would happen?


Psychologists explain that consciousness and mindfulness incline the heart toward good will, the first steps toward kindness, generosity, compassion, and wisdom.


We are not robots.  We are the Tin Man and the Scarecrow looking for our hearts and brains.  When we find them, we become the sentient people we were meant to be.