Doing without the Doer

Why is the doer so important? Or, to be more specific, when is the doer important? In most of the cases, the performer is relevant only when we are doing it ourselves. We emphasize the subject more than the actual deed or the doing process. In brief, when we are the subjects it is very important but when others are the contributors, we are not as interested. Confusing?

This is very evident if we observe our own life. Just think back to the last movie or theatre play you saw or book you read. Who were the actors and authors? Do you remember? Some of us have naturally better name-recall memory, but still. We concentrate and focus on the substance itself and not so much on the individual actors' contributions and relevance per se. A theatre play is a team effort for the overall atmosphere and experience combined from individual contributions. Similarly, the author creates the novel but for us the storyline and the substance is the thing. When we are the doer, it is something exceptional and unique but when others do it, that's a different case—it is something usual or rather normal at least. The same applies when we are simply talking. It is a rare skill to be a good listener because we often prefer talking to listening. Listening is often the opportunity to think what we are going to say next, isn't it?

So why is it so important who is doing the action? In reality, it is not relevant at all. The most important thing is the deed itself and its effects. The only one who craves recognition is our own mind. Our mind lives from our attention and focus. It needs our undivided notice and recognition of importance. There are many words for this type of behavior: greed, selfishness, vanity, ego, and so on. The doer is important only in conditional and relative terms. If the actions were totally selfless, the performer would be irrelevant. In all the other cases there is some conditional reason or purpose for the deed as a vehicle to something else. It does not serve a purpose itself.

The world does not need the doers—only the actions. Therefore, the doer is not relevant—actually it is only an illusion. This imaginary performer is living only in our own mind. We would still exist without it and perform the same tasks and duties. The only thing missing from the picture would be the self-appraisal and egocentric behavior. Who needs them, anyone?