You can probably predict the outcome of most interactions with other people based solely on patterns of behavior. The weird thing is that we often still do the same old thing we’ve always done and are surprised when the outcome follows the pattern. There’s a bit of stupidity in the mix, honestly, but there’s also a sort of denial or bit of ignorance feigned. Again, we do the same thing and expect a different result. Didn’t I once read this as the definition of insanity? I’m quite certain I did.
Trust me, when it happens, I’m as surprised as the next guy.
So, the only conclusion I have is that consciousness is once again required to save the day. We must always remain conscious. We must always fight to stay in the present moment and see every interaction as the bead on a string that it is. One bead follows another, and the pattern is easily discernable. We can predict what might come if we are conscious of what has passed, as well as what is. In Buddhist philosophy, it is called dependent origination: any single thing arises from the things around it. It is the acknowledgement of interdependence as the connection between past, present, and future.
The patterns of behavior are most obvious and easiest to predict when the circumstances leading up to them are most clearly seen. Clarity comes with present moment consciousness.
Illuminate Possibilities 