The Weight Loss Journey: Exploring the Triangle of Ignorance
The eighth session of the First round of the Weight Loss and Weight Gain Legion, with the agenda of “The Triangle of Ignorance”, held on 2025/06/30 under the guidance of Reza, the Weight Loss Traveler.
Hello friends, I am Reza, a weight-loss traveler who lost 70 kilograms through the Dezhakam (DST) method. My journey lasted 2 years and 20 days.
Today, I want to talk about a deeper and more fundamental issue—one that many of us have struggled with on this journey, and may still be dealing with right now: the 'Triangle of Ignorance' in weight loss.
The three sides of this triangle that can stand in the way of our success in this journey are: arrogance, fear, and despair. Let’s go through these sides together and see how we can free ourselves from their traps.
The first side: Fear
The first side is fear. Fear of scarcity, fear of shortage. It may seem strange, but our body—this City of Existence whose captain we are—is incredibly intelligent. In Congress 60, through the teachings of Mr. Amin, as well as the perspective of Mr. Hossein Dezhakam, I became familiar with the concept that our mind possesses immense power. When we issue the command of 'famine' in our minds—whether it be a famine of food or fear of lacking blessings in life—our cells begin to store and hoard [food].
Imagine if a society were to announce an impending shortage of rice or oil; what would happen? People would immediately rush to the stores and begin stockpiling and hoarding, even if they don’t truly need it. Now, let’s extend this analogy to our own City of Existence—the body. In our bodies, there are about forty trillion cells, along with roughly sixty times as many symbiotic bacteria. When the captain of this land—our brain—issues the command of “famine,” every single cell, in response to that order, refuses to let go of even. In other words, whatever they receive, they store away for a “rainy day.” Metabolism slows down, fats accumulate, and the body strongly resists any form of change. Just like the famine during the time of Prophet Joseph (Yusuf), when—even before the actual scarcity arrived—a wave of hunger and hoarding had already swept across the land. This mental command can become the primary obstacle in your weight-loss journey. In the CD ‘The Structure of the Body,’ I became acquainted with my own body, and we learn how to rebuild it. This is the knowledge of Mr. Hossein Dzhakam—a science that I am certain will spread across the entire world in the coming years.
The second side of ignorance triangle: Arrogance
The second side of ignorance triangle is arrogance. Arrogance is that feeling of 'I know it all,' 'I don’t need anyone’s help,' 'I have to be the best.' I confess, I too carried this arrogance within me. I was a man of immense pride—always eating the finest food, driving the best cars, even using the highest-grade opium. It was this very arrogance that brought me to my knees, like a ship overloaded with cargo, left stranded in the mud.
Superficially, there’s nothing wrong with providing the body with the finest nourishment—but moderation matters just as much. The shelves of food in my body should be well-stocked, but not so full that they burst! Like a store where the shelves are neatly arranged and exude an elegant appeal. But if we cram the shop’s display or shelves with six times their capacity in toothpaste—even if it’s the best brand on the market—what’s the point? Nothing! Because the setup becomes no different from a cluttered warehouse. It was this very arrogance that left me stuck in despair.
In my mind, I was determined to overcome my arrogance and break free from despair. With the mantra, “Trees die standing,” I told myself: “I, too, must either die or fix myself.” I turned to exercise, physical activities, and discipline in my meals. I wanted to do everything on my own—even taking inspiration from the Tour de France champion who battled cancer. Thus, I began my journey. One day, while cycling up the steep incline of a wooden bridge, a motorcyclist reached out, intending to give me a hand so I could pedal more easily. Despite my towering arrogance, I whispered to myself: “Trees die standing!” and began pedaling with all my strength. I accelerated so fiercely that I overtook the motorcyclist—even extending my hand to help him climb the slope! In my mind, I believed I had gained the strength to compete and had conquered my arrogance. But I was wrong—I was drowning in arrogance —just like an opium addict who quits, only to replace it with (addictive) pills, sinking even deeper into the pit of darkness and despair.
When I shared this experience with Mr. Amin, I expected praise and encouragement. But instead, he told me that I had done the exact opposite and I was wrong! First of all, by refusing help, I might have discouraged that person from ever extending a helping hand to others again. He said: “Even if you don’t need help, you must still allow others to help you. The blows a human being suffers come from ignorance and lack of awareness.” Yes, the triangle of ignorance consists of fear, despair, and arrogance.
The third side: Despair
And now we come to the third side—the inevitable outcome of the first two—which is despair. Despair on the journey of weight loss is not an inherent weakness in a person, but rather the direct result of ignorance; an ignorance that feeds on fear and arrogance, leading us toward wrong approaches that ultimately result in despair.
Let me give some examples of misguided methods that lead to despair:
• Despair caused by “Starvation Diets”: Many of us seek diets that promise rapid results by eliminating broad categories of food. These “famine-mode diets” signal the body to prepare for scarcity. The body responds intelligently: it slows down metabolism to conserve energy and stores everything it receives for a “rainy day.” After a while, when—despite severe hunger and deprivation—no significant results appear, a wave of intense despair sweeps over the person. This is when people think, “I tried everything, nothing works!” Yet the chosen method was rooted in fear of gaining weight and arrogance, seeking the “quickest fix” rather than the most effective solution.
• Despair caused by Refusing others’ Help and (others’) Experience (the manifestation of arrogance): As I’ve told you about my own experience, when someone approaches the weight loss journey with arrogance—thinking, “I can do it myself; I don’t need anyone’s help”—and refuses to draw on others’ experiences and their guide’s advice, the moment they face even the smallest obstacle or challenge (which is common in this journey), despair quickly takes over. This despair runs deeper, as the person experiences failure alone and, having closed off the path to receiving help, feels isolated and helpless. They find themselves mired in the mud, with no way out. As Mr. Amin says: “Even if you don’t need help, you must allow others to help you.” Doing so opens the way for energy to flow, helps dissolve the arrogance, and prevents despair.
Finally, remember that the devil always appears in the most beautiful form.
Thank you for listening to my words.
https://www.congress60.org/News/422225/%D8%B3%D9%81%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B4-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%86-%DA%A9%D9%86%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B4-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AB%D9%84%D8%AB-%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA
Written by traveller Reza Parsa, Shad Abad branch of Congress 60, Iran
Translated by companion Sepideh, Legion 22, Sheikhbahaei branch of Congress 60, Isfahan, Iran