kmich wrote:
I am always uncomfortable when people say I am better than them, not from any affected humility, but a realization of my own screwed-upness I have had to address over the years. In my own religious sense which I appreciate many here will not share, we are all sinners in the eyes of God and require His love and redemption that we are called upon to share with others. Often have not been very good at my willingness to receive this grace, and even less so with the sharing part.
Virtue is its won reward in that it makes our world larger. I always know when I am doing well when my world becomes larger and spacious, as well as realizing I am on the wrong path when it becomes smaller and more confined.
Well I'm pretty sure you are a better person than I (don't be flattered....., it's a low bar.
), but I do understand, only too well, the never ending conflict with one's internal demons. "The greatest battles of life are fought daily in the silent chambers of the soul." The beam in one's own eye, etc.
The best people I know spend most of their energy attempting to right themselves. As one who has struggled with depression for decades, I realize it is a never ending battle. It is an interesting intersection of the physical, spiritual, psychological, chemical, and experiential.
Try to "fix" others? Ha! I am the last one they should listen to. But still I preach!
Thankfully though, helping others is very personally rewarding. One of the best aspects of human mental hardwiring seems to be, the self-esteem or sense of gratification that comes from being generous or in helping others.
kmich wrote: I don’t know about my being particularly more aware or astute, but, for the challenge of it, I will take a quick stab at this anyway.
We human beings are challenged by many competing forces, some good and some evil. When the resulting confusion as to who we really are fosters fears, insecurities, and intolerable uncertainties, we often tend to attempt to resolve this existential challenge by projecting our shadows, our darkness, onto others so we can construct our own satisfying identities that are somehow clear, righteous, and innocent.
If we live in cultures with traditions that offer its members stable identities through standards of shared dignity, participation, and mutual obligation, we will require less of this process of projection. However, if the culture we live in can no longer support our sense of value, dignity, and identity as human beings, fragmentation and conflict results along with the demonization of the “other.” This typically occurs in periods of rapid change and displacement when collective traditions and institutions fail to respond to constantly changing circumstances. When these consequently deteriorate and break down, they take down with them the shared ethics, faith, and history that support any way to derive a secure sense of identity and dignity from our cultures. We are left to our own devices, and turn to tribalism or cynicism, both of which construct and project a host of demons in the world around them. Tribalism confronts their “demons” with fear, hysteria, conspiracy mongering, intense partisanship, and often violence, while cynicism faces them with a smug, pusillanimous complacence.
Very, very well said. Thanks for the thoughtful reply! As humans we desire stability, but the future is inherently unstable.
More so today, no doubt with ever more rapidly changing technology. Loss of one's culture due to virtual invasion or dilution, is more feared by many than physical conquest, or forced changed.
Not at all surprising, that in the first world with an almost infinite choice of recreation activities and luxuries, we descend into petty scwables. With less options, it is easier to find common ground.
The aspect I find interesting is the need to "correct" or "fix" the others, in the name of tolerance or to force assimilation in the name of diversity. Perhaps not a deeper phenomena than the bastardization of language. And of course, entertainment that distracts us from focusing on our own faults and flaws.