AD.

I don’t like the idea of foolishness in the sense that someone would be seen as disempowered, disrespected by virtue of having done something stupid. I feel that some sometimes write people off too quickly. I feel that some–many–want solid exemplars to lead in various domains, yet people are people.

It is interesting that everyone seems to be oriented towards acknowledging that personal and professional and ethical and spiritual growth is good. Yet in order to grow from a less perfect state to a more perfect state, one has to have been in the less perfect state to start with. (This being where the meaning of growth is beneficial progress.)

And certainly we want people to be able to change such that they are making better decisions and doing better things.

Quite often I have seen some politician make a good decision only to be decried by some people for having made bad decisions in the past–the people sometimes say, “Well, he or she is just doing that in order to appear good and for political reasons.”

But what would beneficial change look like, what would beneficial actions look like, what would authenticity look like when it happens? Why have so many decried beneficial happenings just because of the person who has done them?

It’s like there are these little stepping planks, and everyone says, “Look, there’s a river we must cross to get into a better future.”

And so there are all these people complaining about no wire being strung across the river, no posts being put down, no planks being put down.

But then someone does put a post down in the river and many of the people demonstrating on the bank say, “Oh, well, don’t fool yourself. He or she’s just doing that because it looks good.”

There’s got to be some momentum when you put down enough posts in that river. Everyone can see the posts. All you have to do is put down the planks then. And then people can walk over it to the other side. Indeed, this has happened on many social issues, and even some environmental ones.

There’s a spiritual component to this. If you truly take to heart the ramifications of physics, of the observer being part of the system that is being observed, then you have to acknowledge your perception helps create this whole big Thing.

So faith comes into this. Faith is applied perception, applied good will, applied openness toward receiving the good will of others, applied openness toward seeing others improve and be good.

So when we see that politician enabling the post being put in the metaphorical river to build a bridge to the better future, let’s encourage her or him.

~ Lady

One Response

  1. I agree with everything you’ve said here.. first off..

    And have often wondered myself about the fact that people do grow and change even though we sometimes would like to believe they don’t. As a result we often hold both beliefs in our minds in relation to ourselves ( knowing we do change and grow and thinking that others don’t- even though we might have evidence to the contrary) and others.

    People are not written in stone, and they do change. So what does a change of heart look like? Why do we believe in redemption but not accept it often when we see it?

    It is a conundrum to me.

    Perhaps because people do not make blanket changes of everything at once.. but slow glacial changes.. of one thought or believe at a time. And therefore since it is more an evolutionary process people poo poo it as not enough or perhaps as disingenuous?

    I’m not sure of the answer exactly…. have often felt similar things about people though In my own heart I know people can change though the change may not look the way I want it to look.

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