Something that's been bothering me a lot recently, in a lot of different contexts, is the rush to judgement of people. Must we divide people into Good and Bad? Can that possibly be true?
Think of the best person you know. Is there nothing that they do, or have ever done, that you consider Bad? Do you excuse or overlook that behavior because you know that they're a great person overall?
Alternatively, consider the worst person you know. Have they never done anything Good? Is there any point of view from which one might see virtue in them?
As far as I can tell, everyone has a mixture of Good and Bad tendencies. We are all flawed beings, inconsistent, inconsiderate, inept at times. We are who we are, and can, to the best of our abilities, choose our behavior.
I feel more comfortable talking about Good and Bad behavior than labeling people. Even then, though, it's quite possible that behavior seems Good to one person and Bad to another. Sometimes that's a difference in values. Other times it's a difference in perceived effect.
We can talk about those values and those perceived effects. We can examine our differences there, and likely discover some similarities also. We can move forward in a way that labeling Good and Bad inhibits.
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.
-- Rumi
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.
-- Rumi
