Hello,
I was on my walk today and not one person whom I passed said “hello,” at least until I began saying “hello” to them. It may be because of my rapidly expanding beard, but it is more likely because some people are almost always aloof. I get it; they have busy lives, their minds are too full to bother with “strangers.” This attitude, however, defeats and denies the certain moral truth: it is pleasurable to be considered, noticed.
There are exceptions to this rule, sometimes we want to be left alone. But these exceptions are aberrations. To see the true state of the human condition it is only necessary to look at the infant, for the child always craves attention and love. If we survey the multitude of ethical and religious literature and history, we, too, see the truth, “The same stuff that moves the sun, moon, and the other stars (love).” The greatest confirmation: “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you;” a reciprocity possible only by consideration and resounding sharply since the beginnings of moral thinking. How fundamental, consideration for one another!
Compassionate consideration is the soul of all the social virtues.
Bye until tomorrow.
It is easy to feel confused by the disparity between our gut emotional reaction, and our philosophy. When others pass us by as if we are invisible, especially when we are in an emotionally vulnerable place, we feel injured again. At that point philosophy that tells you you shouldn't feel the need, that it is childish is only judging how you do actually feel. How many time have I been embarrassed to feel things I thought were irrational, feelings that lessened me in my own eyes. But the realm of emotion is irrational. I now don't think there is any fault to these feelings. But the world 'out there' is too wounded itself to give us what we need from it. We have to be our own best friends. I think you are at the beginning of a great spiritual journey of awakening, and it isn't a comfy place to be at all, just ask Bilbo Baggins.
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