“One man practicing kindness in the wilderness is worth all the temples this world pulls.”
― Jack Kerouac
Today I found myself having a couple of conversations about kindness and compassion, what they mean and what they don’t mean. I’d like to share the questions that came up even more than any answers. Often questions seem more useful.
1) Is it kinder to point out someone’s blind spot so they may have the opportunity to grow or to act like it doesn’t exist?
2) How do we discern the difference between attacking an idea that someone has espoused and attacking the person? How do we realize that it is what we have said that has been challenged and that there was no personal attack at all?
3) What is self-development worth to us. Are we willing to sacrifice what we are for what we may become>
4) If you help a person to grow through extreme means and they thank you afterwards (retroactive consent) , have you violated the person they were?
5) How many of these questions have different answers based on the situation?
Just some food for thought.
Blessings, G
Click on images to see full-sized
She Holds Her Children Close by G A Rosenberg
Exploring Shapes on an An Exploded Ruby Abstract by G A Rosenberg
3 thoughts on “Quote of the Day – September 8 2012”
You know, its really important I think to find the best parts of people and help grow that, rather then focus on the negative aspects.. its also about how you approach a subject, rather like guiding people to a solution rather then pulling and pushing them towards one. When you start picking on peoples bad points in an angry or condescending way it becomes more of an attack and my friend once said that sometimes when you see something negative in someone else its often a reflection from yourself another piece of food for your thought ;0)
I agree. Which is why more often I advocate not challenging people but challenging ideas. I would rather hold up a mirror good and bad and allow someone to see themselves as that would be my preference with others. I once had a friend who said that in our positive aspects humans tend to be alike and that it was our negative ones that make us unique. That doesn’t ring true even today. In the long run growing and developing becomes the responsibility of us all and helping each other when and where we can our honour
I agree. Which is why more often I advocate not challenging people but challenging ideas. I would rather hold up a mirror good and bad and allow someone to see themselves as that would be my preference with others. I once had a friend who said that in our positive aspects humans tend to be alike and that it was our negative ones that make us unique. That doesn’t ring true even today. In the long run growing and developing becomes the responsibility of us all and helping each other when and where we can our honour. Thank you for responding
She Holds Her Children Close by G A Rosenberg
Exploring Shapes on an An Exploded Ruby Abstract by G A Rosenberg
You know, its really important I think to find the best parts of people and help grow that, rather then focus on the negative aspects.. its also about how you approach a subject, rather like guiding people to a solution rather then pulling and pushing them towards one. When you start picking on peoples bad points in an angry or condescending way it becomes more of an attack and my friend once said that sometimes when you see something negative in someone else its often a reflection from yourself another piece of food for your thought ;0)
I agree. Which is why more often I advocate not challenging people but challenging ideas. I would rather hold up a mirror good and bad and allow someone to see themselves as that would be my preference with others. I once had a friend who said that in our positive aspects humans tend to be alike and that it was our negative ones that make us unique. That doesn’t ring true even today. In the long run growing and developing becomes the responsibility of us all and helping each other when and where we can our honour
I agree. Which is why more often I advocate not challenging people but challenging ideas. I would rather hold up a mirror good and bad and allow someone to see themselves as that would be my preference with others. I once had a friend who said that in our positive aspects humans tend to be alike and that it was our negative ones that make us unique. That doesn’t ring true even today. In the long run growing and developing becomes the responsibility of us all and helping each other when and where we can our honour. Thank you for responding