Thought for today:
"Mercifully, the human body works slowly in the presence of trauma; first it experiences the blow and then the bruise gradually follows. The mind however, knows no such delay and shock is instantly registered!
Because I grew up in a different age, I grew up with the naive expectation of people always doing the right thing and therefore I am shocked by every violation of mankind towards each other. I believe that at the core, most people are good at heart and overall, there are far too few bad apples in the barrel to contaminate the goodness of the whole. Consequently, I am surprised when we don't act good in situations demanding of consideration.
It disturbs me that many people are not moved by the cruelty and brutality that frequently surrounds us in the world today and are able to more or less get on with their lives without so much as a second thought to those who need our help and cannot survive without it. I tend to feel that if others aren't shocked like I am, then they cannot truly understand the injustice taking place all around us, yet know deep down that this cannot be so. With today's easy access to instant news across the globe, one would have to be blind, deaf and totally without feeling not to understand the plight of so many in need.
What therefore makes a good person understand what is needed, yet suppress their natural feelings of compassion and do nothing except get on with their own life? What makes mankind desensitised to the penury, pain and plight of others?
For some folk, a shocking occurrence ceases to be shocking when it occurs daily, but not for others. I strongly suspect that the people who do not become immune to the heartache and cruel situations of others actively work against ever becoming immune to world suffering. I believe such sensitive people treasure the true value of empathy; of needing to 'feel with' others in need. Such people want to feel shocked, need to feel shocked and will always be shocked, because they know that to be distanced from the pain of others is to be removed from the goodness of oneself and any goodness in the world.
I have come to the conclusion in my old age that it is proper and productive that we are shocked when we see and experience the selfish, the cruel, the unjust and unspeakable acts against each other: for it is only such shock that is capable of shaking us out of this complacency of our comfortable existences and encourages us to give expression to the charitable side of our nature. I genuinely believe that it is only through our charitable acts towards our fellow man that our humanity is preserved and we are redeemed." William Forde: August 19th, 2015.
"Mercifully, the human body works slowly in the presence of trauma; first it experiences the blow and then the bruise gradually follows. The mind however, knows no such delay and shock is instantly registered!
Because I grew up in a different age, I grew up with the naive expectation of people always doing the right thing and therefore I am shocked by every violation of mankind towards each other. I believe that at the core, most people are good at heart and overall, there are far too few bad apples in the barrel to contaminate the goodness of the whole. Consequently, I am surprised when we don't act good in situations demanding of consideration.
It disturbs me that many people are not moved by the cruelty and brutality that frequently surrounds us in the world today and are able to more or less get on with their lives without so much as a second thought to those who need our help and cannot survive without it. I tend to feel that if others aren't shocked like I am, then they cannot truly understand the injustice taking place all around us, yet know deep down that this cannot be so. With today's easy access to instant news across the globe, one would have to be blind, deaf and totally without feeling not to understand the plight of so many in need.
What therefore makes a good person understand what is needed, yet suppress their natural feelings of compassion and do nothing except get on with their own life? What makes mankind desensitised to the penury, pain and plight of others?
For some folk, a shocking occurrence ceases to be shocking when it occurs daily, but not for others. I strongly suspect that the people who do not become immune to the heartache and cruel situations of others actively work against ever becoming immune to world suffering. I believe such sensitive people treasure the true value of empathy; of needing to 'feel with' others in need. Such people want to feel shocked, need to feel shocked and will always be shocked, because they know that to be distanced from the pain of others is to be removed from the goodness of oneself and any goodness in the world.
I have come to the conclusion in my old age that it is proper and productive that we are shocked when we see and experience the selfish, the cruel, the unjust and unspeakable acts against each other: for it is only such shock that is capable of shaking us out of this complacency of our comfortable existences and encourages us to give expression to the charitable side of our nature. I genuinely believe that it is only through our charitable acts towards our fellow man that our humanity is preserved and we are redeemed." William Forde: August 19th, 2015.
