“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.” Friederich Nietzche
I think there are two qualities that can help with this: humility and dignity. If I can tap into the part that sees something (an ideology/behavior) as a monster of sorts with a guidance system that asks questions to support HELPFUL OUTCOMES/HEALING not just in the immediate, but in the future, I might be better able to ensure my behaviors do not reflect that of a monster.
At the most basic level, this means that each human being has dignity, value and a life embedded in a world of others and their experiences. It also means that their experiences and understandings when listening deeply might inform another/different understanding. How I think about the “monster(s),” the words I use to describe them and the actions I take will all matter in extending healing or furthering harm to the situation. This doesn’t mean soft; this may mean wise boundaries, skillful action, organization and voice to contain the monster part. In more benign situations, it may mean greater flexibility of mind and softening of the heart in seeing that differences are just that-nothing more, nothing less.
I think there are two qualities that can help with this: humility and dignity. If I can tap into the part that sees something (an ideology/behavior) as a monster of sorts with a guidance system that asks questions to support HELPFUL OUTCOMES/HEALING not just in the immediate, but in the future, I might be better able to ensure my behaviors do not reflect that of a monster.
At the most basic level, this means that each human being has dignity, value and a life embedded in a world of others and their experiences. It also means that their experiences and understandings when listening deeply might inform another/different understanding. How I think about the “monster(s),” the words I use to describe them and the actions I take will all matter in extending healing or furthering harm to the situation. This doesn’t mean soft; this may mean wise boundaries, skillful action, organization and voice to contain the monster part. In more benign situations, it may mean greater flexibility of mind and softening of the heart in seeing that differences are just that-nothing more, nothing less.
RSS Feed
