|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Who Am I to Judge?
This entry was posted on 2/3/2010 9:27 AM and is filed under secrets to peace.
Recently, I have encountered quotes from a
man named Henri-Frédéric Amiel, which have
intrigued me. Henri is listed as being a
Swiss philosopher living in the middle 1800’s.
One quote which I find particularly
intriguing is this:
“Great men are the true men, in whom nature
has succeeded. They are not extraordinary –
they are in the true order. It is the other
species of men who are not what they ought to
be.”
How does that quote strike you, upon your
initial reading?
My first thought was “Can nature fail? Is it
possible that Creation messes up from time to
time? Who is it that has the power to
determine when Creation has not succeeded?”
It is my suspicion that Mr. Amiel lived a
life of quiet desperation, always comparing
himself to the “true men” and finding himself
woefully lacking; or he considered himself to
be one of these men “in whom nature had
succeeded” and thought himself superior to
all those unlike him.
Sad, lonely, angry people always do this.
They are always judging others and themselves
to see where they “fit” in their imaginary
human pecking order. Some focus great energy
on the disparity between the haves and
have-nots. Some see themselves as morally
superior because of their breeding or their
position in life. Some even know, from their
religious teachings, why tragedies happen to
people, who are somehow less than they
themselves.
All judgment, all comparison leads to separation.
All separation is a departure from Truth.
Departing from Truth inevitably leads to
suffering, loneliness, hostility, and fear.
Henri-Frédéric Amiel may have had a brilliant
mind, I have not read enough about him to
have an opinion, but I do think he displayed
a lack of understanding in the quote cited
here. It is my experience that seeing myself
separate and superior or inferior, to
another, in any way, only creates discontent,
inevitably obscuring my ability to dwell in
peace.
I do not think nature ever fails to succeed.
Nature Is. When we fail to discover our
relationship to all of nature, including
humanity and our planet, we perhaps fall
short of our potential. Even then it would be
rather myopic to term such a life
“unsuccessful.” We, at least while in this
human form, do not have a grand enough
perspective to know the Big Picture. So,
judging another never comes from wisdom, it
is just our small little ego wanting to feel
better about its-self.
As I reread this writing I get the distinct
impression I am judging Mr. Amiel. It is not
my intention to judge him. One of his
concerns, in his life, was whether or not he
was making a contribution which would outlive
his physical experience. Clearly, his
writings have made a lasting impression or I
would not even know about him.
I am not judging him. Even if I wanted to, I
do not have enough information to even make a
semi-informed opinion. Many of his quotes, I
have recorded and have found to be very
thoughtful and thought provoking.
I just thought this one would be fun to
explore out-loud today.
I am interested in hearing your thoughts;
particularly on whether or not nature can fail?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright . http://ETSBLOG.LOVEEXPRESSING.COM. All rights reserved. |
|
