Doc,
Thank you for your thought-provoking message on your perspective of the
dangers of life. It helps me to understand you and why you would view
many situations differently than I would. You also helped me to see how
cooperation could be dysfunctional. I am one of those people who trusts
others until they clearly prove themselves to be untrustworthy. I am
probably very slow to recognize evil or danger in the world around me.
You said:
"Roxanne--my heart is moved by the standing up for what is right, against
the fear or threat of death. To live within this dangerous world seeking
quality and integrity of life, and not capitulating or surrendering into
intimidation or fear. There are many ways each of us may interpret our
lives within the sense of this need to struggle. Perhaps I see it as
competing for what I understand as righteousness against the evil or wrong
in the world. (pretty scary, eh?) I am very grateful, though, for people
like yourself (as I interpret you) and others who ensure the perpetuation
of humankind through cooperative efforts. This is why I see the constant
balancing between cooperation and competition as necessary -- a yin and
yang which spells wholeness in our relationships with our world and one
another."
I, too, am often moved to stand up for what I believe is right and often
find myself in a rather lonely position. My different perspective would
call this living consistently with my convictions, living with integrity,
aligning my actions with my beliefs. However, when others would constrain
me or deny me this freedom, then I guess I would be in the position of
capitulating into the dysfunctional cooperation you discussed or competing
to protect my rights. I like to believe I would stand as firm and be
moved to fight as quickly for the freedom and rights of others as for my
own. Yet I'm very comfortable here in Minneapolis and haven't done a
whole lot lately to live out this idealized self image. But now that I've
listened to you and written these words, I'm a whole lot less comfortable.
It's time for me to sign off now and take another look in the mirror.
Best regards,
Roxanne
--Roxanne Abbas mailto:rabbas@comp-web.com http://www.comp-web.com
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