Everyone deserves truth; everyone deserves compassion
Who's in your corner
Everybody deserves the truth on their side. Everyone deserves to have the facts support them, whenever the facts can support them. Even the worst piece of shit deserves fairness, justice, and yes, even compassion.
I know this - I have to believe this, because I've been that piece of shit - and if you're honest with yourself, you probably have been too. There were times in your life when people said that you didn't deserve anything - not compassion, not truth - or even moments when you said it about yourself. I have to believe that a piece of shit is worth something, because I have seen so many beautiful things grow out of shit.
I have defended, or at least attempted to defend, the rights of so many, when I couldn't see anybody else who would, and people have called me all kinds of names, accused me of being a child molester, or telling me to kill myself. I don't hide from that degree of scorn - in fact, I welcome it. If that is the price of standing up for my fellow man, for defending the downtrodden, for lifting my brother from the mud, then I will pay it, a thousand times over. I will never stop paying it.
Compassion
I would be nothing in this world if not for the compassion of those who owed me nothing. Perhaps if you think carefully about your own experience on Earth, you can remember a few times that make you feel gratitude.
Why did all those people help us, when they had nothing to gain but a smile? There is something inside which makes them want to step out of their way to do good, to make foreigners feel at home, to offer hospitality to a stranger. If you think about those moments, could you ever say that what they did was wrong, that they shouldn't have done it? If you consider it, and analyse it from any number of perspectives, I think you'll find the same conclusion as I did - that these are the best parts of humanity.
The humble prison guard
There is a guard in a prison, escorting a prisoner, who was guilty of a heinous crime. Maybe he has every reason to treat the prisoner like shit, to hate him, beat him, subject him to torture, but he doesn't. He treats the prisoner with respect, because he knows he is ignorant of that man's journey, he can never say for sure that that man was guilty of the crime of which he was convicted, he knows intuitively that torture will instill animosity and make his job harder, and he knows that this man, being a prisoner is already receiving his punishment. Justice is being executed, and he feels no responsibility to unilaterally give a harsher punishment.
Fear itself
We have more to fear from fear than from love. Fearing too much, hating too much, showing people scorn, denying people the opportunity to speak, or to breathe - once you do these things, you never get to take them back. The presumption of innocence can always be overturned with later evidence, and people's liberties can always be restricted later. And yes, even if people take advantage of you, you can always replace what has been lost.
If I am to make a mistake, let it be of loving too much, caring too much, trusting too much. It's easy to run out of friends for being fearful, hateful, paranoid, angry, bitter, spiteful or selfish. For those who love too much, though they might be taken advantage of frequently, even constantly, they rarely need worry about food, shelter, nor money, nor even that their soul be nourished. The soul nourishes itself.
About me
My name is Kurt Robinson. I grew up in Australia, but now I live in Guadalajara, Jalisco. I write interesting things about voluntaryism, futurism, science fiction, travelling Latin America, and psychedelics. Remember to press follow so you can stay up to date with all the cool shit I post, and follow our podcast where we talk about crazy ideas for open-minded people, here: @paradise-paradox, and like us on Facebook here - The Paradise Paradox
Some other cool posts
Here are some other posts of mine to check out:
A healthy skepticism: A philosophical argument to question science, assuming such a thing as science exists
Freedom trumps fear: Everything you do is an act of liberty
Automation: An age of unseen prosperity
Love you Brother!
I know how you feel and dedicated my self to living by ideals many years ago and rise up to them regardless if it's easy or not.
I have fed hundreds of thousands of meals in the last decade. I have taken in drug addicts and abused broken souls.
I have helped a lot of people and gotten a lot of gratitude for it. Though I have also had a truck stolen, phones, computers, trailers, and other valuables from the same people I was helping.
I still keep trusting, I still keep helping.
I have also literally been atcked by men with fully loaded machine guns because I speak out against the cruelties and injustices. You can see videos about this on my Steemit page if you are interested.
Yet I keep telling the truth.
In life fear will always be there as will difficult experiences yet the fulfillment from living with real purpose is priceless and I won't compromise it.
I look forward to seeing what you accomplish here on Steemit. I will follow your contributions.
Best Regards~*|
Wow... that's intense. I guess I need to step up my game haha. Thanks @quinneaker
Haha yes indeed brother!
I am grateful to inspire to higher standards as it is my purpose and I respect you for stepping up to the call!
I hope to see you evolve and I hope to developer a relationship here on this cutting edge platform!
Compassion is so hard to practice for those who haven't ever received it. That alone is reason enough to treat uncompassionate people with compassion.
Nicely phrased. The more they're exposed to it, the more they'll realise how cool it is. Thanks Starr.
I canot say that I feel the same because each individual is unique in his/her on private world but it is true that fear and anger ar more and more present in our lifes. Fear make the first man cast the stone, anger made the second one to turn on his brother... If we are able to go beyond these feelings maybe we can be more than simple animals, maybe we can evolve, But then again some people are doomed to make the same mistakes again and again in an endless circle of hate, pain and misery.
Thanks for your comment @cynetyc. The more love there is in the world, the more the fearful will try to convince us to join them. Time will tell.
I still occasionally find myself reverting back to past history, trying not to show emotion. Guys in my era weren't given many examples other than the tough guy routine, don't show emotion, yada-yada.
However, I have learned a few things growing older. I have learned that it makes me feel good helping someone. Although the recipient benefits, I feel like I get the better bargain.
Sometimes I get taken advantage of, trusting some people too much. I call myself a sucker, swearing I will not do that again. Of course, as time goes by I forget that incident and do it all over again. I guess I can't read people very well.
I will continue to help where and when I can. I guess I know how it feels to be ignored and to be treated like a piece of shit. I hope to keep that to a minimum in the future.
Readings that leaves you speechless. Thank you @churdtzu
Thanks @nelyp, much appreciated
Very nice, mate.
Cheers!
Para mi no importa si la persona es muy sencible, inocente, o simplemente no sabe defenderse. Se de una amiga con mas de 40 años que tiene un problema que para ella es grave de no saber como defenderse cuando se enamora y siempre le sucede lo mismo . Se muere por cualquier cosa , no duerme y llora, pelea por todo; aveces le dicen que su autoestima es muy baja. Total! .... Y creeme que para mi tampoco ha sido sencillo saber sobrellevar tal situacion. En el fondo, pienso que uno sabe que cuando alguien es buena persona y debe ayudar porque esto sale de nuestros corazones. Cualquier persona y en cualquier situacion debe ser ayudada , tratada bien y con respeto sin importar lo que haya sucedido! Primeramente ayudar desde el corazon de un modo que esa persona pueda ver con claridad donde estan sus errores , defectos o incapacidades. Y hablo del lado del amor! Imaginense trabajar desde el lado del odio ?? que es algo tan fuerte y oscuro. No es algo sencillo! Pero si existe la buena voluntad de poder trabajar de ambas partes, entonces si; seguramente se tendra exito o habras dejado una huella. Considero que en esta vida debemos ayudarnos y no hundirnos. Todos somos semejantes!
For me it does not matter if the person is very sencible, innocent, or simply do not know how to defend. a friend with over 40 who has a serious problem of not knowing how to defend himself when he falls and always happens the same for her is from. You die for anything, does not sleep and cry, fight for everything; sometimes they told that their self-esteem is very low. Total! .... And believe me that for me has been not easy to know cope with such a situation. In the background, I think you know that when someone is a good person and should help because it comes from our hearts. Any person in any situation should be helped, treated well and with respect no matter what's happened! First of help from the heart in a way that that person can see clearly where are your errors, defects or disabilities. And I speak the side of love! Imagine working from the side of hate ?? which is so strong and dark. It is not easy! But if there is a willingness to work on both sides, then yes; surely you will succeed or habras left a mark... I believe that in this life we must help and not sink. we are all alike!