Tolerance does not create goodness — as we have observed from the behavior of our “tolerant” culture. Instead, our postmodern culture tolerates tolerance at its worst because the tolerance we see does not have the essential demand for truth intrinsically at its heart. Therefore, it does not have the ability to reign in behavior that destroys its promises of being the path to world peace. Surely we can imagine something better. For instance, true love loves. However, it also disciplines itself, holding to standards that are healthy and beneficial to the peace and the welfare of mankind rather than admitting violence, revenge, and hate. So let’s examine true love critically.
With the Poet, Let’s Examine True Love
I have always been impressed with this poem on love. Don’t prejudge; just walk through it with me. Can you imagine something better?
- “Love is patient, love is kind” (We may all agree this is noble and needed. No problem so far).
- “It does not envy” (Now, we see its true goodness and its ethical superiority over tolerance. Tolerance would be better if it did not envy. But envy is not excluded by tolerance.)
- “It does not boast; it is not proud; it is not rude” (This sounds like humility, does it not? And what about “rude”? That’s aimed at relationships and the language that creates good relationships. It even sounds respectful and considerate of other people’s worth.)
- “It is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs.” (Now we are getting to love’s true heart, which breeds attitudes that generate the possibility of peacemaking.)
- “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth” (Its desires are for the good of all. Truth is essential to its being what it sets out to be: namely, true love.)
- “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (What a desirable quadruplet. A passage to hope in the darkest of times, all of these four elements shine light in the darkness of our hearts when our world is crumbling with wars, hate, and violence.)
- “Love never fails,” I Cor 13. (And we see why it never fails: because it keeps persevering, keeps hoping, keeps trusting, while at the same time it realistically assesses human behavior.)
Examine True Love. Then, You Decide! Can You Imagine Something Better?
And so, I think you should decide. Is this not an excellent goal for us all? And if we fail, shall we return and aim for this goal again?
Teach and model this to all.
A side note: Wouldn’t it be great if when we fail, there were a path to forgiveness and a new start? There is! Furthermore, if you were into the idea of God guiding your life, wouldn’t a God who promised forgiveness and made that forgiveness a central element (one available to all humans) be a universal message worth reevaluating? We all live by beliefs. Therefore, choose the best. It’s another example of thinking straight.
In my new book Who Am I?, I describe how we have become “crooked thinkers” and how to break out of this prison of the mind to become instruments of change for a better world by recognizing the source of our value as humans. You can get your copy HERE. (Psst! Subscribers to my weekly updates can receive a 15% discount and free shipping from that link!)
Lean into the whole truth by discovering the truth of who YOU are — the “Real You” — and who your children truly are. Discover how to best engage your children in finding the whole truth. Our team at InnerKinetics is ready to provide that help. If you’d like some assistance, you can request a consultation and an InnerKinetics consultant will call you to answer questions and schedule your meeting. Schedule an Initial Consultation. If you are more independent and want to cut to the chase, you need not wait for a call back because you can get answers to your questions and schedule your session HERE.
THE WAY TO HAVE A HEALTHY MENTAL SYSTEM
Weekly Help for Your Mind/Brain
This weekly addition to my articles provides practical guidance for the application of commonly known facts about brain health.
Does the brain slowly deteriorate? And if it does, why?
Decline?
There is a lot still to learn scientifically about why the brain seems to deteriorate as it ages. The observable deterioration of the brain is expected. As a result, that observable fact clouds the opinions of many researchers because they take it as axiomatic. Some individuals decline at a much slower rate and some decline very little. Why and how, lifestyle, use, and certain types of usage will be the focus of more research and are the questions we most need answers to.
To illustrate the many queries that need to be made, the difference in how and how much the brain’s activity declines from person to person is perhaps the most easily seen pattern in its aging. Some see little decline to the very end. For others, the decline can start as early as 40 years of age and can be drastic. For some centenarians, the decline is not very noticeable. More importantly, less care and attention to the brain’s needs may be the main cause for such variance. Perhaps we — not some law of nature — are largely responsible.
Speed of Operation
Further, our brains certainly slow down as we age. However, this is not all bad news. Speed diminishes the time spent in thoughtful meditation and recall of the vast experiences we accrue over the years. Solutions often come with more thought, not less.
Accumulated Knowledge
What’s more, our world advances more on accumulated data than on insightful imagination creatively applied. Therefore, as you age, consider the silver lining in the ominous cloud called aging. Your creative imagination has more experience to work with. As a result, this can be the period of greater insight. Appreciate the greater senses of reflection, meditation, and the offsetting value of attaining increased knowledge as the years go by. Therefore, become a lifelong learner, creating new things and new thoughts. ever lose the power of a well-used imagination. Finally, increase the use of your greatest asset and you may find your last years are full of insight and wisdom.