Tuesday, July 18, 2006

To know someone is real

I've recently had an(other) epiphany. I've become consciously aware of something I've always known, yet have had a hard time expressing. And sometimes, your knowledge doesn't float to the top until something happens that creates the necessary buoyancy.

In order to be a sincere human being, I believe you must first appreciate and respect other human beings. Now there's a news flash for you. Most people just know this instinctively, right? I've had occasion recently, however, to realize that while I've sometimes thought I just like or dislike someone, it's not that simple. It's more about how offensive they are to me, and how much I've let them get away with it!

How can you possibly claim to care about someone if you won't accept who they are, where they come from, or be willing to find out? And how can you care about a person who makes judgments and hurtful statements to and about the people already in "your village?"