I remember that book, it was anti-motorcycle, right? "Four wheels good, two wheels bad" or some such nonsense.
Seriously, I disagree with the pigs in the book (who doesn't), but I also understand "equal" means different things in different contexts. If you're playing a game of basketball and you can choose me or Michael Jordan to be on your team... well, I'd hardly say I'm his equal (or that I can actually get the ball near the hoop at all).
Are all people equally valuable as people? Yes. But often we don't take such a lofty position when asking the question. We ask, not what is their value as a person, but what is their value for me in my current situation as I see it at this moment. We might not be aware that we're making such a selfish judgment, but too often, unfortunately, we (well, rather, I) do. In doing so, we (I) unconsciously hurt those who I may value in another context. Then I get confused when they're hurt, because I think I still value them, but they feel (rightly, by the way) that I have hurt them. It's my selfishness that causes this, and being "unconscious" of doing it is no excuse. I'll make an effort to try harder to be aware, but I can't make others realize when they're doing (although now that you remind me, maybe getting them to read Animal Farm would be a good start...)
And we are back to the whole focusing on the selfish thoughtless people and how eventually that wears on us and turns us into a selfish thoughtless people too...
2 comments:
I remember that book, it was anti-motorcycle, right? "Four wheels good, two wheels bad" or some such nonsense.
Seriously, I disagree with the pigs in the book (who doesn't), but I also understand "equal" means different things in different contexts. If you're playing a game of basketball and you can choose me or Michael Jordan to be on your team... well, I'd hardly say I'm his equal (or that I can actually get the ball near the hoop at all).
Are all people equally valuable as people? Yes. But often we don't take such a lofty position when asking the question. We ask, not what is their value as a person, but what is their value for me in my current situation as I see it at this moment. We might not be aware that we're making such a selfish judgment, but too often, unfortunately, we (well, rather, I) do. In doing so, we (I) unconsciously hurt those who I may value in another context. Then I get confused when they're hurt, because I think I still value them, but they feel (rightly, by the way) that I have hurt them. It's my selfishness that causes this, and being "unconscious" of doing it is no excuse. I'll make an effort to try harder to be aware, but I can't make others realize when they're doing (although now that you remind me, maybe getting them to read Animal Farm would be a good start...)
And we are back to the whole focusing on the selfish thoughtless people and how eventually that wears on us and turns us into a selfish thoughtless people too...
Still ticks me off...
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