We teach our children to know better than 'believe Humans are trustworthy,' so I don't think it can mean that.
Lavengro
J'C: "Fortunately this primarily a religious teaching tied to Original Sin. As your friend (I hope) Jesus taught us give everybody two smites before you decide hesh is not trustworthy.
Many of us subscribe to the UU concept of radical respect for all people. That is assume all people are worthy of respect until they prove differently. Do not assume that just because of their religious beliefs or lack thereof, their skin tone, their eye shape or color of their dress that they are suspect."
This of course does not mean all are trustworthy. But tit for two tats seems to be the most effective game theory strategy in almost all scenarios. I suspect that past history with a believer group, Nazis come to mind, might justify a more conservative strategy, but lacking evidence of clear and present danger, tit for two tats seems wise.
2 comments:
Lavengro’s concern is real. So is this follow-up communication to me from them:
Exploringinside: "Believe in yourself should be self-explanatory."
Lavengro: I'm afraid it is. Unless you're very different from me then "believe in yourself" means trusting a pathetic mess of petty vices, broken promises, unfulfilled ambition and half-socialised savagery, along with occasional un-selfcentered acts driven as often as not by the concept of duty as of respect or love. I suspect, however, that the major difference between you and me is in self-knowledge. William Golding's Ralph, Jack and Piggy of Lord of the Flies are much more believable than RM Ballantyne's Ralph, Jack and Peterkin of Coral Island.
Believe in yourself, then you die.
Exploringinside: If I said, “Live fully in Reality,” would that admonishment be more profound? I get the impression that such an admonishment would in many cases elicit the response, “Reality Sucks… why would I want more of it?” One small truth I have learned is that avoiding Reality in any form and by any means does not yield a good result.
Your impression of yourself is quite awful. Did you come to this opinion of yourself on your own? If you fail to reach an ideal of the person you want to be, what should you do? Try, try and try again….I believe this is more than just a motto; it is the message that our spirit should be shouting to our “self.”
I agree with the concept of Radical Respect for Humans but I am physically and mentally strong and somewhat fearless. It appears to me that becoming somewhat strong and fearless would almost be a requirement for dealing with the humans that are outside one’s comfort zone. And I’m not certain I would want my young children even partially unleashed on my close friends without some formal and cautionary rules being well understood by them and my friends being aware of those rules.
Certainly part of bringing up children properly is teaching them which groups they can trust and which they can't. But to teach them that all are untrustworthy is to cripple them with fear and loathing for humanity. We teach them that strangers bringing gifts are to be avoided, until further information is gained, usually from the parent or guardian involved. Indeed as you point out there were people in my neighborhood in NYC "My neighbors" that I advised my children not to trust. The drug dealers in the local park for example. But this is the case of a clear and present danger at the child level that must be clear. At the adult level they were neither feared not judged, they stayed in their part of the park, I stayed in mine. Once a dealer tried to approach me near the playground. I told him in no uncertain terms to get back on his side of the park. He sneered "Whachyagonna do call a cop?" I said, "No, I am going to kick the shit out of you and your friends over there will just laugh." He looked over his shoulder at those friends and decided he had better not try me. They were already laughing.
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