To be naïve … ( 10 / 30 / 2011 )
To be naïve … ( 10 / 30 / 2011 )
“ I ’ m guilty of extraordinary naiveté , I suppose . And yet it ’ s a naiveté that I really don ’ t want to abandon , not even now .” ~ Jock Sturges
From a very early age , we are all steeped in a culture that encourages us to “ be informed ” -- that we might then “ act more wisely ” and thereby “ live more safely ”. Of course , the price we pay for adhering to these norms is a loss of the very things that make us truly special as a species — We forget our ability to see new solutions to old problems ; we forget our ability to pause and be amazed at the innate Beauty of life ; we forget our ability to actively Care for others when we least wish to do so .
And yet even though we might have forgotten these Gifts , they are still alive & well within us . We CAN choose to be open-minded and see a different way of responding to fear & pain . We CAN choose to rebel against the grain of all things “ responsible ” and “ prudent ” in order to give Love a try . We CAN choose to be “ humble as a child ” and simply believe in the power of Kindness — even though all those around us might call us “ unrealistic ” or “ irresponsible ” or even “ crazy ”.
In essence , we can choose to believe in the power of Love . As Love is the only response that the fearful truly fear , it is Love that is the only response that actually works . As such , instead of choosing to fight back with anger & indignation , we can choose differently the next time around … we can choose to respond to hatred with Forgiveness , to aggression with Peace , and to injustice with Compassion .
In essence , we can choose to be naive once again …
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