Thursday, January 1, 2009

Making A Difference

The desire to understand the differences between you and other people is a mature attitude that can be either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on why you seek that understanding. Understanding someone and liking someone are not the same thing.

People come in all sizes and shapes, with looks that vary from individual to individual. Each person has a background that is as colorful and varied as the next person. The trails they leave behind them as they live their lives show us what origins nature and unseen forces have given them, as well as the choices they have made in life and the desires they have pursued.

No one can judge what nature has bestowed on others and no one should judge the choices others make in life, short of those choices which trespass the laws of man. To seek understanding simply for the purpose of acceptance or condemnation is a self-serving futility and not an act of service unto mankind. Knowing this is the first step toward understanding the allowable differences between people. Accepting others for what they are and for what they do, when they are law-abiding people who are merely different from you, is making a positive difference in the world in which we live.

Understanding is not required for acceptance. Accepting the differences in others without complete understanding of those differences is an achievement for the spirit that dwells within you and a victory for us all, as human beings sharing a dynamic and diverse world.