Friday, June 8, 2007
Judging Good to Be Evil, Evil to Be Good
Just thinking about how this principle gets warped sometimes. Here at BYU I've heard a lot of people focus on the don't judge good to be evil. What about the don't judge evil to be good? It's easy to see how these principles apply in the media or some other venue farther-removed from our social circles, i.e. pornography industry (easily labeled target). I think there's more to it than that. Why the startling increase in depression and eating disorders and marital and family issues? Does it all stem back to pornography, or is it something more subtle?
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3 comments:
I think it can come from a lack of willingness to keep ourselves from the "small" problems that warp into the bigger ones, or lead to bigger ones. If we've already gone two steps down it's a quicker fall down the rest of them than if we were still on the high ground. Know what I mean?
And the whole good as evil and evil as good trap gets us all the time, but it's really stupid.
So true. I was talking with Thelma about it the other day. I think a lot of the depression problems and marital problems that we face today could be solved or prevented just by being able to call something for what it is. Manipulation is manipulation. Abuse is abuse. Lack of respect is just that. It shouldn't be sugar-coated or ignored. We need to call it for what it is. At the same time, expressing thanks and being appreciative for things that are good is the other side of it.
I really agree a lot with your comments, Mo. I think that somehow in our "striving for perfection" society there is a tendency to hide those aspects of our character that are a little short of the mark. This creates a culture of secrecy and makes it impossible for individuals to actually get help with the problems that they are facing. We need to encourage a more open feeling in homes and families. I think this is one of the positive aspects of family councils, family home evening, and other parent-child bonding.
Your statement about being able to call something for what it is is exactly what I am talking about. It might create a discomfort in the short-term, but it stops people before they continue on to the bigger problems. At the same time, expressing gratitude and appreciation are very essential to the encouragement of an individual.
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