Mrs.Anteater
Just keep going....
We all make judgements all the time- we agree or disagree with what others say or do. We make alliances / friendships according to how much we think we match with what we think the other one thinks.
Following the discussion in the Polarisation thread, the following thought came to me:
Famous and/ or rich people have more influence on people’s opinions and/ or lives. They also are as fallible as every one of us unknown and un- rich people ( though wealth is relative if you look at it from a global perspective). As most people, they will put their money towards what they think is right, which can have huge impact on a lot of people.
Like: Belinda Gates thinks that overpopulation is the main culprit for the developing world , so she throws money at contraception ( lets assume she doesn’t have a material interest ,but a genuine wish to help). She is not the first one who has the attitude to know better than the people she is targeting. In fact, I dare say, humans have a tendency to act on what they think is best without asking. So, in that, she is like everybody else, except, she just has more impact.
Mother Theresa strikes me as someone who has the same problem , just from a religious point of view. She seemed to believe in pure charity. I give- you receive. I am the helper, you are the helped. Set roles very common in church congregations as well as helping professions.
Again, the outcome is only so significant, because of her being so well known and that attitude having such a large impact. Mrs. Smith, who volunteers for X congregation and has the same attitude only affects how Jonny D. feels, who is coming to the soup kitchen and has to show his appreciation and say the lords prayer before he gets it.
So, what I am getting at is that I see the difference only in the outcome, which is in fact a shame, because it could be so much better if people wouldn’t assume they always know what’s best ( but look at WC2- who doesn’t sit in the same boat?) - but not in the person them self.
Does having a greater outcome make a person” more guilty” than another? It certainly is a greater responsibility.
We all would wish that the pilot who flys the jumbo jet will not make a mistake, as small mistakes will have a bad outcome. But since we all make mistakes, it needs to be the circumstances that control that that doesn’t happen. ( co pilots, alcohol testing, training etc).
Maybe one can not compare “ making mistakes” to “ having an attitude/ opinion”. But this is an example of having a greater impact. The bus driver who ran into the Broncos bus comes to mind. Are we judging him harder, because he killed more innocent people than someone who “ just” runs over the 90 year old next door?
Following the discussion in the Polarisation thread, the following thought came to me:
Famous and/ or rich people have more influence on people’s opinions and/ or lives. They also are as fallible as every one of us unknown and un- rich people ( though wealth is relative if you look at it from a global perspective). As most people, they will put their money towards what they think is right, which can have huge impact on a lot of people.
Like: Belinda Gates thinks that overpopulation is the main culprit for the developing world , so she throws money at contraception ( lets assume she doesn’t have a material interest ,but a genuine wish to help). She is not the first one who has the attitude to know better than the people she is targeting. In fact, I dare say, humans have a tendency to act on what they think is best without asking. So, in that, she is like everybody else, except, she just has more impact.
Mother Theresa strikes me as someone who has the same problem , just from a religious point of view. She seemed to believe in pure charity. I give- you receive. I am the helper, you are the helped. Set roles very common in church congregations as well as helping professions.
Again, the outcome is only so significant, because of her being so well known and that attitude having such a large impact. Mrs. Smith, who volunteers for X congregation and has the same attitude only affects how Jonny D. feels, who is coming to the soup kitchen and has to show his appreciation and say the lords prayer before he gets it.
So, what I am getting at is that I see the difference only in the outcome, which is in fact a shame, because it could be so much better if people wouldn’t assume they always know what’s best ( but look at WC2- who doesn’t sit in the same boat?) - but not in the person them self.
Does having a greater outcome make a person” more guilty” than another? It certainly is a greater responsibility.
We all would wish that the pilot who flys the jumbo jet will not make a mistake, as small mistakes will have a bad outcome. But since we all make mistakes, it needs to be the circumstances that control that that doesn’t happen. ( co pilots, alcohol testing, training etc).
Maybe one can not compare “ making mistakes” to “ having an attitude/ opinion”. But this is an example of having a greater impact. The bus driver who ran into the Broncos bus comes to mind. Are we judging him harder, because he killed more innocent people than someone who “ just” runs over the 90 year old next door?