Minding one's own business
"God" does not write books or invent religions. God DOES create the
world and it's creatures. God instills in each (animal) an animal nature
which in mankind is diverse and more complex than most. It includes the
ability/propensity to act in ways that other individuals find perverse
and horrifying. I personally am upset by all humans that cannot/will not
mind their own business. That includes more than muslims but certainly
most of them (think the parasite/rent-seeking class). I try to live by a mantra suggested to me by Jonathan
Edwards in his creative effort Sunshine which tells me "You can't even
run your own life, I'll be damned if you'll run mine.". I am a Quaker
minister that leads by example, being a Majority Of ONE as suggested by
Thoreau and a Change I Wish To See Made as by Ghandi. These "wisdoms",
as I attach value to, are so widespread in oral and written history as
to be seen in every culture including, I suppose, in the morass of
busybodiness that comprises islam-filth. I have stated, though I will
not try to prove, that I could find some truth in Mein Kamph. Too
degrading is why. By keeping it simple, I know what to hate (like all
political effort to control others as well as coercion/force) and avoid
having my efforts directed by those that are demonizing a particular
group "over there", the favorite tactic of would-be "leaders" for all
time.
posted by John Boanerges Redman at 8:06 AM
1 Comments:
John, in AA, to which I belong and which I honor by remaining anonymous at "the level of press radio and film, (and now the Internet)" as an AA Tradition suggests, there are lots of short, sweet truisms which we use to help us stay sober, three of which are mentioned in the book Alcoholics ALCOHOLICS ANONYMNOUS (A.K.A The Big Book. Those three are "easy does it," "first things first," and "live and let live." Live and let live can be translated as "mind my own business," although perhaps it implies a lot more than just that. It sounds like it should be easy to practice but it isn't, at least not for me.
As for leaders, the AA traditions also say, "Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern." I find this to be true in AA. All of the people I've met in leadership positions in AA have taken the role of serving--not governing--to heart, which IMHO is why after 80 years AA continues to grow. True leadership comes about when someone by consistently working to improve them self rather than others becomes so outstanding at a particular discipline that others are attracted to him or her in order to realize the benefit of some of their wisdom or expertise. They need not and do not "tell" people what to do. Rather they set an example that others want to emulate.There are no leaders in government and I sincerely doubt there ever have been.
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