#644 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday April 26)
Good morning,
The other day I was speaking with a friend who was upset with something another friend said. I shared with him the adage that one rarely can change another person’s behavior—we can only change our own. But perhaps, changing one’s own behavior can at least influence the other person. This is true not only in inter-personal relations but in international relations and dealing with other groups with whom we differ. We can act for ourselves and, in so doing, hope we are helping others make good choices themselves.
A QUESTION OF CHOICE
In confronting the myriad problems we face, too often people resort to the convenient excuse that they are simply caught by circumstances—floating down a river along a predetermined path. I don’t believe that. We make choices all the time. And our choices determine who we are and what we stand for. We are masters of our own destiny. Certainly, there are exogenous factors at play in our lives—opportunities present themselves and things happen that set us back—and then there is just plain luck. But how we engage with these events and how we deal with others is a matter of choice.
These words of Maimonides, the 12th century Jewish philosopher, lawyer and physician, address this thought perfectly:
“We each decide whether to make ourselves learned or ignorant, compassionate or cruel, generous or miserly. No one forces us. No one decides for us, no one drags us along one path or the other. We are responsible for what we are.” --Maimonides
Have a great day,
Glenn
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