When the Center Does Not Hold
There once was a farmer who felt unfairly treated by the manager of the irrigation district he belonged to; that he hadn’t been given his due.
The man became angry to the point of distraction over the perceived unfairness. One day, he found the manager of the irrigation district, grabbed him by the jacket, and shaking him said, “Tom, as long as you are in charge of the irrigation district, I’m not taking another drop out of that canal.”
The farmer was true to his word. In just one season, his crops dried up, and he was forced to declare bankruptcy. In his willful stubbornness, he lost everything.
Tom may or may not have done anything wrong, but the farmer had no one to blame but himself for the results of his own actions. Blaming the frailties or failings of others on our own failings and shortcomings is as foolish as me blaming the ground that my front porch is sinking or that entire box of donuts I ate for my not feeling well.
All societies are guided by a compass made of shared morals and values. This doesn’t mean there is a lack of individuality in both morals and values. In fact, those shared values in a society often form from a kind of melting pot of individualism.
Some changes to that compass are good. Some, not so much. Those in the “not so much” category often come from the vocal…
