ORDINARY LIFE - Thoughts and Ideas to Help You Live a Happier Life
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Summary for January 12, 2020
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Dear Folks -
I called this week’s talk -
“Being Caring and Careful About What You Say and What You Hear"
I began by asking this question: “What do you call a person who does not accept facts that challenge his or her beliefs?” The answer is: normal.
We all do it. If new facts challenge our firmly held religious or political positions, we resist hearing those facts. However, in our effort to live in light of the teaching “do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself,” we are having to construct a new story for the future viability of our species and our planet. This new story is called for in light of our knowing that we all reside, along with all else who are and all else that is, on one “blue marble.” No one region or religion has “the truth.” The new story must embrace all who are and all that is.
The story that we are to create will be constructed out of words. A problem is that many people do not know how to use words wisely or well.
Because we have been living under the threat of possible war in the past few weeks, I talk about how words are used to distract people from their moral values. I mention four ways this can happen. Being aware of the ways our consciences get bypassed by moral disengagement can protect us from unwittingly violating our ethical and religious commitments in conflict. I stressed two points: Whole persons cannot be nurtured in a context of social chaos. And, a coherent social order cannot be constructed by dysfunctional individuals. We start to create the new story by learning, before speaking, to reside in silence.
That is a summary of the talk I offered this week in Ordinary Life. As is often the case, I think the audio version is better than the text from which I spoke.
You can read or download the text from which I spoke, view the presentation slides and listen to the audio of the talk using the links below.
If you are reading this, I want you to know how grateful I am for and to you.
Be well and much love,
Bill Kerley
In order to read or download the text of the talk, click here.
In order to view or download the presentation slides, click here.
In order to listen to or download the audio version of the talk, use the link below.