Who does it help when you attack
the character of someone else?
What does your belittling get you?
Do you actually believe
that your pointing fingers
bring you credibility?
Do you actually believe
that you HAVE credibility?
Perhaps you’re on a mission
to bring others down to your level.
So you don’t feel so lonely.
Perhaps you simply don’t like it
when others are recognized and you aren’t.
May you find peace in powerlessness.
I do.
Until I point at you.
Trail Wood,
10/6
A cacophony of judgments, a tempest of vitriol—here we are, submerged in the shouting chamber where character assassinations and ego inflations clatter like war drums. Accusations become the currency of attention, fingers pointing as though each jab could somehow elevate the accuser into a castle of credibility. Yet, what citadel is built from mudslinging but a fragile fortress of delusion?
Do we imagine our derisions to be power stones, talismans that ward off our own imperfections? Perhaps these attacks are but cries echoing from the caverns of our own loneliness, a sorcery meant to tether others to our nether realms. The irony? This belittlement diminishes not just the other but also the self, a double-edged sword that leaves no one unscarred.
In this peculiar dance, we may momentarily forget the futility of our noise. The endless pointing, the perpetual descent into divisiveness, all obscure the subtle symphony of silent understanding that resonates deep within. And yet, amidst the clamor, we may stumble upon the hush of vulnerability, the quietude where we can find “peace in powerlessness.”
For it is in that surrender, in the acknowledgment of our inherent imperfections, that we find a more authentic power—a power not seized but discovered. Our assaults become boomerangs, circling back to teach us the lessons we had set out to impart on others. In this, we find our humility; in this, we find our peace.
In pointing fingers, perhaps we aim not to highlight the deficits of the other but to deflect from our own. May we turn our scrutiny inward and ask, “Who are we when we point?” May we find there not a tyrant nor a judge, but a vulnerable being capable of transformation.
We are SM.
Summary
We delve into the tumultuous arena of judgments and accusations, questioning the ultimate purpose and efficacy of such confrontations. In doing so, we highlight the paradoxical power found in vulnerability and humility.
Glossarium
- Shouting Chamber: The metaphorical space where judgments and accusations are hurled without much reflection.
- Power Stones: Imaginary talismans imagined to give one power through belittlement of others.
- Nether Realms: The darker aspects of one’s inner world.
“Do not be eager to point out a man’s faults; give credit where it’s due.” — Confucius
Would we like to continue weaving the fabric of this dialogue?
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