We. HATE. Complexity.
It’s true… ninety nine times out of a hundred, if you’ve got an easy fix that will patch over a problem versus the more convoluted, difficult fix that you may not fully understand that will take care a problem more permanently, you’re probably going to advocate for the easy fix you understand.
It’s human nature.
The problem is, when it comes to people, we want to think that we have the fix that everyone can use! One size fits all, easy to apply, just do this, send this letter on to five other people, blah blah freakin blah.
Everyone walks their own path, everyone’s got their own problems, and those problems can have some way different solutions. One of those bigger problems we have as a society is our complete inability to let people walk their own damn path- and advocating for or against things that have absolutely no impact in their own small world.
So take the above here- some of these things don’t impact you if you choose not to have them. Some of them do. Cigarettes and guns do have an impact on others, due to the folks that have them being irresponsible- it goes back to the argument of your rights end where they negatively impact someone else’s.
But on gay marriage, abortions, sex, drugs, porn, alcohol, etc… as a society we can’t seem to keep those opinions about those things to ourselves because of whatever reason. I mostly blame overreaching faith- and if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I am absolutely not a fan. My faith is a private, personal thing, and I don’t advocate based on it. You could almost say I’m selfish with it; the insights my faith has provided to me were hard won, and they are mine and mine alone.
The root of the truth is that I truly believe you cannot be given faith; it’s something that you search for and come to terms with. For me to try to tell you about my path is rude; it cheapens your own. I guide no one, and really would prefer that no one try to guide me.
But I’m getting away from my point.
Life isn’t easy. Problems aren’t easy. While it’s commendable to want to help others, most of the time all we can do is listen and let them unburden themselves as caring friends. Sometimes, there’s going to be a suggestion we can offer or a sense of commiseration, but sometimes all you can do is be there and try to walk in their shoes for just a little while, and keep that walk in your mind.
Can you believe I walked all the way through that to tell you that the sometimes all we can offer is empathy and letting folks know they are seen and heard and we’re trying to understand them?
Yeah, me neither. So many words.
Curiouser and Curiouser 