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Demonising Others

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  • December 28, 2015 at 4:35 pm #90783
    jock
    Participant

    It’s something that has been bothering me for the last few years.
    When I was a child or even right up to my late twenties, I had such a naïve view of the world. I was hardly ever suspicious of anyone. I was especially vulnerable to con artists like used car salesmen. They could trick me so easily into getting the worst deal and signing a repayment loan at high interest, like up to 20%!
    Friendships. I was never aware of dominant personalities, liking me because I never challenged them. I was always thought others had the best intentions, so I never questioned it. In a way, I was happy, because I was blissfully ignorant of other people’s agenda.
    But now, I feel I’ve gone too far the other way. I see a person’s cunning before their good points. Then with some serious long-term rumination, these people can feel like monsters in my imagination. fear accumulates and becomes like a horror movie in my mind! 🙂
    Part of me says “how could you think such evil thoughts about others. You are the evil one.”
    And that brings me to an insight I had this morning. Does it take the evil in us to recognise the evil in others? A bit like the movie about the clever detective chasing the criminal. He has to be able to think like a criminal in order to catch him.
    I think I miss being naïve. 🙂

    December 28, 2015 at 5:00 pm #90785
    Saiisha
    Participant

    I think I’m very naive myself Jack – or so people tell me all the time. I was just saying that on another thread – I have an idealistic vision for the world, you know like Lennon’s “Imagine” song, but I also think there have been idealistic people who made a difference in the world – like Gandhi that I mentioned in my other thread, and of course Mother Teresa. Yes, the world is full of cunning people – in fact the world seems to be run by them! But I don’t want to think about them… I’d much rather create my own little happy world 🙂 (rather than a horror movie!)

    December 28, 2015 at 5:08 pm #90786
    Saiisha
    Participant

    As for your question, “does it take the evil in us to recognize the evil in others?” I think there may be some truth to that – we are after all a reflection of what we see; however I think it could also be your wisdom that sees through the “evil” in others.

    Ignorance might be bliss, but only when we don’t know we’re ignorant!

    December 28, 2015 at 5:09 pm #90787
    jock
    Participant

    Gandhi was no fool though. Having a lawyer background, he could guess other people’s agenda. His non-violent protests showed a smart way to effect change for the better.

    December 28, 2015 at 5:14 pm #90788
    Saiisha
    Participant

    True, maybe Gandhi had his own agenda in order for him to recognize other people’s agendas!

    December 28, 2015 at 5:14 pm #90789
    jock
    Participant

    I think a lot of us who have to live a pragmatic life face moral dilemmas. We need to have our wits about us, so we don’t get taken advantage of and at the same time stay to true to our moral compass.
    I think we have to recognize evil in order to either confront or avoid it, though.

    December 28, 2015 at 5:18 pm #90790
    Saiisha
    Participant

    Agree!
    And if we do get taken advantage of, we learn the hard way…

    December 28, 2015 at 5:31 pm #90792
    jock
    Participant

    I think this thread title might be annoying authorities. it doesn’t appear on the other webpage.

    December 28, 2015 at 6:43 pm #90801
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Jack:

    At a used car lot, be suspicious, do demonize the salesmen, right there when they offer you the 20% interest loan. At home with your dog, be as naive as you can be, you are safe!

    It is okay to be suspicious of others, many do live up to it!

    I mean, many do live down to (your suspicion).

    anita

    December 28, 2015 at 6:48 pm #90802
    jock
    Participant

    Yeah but what about the vibe with meeting people who have a suspicious persona? They make me feel uncomfortable. I don’t trust them. It’s probably how people feel meeting me these days. 🙂 But I’ve never been one for making good first impressions anyway.

    Edit: by suspicious I mean they give you the third degree interrogation. you are guilty until proven innocent. I prefer meeting people who see me as innocent before being proven guilty. 🙂

    • This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by jock.
    • This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by jock.
    December 28, 2015 at 7:08 pm #90810
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Jack:

    Well, if I was a used car salesman and was an honest person, I would understand a suspicious customer and go out of my way to put that customer at ease. The customer’s third degree will be understandable. Here on tiny buddha, if a person gives me the third degree, after some empathy on my part, I hope, I will say: just skip my post, I am not trying to sell you anything, so move on!

    So depending on circumstance.. any particular in mind?

    anita

    December 28, 2015 at 7:39 pm #90817
    jock
    Participant

    I guess this just proves that I grimly hold on to some thread of idealism. I’d like to think there’s a place outside my home where I can relax and be myself. Not have to be so guarded.

    December 28, 2015 at 7:50 pm #90822
    Anonymous
    Guest

    There are such places, like the coffee shop: you didn’t have to leave, remember? The waitress was not really dangerous to you. In school, on the other hand, I was in danger of being called names and having things thrown at me when I was teacher-victim. Again, depends. Are we talking about the same thing? My thinking may be a bit muddled tonight… I even considered not posting but of course, that just wouldn’t be… me.
    anita

    December 28, 2015 at 8:20 pm #90831
    jock
    Participant

    anita
    you know I’ve been on here everyday almost for at least 3 months! How long for you, by the way?

    December 29, 2015 at 7:50 am #90845
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Dear Jack:

    I tried to find out just now but my computer is too slow and it would take too much time to go back pages to see my first post. I did see that the first thread I started was three months ago. I remember that you taught me how to start a thread and following your simple instructions I started one, September 2015 I suppose. I registered in tiny buddha sometime earlier in 2015.

    Do you have thoughts regarding the time line of your/my participation here?

    anita

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