To Be or Not To Be

A little kingdom I possess,
Where thoughts and feelings dwell;
And very hard the task I find
Of governing it well.
~ Louisa May Alcott

...that more or less describes my situation!

~A Wise Man Said~

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
~ Aristotle
Thursday, April 13, 2023
 

There is a saying in the Hindi language, "Bandar ke haath mein ustara". Roughly translates to "a razor (blade) in the hands of a monkey". It means something like ‘to give a risky job to a novice’ but I also take it to mean ‘a powerful tool in the hands of one who doesn't know its use or who will not use it judiciously’. Someone recently asked me why I don't use a particular power more—as I could use it arbitrarily and without anyone questioning me. That's when I was reminded of this saying. That the quality of a human—as opposed to a monkey—lies in using our discretion, capacities, and powers with ethical intent. While a monkey might enjoy wielding the razor willy-nilly with no regard to whom it hurts, a human shouldn't. But clearly there are many humans who do... more's the pity!


posted by Sylvia D'souza at 7:30 pm 0 comments
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