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Good People & Bad Choices [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-03-03
When I read from the Holy Tora at the start of each Jewish year during the month of Tishrei (Sept-Oct); I come to realize all over again that despite our petty but very real differences humans are all created in the image of Divinity. Personally, I will not go as far to call any person wicked, or evil simply because of a ballot or political stance.
Therefore, if due to my own mishaps and gaps in knowledge I cannot understand or comprehend how or why an individual does this this or that. If I am brought to the point of frustration to call down fire and brimstone on a creation of God! I must make it my business, my due diligence to understand their point of view first. This means I must be willing to opening myself to their understanding even if I think that I am “totally woke”. In the year 2025, we have the best form of communication that our planet has even seen; yet all of us are limited in knowing what is truly going on in my neighbors' minds and hearts unless we truly seek the answer.
It has been said and argued by some that when people have an ideology to justify their actions, they'll do “bad” things.
I would like to quote Philip G. Zimbardo, professor emeritus of psychology at Stanford University, argues that people do “evil things when they have an ideology — or system of ideals — to lean on.”
In view of our recent election in the United Sates of America; I learned from many individuals who felt in their hearts that they made the wrong decision they stated that daily and nightly they are praying for a better outcome then what may result from their votes.
I hold that any time individuals are displaying behaviors viewed as uncharacteristically “bad” may also suffer from issues that stem from other reasons, the main including a lack of self-awareness. I would like to add to be fair that misunderstood behavior should be diagnosed by an expert before we allow it to define who a person is.
I read in Sefer Noah (Book of Noah) that after Ha-Mabul (The Flood) that a person has ‘“evil ways” (truly) only in their youth.’ The Tora helps us understand that certain behaviors, thoughts and actions that a person may display may only exist because of their immaturity or lack of understanding. This idea of youth applies to the psychological and emotional maturity of each individual. In the idea of crime and punishment Tora standard and the application thereof used within Jewish Ritual Law, states that one is not judged by the court (Judges) that are not aware of the individuals influence and mental history.
In the common world begin labeled as “good” or “bad” often comes from how others view your long-standing patterns of behavior and personality.
This means that if you typically act with kindness, compassion, and fair judgment, for example, you may be perceived/labeled as “good.”
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