Published August 21, 2009

 

“A person’s greatest flaw
is failure to see his own”

 

In Book 2 of what are called his “Meditations,” Marcus Aurelius observed:

 

“For a human soul, the greatest of self-inflicted wrongs is to make itself…..a kind of tumor or abscess on the universe; for to quarrel with circumstances is always a rebellion against Nature……”

 

Having once been a “tumor on the universe” myself (presuming I no longer am), I classify as such those people who can:

 

• Express anger and/or contempt for a woman who has undergone the emotionally painful process of abortion
• Call welfare recipients “deadbeats” and “mooches”
• Hate people who try to help others by creating government programs
• Hate those who believe that “less government” is in the best interests of all people
• Feel no compassion for those who do not share their religious views
• Experience joy or satisfaction at the execution or torture of another human being, for whatever crime they committed
• Believe that drug and alcohol addicts do not deserve our compassion and help
• Glibly say “God hates queers”
• Openly ridicule or condemn anyone who offers his sincere ideas toward a solution to a problem

 

I’m sure everyone could add to the list, but my point should be clear – anyone who can do any of the above fails to see their own quite human flaws – and so is disconnected from humanity and thus nature.

 

Such people live mostly in their minds; that is, their egos.  The human mind cannot experience “feelings.”  It is a completely sterile environment where life can be perceived as “black and white” with no allowance for the human element.

 

It’s the only place where things such as the Nazi holocaust can be conceived and implemented.

 

It’s the only place where evil can exist.

 

It’s the place where, due to ignorance and/or fear, many Americans live today.