People‘R’Gray
Not White. Not Black. Not Pink. Not Yellow. Not Golden. Not Colorful.
There are no good people. There are no bad people.
Good intentions are also a myth. We have a saying in Portugal that goes like: “de boas intenções está o inferno cheio!”.
This means that Hell is stuffed with good intentions.
Hitler was great for German economy at first. The Roman army has built great roads through the nations they obliterated. Every damned monster may have some qualities.
The worst serial killer may have helped a little blind girl to cross the street thus saving her from being runed over by a good doctor rushing to save a human life.
No devil is unable to do Good. No saint could claim never to have done anything Bad.
Plus, the nicer and closer to holiness the more boring they seem to become, that alone is enough to hit a snake instead of a ladder, and down you go, all the way to the gates of hell. Actually being boring is not a deadly sin, but I don’t like boring people.
Back to the point.
That is why I always say people are gray.
The only tags I still use are ‘us’ and ‘them’, meaning me and the ones I like and the rest of the world.
From ‘us’ I can forgive all the petty stuff, but am very demanding when it comes to real issues like honesty.
From ‘them’ I expect nothing, meaning I don’t really care about real issues but I also don’t put up with petty crap.
So as anyone can see the only thing people can actually complain is that if I don’t like them they will be ignored, even if they are great people...
The only problem with all this is that I never am disappointed by ‘them’. And there is no way to say the same about ‘us’!
There are no good people. There are no bad people.
Good intentions are also a myth. We have a saying in Portugal that goes like: “de boas intenções está o inferno cheio!”.
This means that Hell is stuffed with good intentions.
Hitler was great for German economy at first. The Roman army has built great roads through the nations they obliterated. Every damned monster may have some qualities.
The worst serial killer may have helped a little blind girl to cross the street thus saving her from being runed over by a good doctor rushing to save a human life.
No devil is unable to do Good. No saint could claim never to have done anything Bad.
Plus, the nicer and closer to holiness the more boring they seem to become, that alone is enough to hit a snake instead of a ladder, and down you go, all the way to the gates of hell. Actually being boring is not a deadly sin, but I don’t like boring people.
Back to the point.
That is why I always say people are gray.
The only tags I still use are ‘us’ and ‘them’, meaning me and the ones I like and the rest of the world.
From ‘us’ I can forgive all the petty stuff, but am very demanding when it comes to real issues like honesty.
From ‘them’ I expect nothing, meaning I don’t really care about real issues but I also don’t put up with petty crap.
So as anyone can see the only thing people can actually complain is that if I don’t like them they will be ignored, even if they are great people...
The only problem with all this is that I never am disappointed by ‘them’. And there is no way to say the same about ‘us’!
posted by DCveR at 10:18 AM
9 Comments:
Pretty good policy!
I try to accept people as they are. I'm basically easy going about people. But if someone is consistently mean, nasty, harmful, spiteful I avoid him / her. Better for my peace of mind.
We've had some crimes committed here, I can't imagine calling the doers of those crimes 'gray'. Brrrr.....
tacit: Sorry, didn't know Mother Teresa, even if I had ever met her and had I known her 'bad' deed, I don't think I would share it with the world. Me throwing the first stone at her?! No way...
GG: I have known persons, murderers even, that I can understand, that I can go as far as to say I would have done the same they did. On the other hand I've known creatures I would shoot easier than I would shoot a duck. And I like hunting ducks.
Excellent defintion. I subscribe to it as well.
Now what's this about you not liking us boring people?! ;) *lol*
bf: I thought about it also ;]
I think everyone does things because of something and I wonder what is the background of this post. Maybe there's somewhone who's not on the 'us' side but who did something that hit you? It was just my first thought :)
bent: You hadn't noticed before?
LOL
shyha: everybody as some kind of 'agenda', that bit is true
DC, I was too busy being boring to notice. :p~~~~~
I'm with shyha. Was there a situation that served as a catalyst for this post or were you just ruminating?
In a way. Co-worker's crap friends. Well not just co-worker, she is a good friend too, only too trusting with people that don't deserve it...
DCvR, as someone who has spent her life trying to do the "right" thing (i.e. the thing that society would be most apt to consider right and good), I can assure you it does not lead to happiness, contentment, good fortune or good relationships. Rather, it brings about a distrust of one's own instincts, something that can wreak absolute havoc. I think you have a wonderful philosophy - far better than the Christian philosophy (rarely lived out) of doing unto others... Perhaps we would be far better off doing unto "us" and let "them" worry about their "us". Hm? I think that if you look to people in general for inspiration, you will go down a long, black spiralling hell. But to know one or two good people in life who you truly admire, that is a gift.
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