The famous US Diplomat and political scientist Henry Kissinger, at a meeting, remarked that a competing fellow diplomat’s idealistic “superior morality” regarding friendlier statecraft techniques were “not borne out of an open-mindedness“. Rather, was a feeling derived from “a consciousness of safety conferred by an insular position”.
I never forgot that extremely wise observation of human nature. It’s easy to adopt all sorts of high minded, virtue-signaling life viewpoints when you don’t suffer from the negative consequences of their application.
I didn’t do it as much as a younger man but in the last 16 years or so, I’ve come to understand the importance of checking myself before imposing any opinions to anyone about anything.
What do I know, after all, about the full spectrum of life? I am on one side of privilege, yes, but I know painfully well what the other side is.
The last thing I ever want is to forget what it was like on that other side and become insufferable, out of touch with those whose circumstances forced them to different outcomes in life.
This is the one small improvement I’m devoted to permanently improving upon.
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