Choosing our Battles

Firstly, by taking a position we are playing the role of judge, which is not always wise, especially if we don’t have access to the facts. Many people have been on the receiving end of people thinking they’re standing up for justice, when they’ve only got access to the headlines, and many people and organisations have been unfairly besmirched over the years because of uninformed judgementalism.

Secondly, its merits do somewhat depend on your spiritual experiences and/or belief system. If you’ve witnessed karma in action too many times to dismiss it, do we little humans need to interfere in the karmic workings of the universe? Maybe yes, maybe no. That’s between you and the universe. I’m not sure a black and white statement such as this necessarily acts as anything we can live by, and may actually distract us from what our true purpose really is.

Thirdly, lots of people are fighting injustice from a place of inner child wounding that may have nothing to do with the context of the situation they’re feeling aggravated by. They’re feeling triggered, but they blame the proximate cause, rather than realising the true underlying cause of their discomfort has absolutely nothing to do with the situation at hand. I’m not convinced that’s a good basis from which to take a position either.

Fourthly, it tends to be more constructive if we can actually identify and promote a sustainable solution to the problem, rather than just getting in a huff about the issue. If you’re sufficiently informed on the situation to feel you are justified in taking a position, then presumably you’ve got the information and the intelligence to propose a solution that will lead to long term improvements, taking into account all of the varied dynamics and complexities of the situation and all of the actors involved. And of course, it’s always worth remembering that we are wise to try and solve problems from a different state of consciousness than the one that created them, which is one of the many benefits of meditation that make it so utterly brilliant at helping us work our way through the thicket of seemingly intractable problems.

Lastly, I can’t see how this proposition is logically coherent. For if we all take a position on everything, how will we possibly have the bandwidth and the energy to actually focus our energies on the matters that we feel really called to respond to? How can we possibly be properly informed on every single issue? We can’t. That information gap is important, because things are rarely as clearcut as they seem. It’s not just agreeing on a general principle or direction, it’s what exact interpretation of that principle we are striving for and how we may get there that also count, as well as making sure it is coherent with the rest of our opinions, worldviews and philosophies, otherwise the inconsistencies will lead to confusion, as well as a lack of adoption, and ultimately, sustainability.

Now it’s very interesting, because I have previously talked about the brilliance of Herschel’s quote The opposite of good is not evil; the opposite of good is indifference. And although this seems to convey a very similar sentiment, for me there is a stark difference between the universal applicability of this statement versus the one given to us by the legend that is Desmond Tutu. There can be, and often is, a huge difference between indifference and neutrality. Indifference represents a complete lack of engagement, nor care about what is going on, whereas one can be hugely engaged on a topic and still find themselves taking a neutral position on that particular matter, because they can see both sides of it. One can care deeply about achieving a positive outcome, but also not feel the need to take a definitive position on exactly what needs to be done to achieve that.

So with massive love and respect to our community member, and indeed the revered Archbishop, I challenge the universal applicability of this statement even though it sounds incredibly worthy. I still recommend we all get involved, when we feel genuinely called to, but as with most things, would advocate we do it from a place of love and understanding, rather than hostility, judgement and moral high groundedness.

Would be lovely to hear your points of view on this, and also if there are other aphorisms out there that you don’t feel sure about!

Will & The Team, xxx

Download the Beeja app for mindful meditation for sleep, meditations for anxiety, meditations for focus and more. Book one of our in-person meditation courses in London or a live online vedic meditation course and experience an elevated level of life.