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                        %ENVISIONING RECONCILIATION 860724

     In  the face of taboos against reconciliation between
complementary ideals  it takes  courage and creativity  to
envision  the reconciliation between  complementary ideals
which  under  the threat of taboo are viewed  as being  in
ultimate conflict with each other.

     Stated  in  the  abstract  it  is  hard  to imagine a
powerful taboo against the reconciliation of complementary
ideals,  yet  consider:    Capitalism  vs Communism,  Free
Speech vs Responsibility,   Personal Integrity vs Communal
Integrity,    Free   Sex  vs Responsibility,   Research vs
Education, Objectivity vs Love.

     In  the  face  of  such contests and  their  ways  of
dealing with adversaries  it  is a major  task to envision
the reconciliation  of the apparently  conflicting  ideals
and the  supporters of those ideals  who regard each other
as evil people in  the service of evil  empires.   Popular
leaders encourage such an alienative view and heighten the
conflict.      It   takes   courage   then   to   envision
reconciliation  which  will  promote  both  personal   and
communal integrity.   It takes creativity to envision such
a reconciliation in  ways  which make it evident that  the
greater  integrity  which  would  be  facilitated  by  the
reconciliation would be preferable to either side  winning
the  battle  for  supremacy  for  their  exclusively  good
ideals.

     People  tragically envision the  supremacy  of  their
exclusive ideals as the ultimate good,  and as a corollary
envision the defeat of ideals complementary  to their  own
essential  to  the fulfillment of their own ideals.   Such
visions  lead  to the disintegration of both personal  and
communal  integrity,   for  such visions  lead  people  to
undermine  the  integration of  complementary  ideals  and
values.    In the final analysis i8t is hard  to make  the
case for any ideals or  values.   which   lead  people  to
undermine  both  their  personal  and communal  integrity.
Wherein is the grounds for  respect of ideals which  cause
the disintegration of  those  who  embody the ideals?   To
respect  such ideals leads to  disintegration and  so  the
people who respect such ideals lack integrity.

     We  need people of integrity with courageous  visions
which promote integrity with images of how life  might  be
if  ideals which  are traditionally  viewed as in conflict
were reconciled as  the  complementary  ideals which  they
are.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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