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   %QUALITY LIVES FOCUS NEGATIVE POSITIVE EXCLUSIVE+951115
    %DISTINCTION COMPETITION WIN BETTER SELF OTHERS 951115

     The  qualities  of  our  lives  depend  greatly  upon
whether we  choose to focus our  lives  upon  positive  or
negative aspects  of our lives and/or the lives of others;
and not so much upon what judgements we make regarding the
foci of our attention.

     Often  people  think  and act as if  what  counts  is
making the  right judgements regarding whatever they focus
their attention  upon---and thus what counts is whether or
not  they  use the right standards for making  judgements,
follow the correct logic in terms of correct facts,  avoid
subjective biases, etc.

     People   often  think  that  what  counts  is  proper
conformity  to  standards  for  correct  behavior.    Such
thinking  is misleading and usually leads to personal  and
communal    disintegration---for    it    gives     little
consideration  to the importance of focusing upon positive
and  creative integrative  considerations  and  aspects of
live,  rather focuses upon negative disintegrative aspects
of life.

     We  are dammed if we focus upon justifying  ourselves
by distinguishing ourselves from other people who are  not
as  good  as  we are;  not as correct,   perfect,   moral,
ethical,   knowledgeable,   wise,   proper,   respectable,
respected,    distinguished,    accepted,    accomplished,
diligent, wealthy, exclusive, etc.    Excellence in making
such distinctions leads  to  damnation;   to  personal and
communal disintegration  and degradation.    Excellence in
making  such  distinctions  entails  focusing   upon   the
negative aspects of other people  and their lives---either
explicitly or  implicitly.   We  may  think  that  we  are
focusing  upon the positive  aspects  of  life,   but self
justification is not achieved  without comparing ourselves
to   those  who  are  not  as  good  as  we  are.     Self
justification  requires that we be better than those  with
whom we compare ourselves---and  so  entails focusing upon
the negative aspects  of  life  found  in looking at other
people  who  are not as good as  we  are.    There  is  no
distinction  achieved  if we do not make  such distinctive
comparisons.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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