This is http://www.essayz.com/a9712131.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %DISCERN WHOM WHAT TRUSTWORTHY RELIABLE SPIRIT LOVE+971213 %INTEGRITY DIFFERENT ALIKE BALANCE COMPLEMENT LACK+971213 %RELIABLE MYSTERY SACRED SYSTEM UNDERSTAND COMMAND+971213 %PREDICT SCRIPTURE CONFLICT HIDE CONCEAL HONEST+971213 %SIN INTIMACY SEX NEED WANT LEAD FOLLOW DIALOGUE 971213 Whom are we to trust with integrity? 1. People who are like us, who like us, whom we like because we are alike --- because they are not "different"? 2. People who compliment us and/or complement us; because they wish to please us and/or to because they can help us be balanced by contributing what we lack? 3. People whose behaviors are reliable and/or are lacking in mystery; who are to us predictable --- perhaps because they are systematic, committed to a system with which we are familiar and which we think we understand? 4. People who conform themselves to certain rules, prescriptions, proscriptions, commandments and/or expectations? 5. People who work to eliminate and smooth over differences, disagreements, conflicts, etc? 6. People who conceal, hide, and/or make little of differences in order to fit in, accommodate, get along? 7. People who are confident, enthusiastic and/or sure of themselves? 8. People who are good at getting us to follow them as leaders? 9. People who give us what we desire, want or need? 10. People who are committed without reservation to some set of ideals, values and principles? How are we to discern when, where and how any people whom we are prone to trust --- may be leading us into disintegrative patterns of attitudes, thoughts, desires, decisions and manipulative technologies? How are we to avoid disintegrative imbalance and alienation? Is it prudent to put unqualified trust in: 1. Large groups of people because we regard them as being more reliable than very small groups or individuals? 2. Long standing traditions as being more reliable than recently developed fads? 3. Ancient scriptures which have long been trusted as being reliably holy, sacred, and free of human biases? 4. Elaborate systems of checks and balances which are administered by carefully selected authorities and leaders who have been duly selected to serve in high offices with great power? 5. Tried and true traditions which have been long honored and never questioned? 6. Prescribed and/or informal rituals which transcend human understanding? 7. People who have great power, wealth and authority? 8. People who keep themselves pure, unsoiled, and free of compromise? 9. People who have a clear vision and are unqualifiedly committed to realizing their clear vision? 10. People who transcend the physical realm through strongly focused spiritual living? Is there any one sure guide which we can trust without doubt, uncertainty and anxiety? Or, must we always be engaged in some kind of creative "balancing act" in order to enjoy life-long personal and communal integrity? (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================