This is http://www.essayz.com/a9712303.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.} ========================================================== %WHAT WHOM TRUST SAFELY SECURITY VULNERABLE LOVE 971230 What or whom can we trust most safely, reliably, securely? We can know them by their fruits. It is risky to trust anything which is disembodied, because apart from embodiment in people it is often difficult to know the likely fruits. We need to be cautious about trusting anything which is disembodied; e.g., money, property, electro-mechanical devices, technologies, technical systems, political systems, educational systems, religious systems, etc. --- apart from humane embodiments thereof. The real test of anything which we might properly trust is found within the fruits of humane embodiments thereof --- in people of integrity who demonstrate in balanced ways that which is trustworthy; worthy of trust. That which is not yet incarnate in such people may prove to be worthy of trust --- but final judgement is best withheld until people of integrity demonstrate through their lives that which is worthy of trust, respect, honor and support. That which is trustworthy, is trustworthy within a contextual fabric of life --- not in isolation. That which is in isolation, is not embodied in humane people. Nothing is truly trustworthy in isolation; i.e., in alienation from its context. Alienated people and things are not worthy of trust --- because they are not integrated into any whole with integrity. It is not possible to know how that which is detached, alienated, will respond within a complex context --- so judgement should be withheld and only tentative conclusions drawn about trusting it. Any thing or person that discourages openness, honest dialogue, intimacy, friendships, spontaneity, creativity and growth through prudent change ----- thereby threatens our personal and communal integrities --- because such discouragement threatens the reliability of the connections between us. If we cannot trust our communications --- we cannot trust our relationships and the participants in our relationships. If we are not participating in open and honest communications --- we are out-of-touch, alienated, uninformed, ignorant, confused, and bound to be prejudiced. People who are not participating in open and honest communications are unlikely to be trustworthy, and should be dealt with cautiously and prudently --- in gracious ways which will encourage them to become involved in open and honest communications. Ideas, ideals, values, principles, commandments, prescriptions, proscriptions, scriptures and all other guides and leaders in life which discourage: open and honest dialogue, intimacy, friendships, spontaneity, creativity and growth through prudent change --- need to be approached cautiously and prudently. If they are not embodied within humane people of integrity --- within communities of humane integrity --- it is not possible to judge them reliably by their fruits. Often such disembodied entities become the tragic foci of addictive people and codependent supporters when they do become embodied --- with disintegrative consequences. They may promise human salvation --- but lead to personal and communal disintegration. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================