The Enlightened MD PhD: Confessions of an MD PhD Heretic: The Second Commandment: Love Everything

The Love Everything Table of Errors

	Positive Errors	Negative Errors	Ignorance Errors
Self	Narcissism	Self Harm	Unconscious Self Shadow
Others	Idiot Compassion	Unfair Punishment	Unconscious Societal Shadow

The Error of Unfair Punishment and Unconscious Societal Shadow

Denial and projection can arise when we don’t explore our own shadows. We then project these hidden shadows upon “the other.”

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-second-commandment-love-everything_14.html

Not only do we as individuals have our own shadows, but societies have collective shadows. Therefore, we can witness the laws that are passed which reflect the shadows of society.

This often results in unfair punishment. Sometimes, the laws are passed to punish for crimes that have no real victim, except for the self, such as drug use and prostitution.

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/02/addictions.html

We can witness holocausts marked by the mass killing of people as the result of society’s shadows and labeling of “The Other.” There are smaller holocausts where an elementary school boy is suspended for kissing a girl, and labeling this sexual harassment, or expelled for chewing his sandwich into a gun shape.

Sometimes we don’t punish for crimes. Sometimes we punish economically. We punish those who we feel do not “work hard enough.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_and_Dimed

We allow to suffer those parts of our society that we label as “the other,” those “who are not in our family.” We allow to exist garbage dumps, pollution, and crime in areas where the poor have no political power.

http://enlightenedmdphd.blogspot.com/2013/02/just-stranger-in-strange-landpart-2.html

Remember, the higher we are on the evolutionary scale, the greater percentage of persons we consider to be “family.” Family is defined as those we are willing to care for emotionally, and economically if needed.

We care for them not with Idiot Compassion, but with Wise Compassion. We take care of the poor, but we don’t enable sloth and laziness. Yet, as a society we might err on the side of compassion and generosity.

We teach people how to care for themselves. Creating methods and institutions to help people to grow and evolve from the earliest of ages. We teach people “how to fish.” We offer them the practices that can help them grow.

Is this “pie-in-the-sky” idealism? Not necessarily. We can do this wisely. We don’t spend the money that we don't have. Yet, we invest in the future to the 7^th generation. We don’t go for the short-term profit. We can serve the world by engaging in “Fair Trade.”

Yes, we have a long way to go as a society. Nonetheless, if we individually commit to our own growth, we elevate all of society.

It is painful to see people suffer.

Therefore, we must walk the razors edge of wisdom and compassion. Realizing what might be too soon for our current society. Looking carefully at the next Right Action.

In closing, wishing you each the growth and unfolding of your own wisdom and compassion.