Thinking Things Through

Thinking is not the same as doing something because of a thought, be it good or bad.

To be oppressive to other people is harmful. This is the essence of what is considered evil, though it is moderate and is only rarely taken to extreme.

In contrast, to be patient and loving to everyone is harmless and most beneficial to the people who need such caring and love. This arises from the basic goodness which is in all sentient beings yet is only offered to close friends, family and loved ones.

For it take practice to be caring to everyone. It involves being willing to trust oneself and especially in other people, and to nurture the same qualities of patience and love in other people, too.

Thinking of being patient and loving to others, especially someone you never met, requires careful consideration of taking action in a trusting manner, confident that other people will treat you as a loving and patient manner, too.

However, I am not preaching trusting an unknown stranger just like that, since social etiquette usually dictates treating a guest with kindness when a host. As a guest, it's usually prudent to treat your host with courtesy and respect so that whenever you come to visit, you always have a place to stay.

As well, it makes good sense to think before I act, as rash action tends to lead to breaches of etiquette.

Yet thinking is not the same as doing an act. Always it helps to think through an action (helping others, for example), within the context of being helpful and of service to others. For by helping others, work gets done in a manner that is mutually beneficial to all.

However, this article isn't filled with commands and rules, even though it may seem like it. Rather, I am writing it to demostrate that thought precedes action, and have done so to encourage beneficial and positive outcomes based on patience and love.