Imagine your riding along, enjoying your day. Up ahead you see a fine looking fellow who tosses his water bottle into the woods. What to do?
In his world, there is no problem. The results of his actions are too distant to comprehend and his cares are too few.
In your world the fires of anger have begun to burn. How can someone act with such blatant disrespect and carelessness?
Who's problem is it? How to proceed? How do your resolve this collision of worlds? Do you set out and attack, or perhaps employ some intergalactic diplomacy?
We imagine that the resolution to conflicts in our world are too remote, too distant and beyond ourselves. Actually, they are right in front of us. Everyday.
We need to learn how to connect to others in a genuine way. Don't attack them from a superior position, approach them with respect and establish a common ground.
Draw out the implications of their actions, from their perspective, not yours. Engage empathy.
When they accept the implications of their actions they come to embrace a larger scope. They see a bigger picture, how they are connected and the power of their actions. At some point they may come to a decisive experience in which they actually change their view and their behavior.
Ignoring the problem isn't compassionate. And it's not skillful.
Solving the problem for them won't help, they haven't realized why it needs to be solved.
Forcing your position on them will only incite anger in their world, no chance for change then.
So your only option is patience, empathy, connection, reason and respect. From the position of a shared basis, change is possible. Freedom and peace are possible. It's not them against us, it's us against us.
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