Overcoming Determinism
Whether something is good or bad for us or others is not always immediately apparent. And it may change according to the situation. Which means that universal, timeless, generalizable rules for what is good or bad according to its essence will likely fail. Otherwise, we would live in a deterministic world, where the only challenge would be figuring out what in fact is good and bad, definitively, and then, like clockwork, obeying and fulfilling our duties.
No, life is more complex, perhaps, and requires more from us; there is no going to sleep at the wheel, assuming that things can just go on autopilot as soon as we have figured out what goes into which category. We must find a way to relax into accepting the power of judgment, and discernment, according to each situation, as we do it, updating in real time without the will to punish or embarrass. Taking a wide a palette of considerations into account, allows us to make better decisions, while also accepting that we will also sometimes – often – get it wrong, and need to adjust accordingly.
How graciously we learn and pivot depends on how far we have to go before changing course.
