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Thursday, April 06, 2006

Balance

"Let him who cannot be alone beware of community… Let him who is not in community beware of being alone… Each by itself has profound pitfalls and perils. One who wants to fellowship without solitude plunges into the void of words and feelings, and one who seeks solitude without fellowship perishes in the abyss of vanity, self-infatuation and despair."

--Dietrich Bonhoeffer

5 comments:

katioschka said...

As for everything else, extremes are often dangerous, but those who reach these extremes are few. Then again, "if it makes them happy", who are we to judge?

Bro. Bartleby said...

Be ware
be: awareness of one's existence
ware: on one's guard; to take heed of

katioschka said...

I agree. Everything in life is potentially full of pitfalls, extremes on either side maybe more than the rest. That's why not many of us feel comfortable in these extremes. But if some of us do find their balance there, why not?

Why do we make some choices? Because they bring the right solutions or some some other warped reason ?

One must test and try for oneself, and try again if necessary until balance is found. And if balance is located on an extreme, maybe it still is for the best, maybe not.
A question of statistics.

I am sure that not too deep down, we mean the same.
Katioschka

Bro. Bartleby said...

Usually those who seek out advice in life matters are well advised to seek balance in one's life. Of course some march to another drummer, so to speak, and seek God for their life matter questions. Francis of Assisi was such a soul, his father attempted to beat the drum for Francis to march to, yet Francis could never march to that tune. Ultimately, in the square of Assisi, before his earthly father and the bishop, Francis traded his earthly father for his Heavenly Father. And forever marched to a new tune.

katioschka said...

After a somewhat misspent youth...according to biographies.
Some need advise, other find their way by themselves, many never do. There seems to be no rule.