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Home » Categories » Personal » Personal Development » First Do No Harm » Printer Friendly

Susan Thom

Always On The Edge

First Do No Harm

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Submitted Sunday, November 16, 2008
Susan Thom (9,936)
Susan Thom


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If this concept were automatically ingrained in we humans at the time of conception, the world would be a much more loving, caring, and happy place to live. In the medical profession, this insight is often misused and abused, however, I'm talking about a God given emotion in all of us that would never go beyond "First, do no harm." Our decision making process would be so much easier if we simply thought about what we were about to say or do. Would it first cause harm to another? Would it cause harm to an animal? Would it cause harm to ourselves?

And why is this harm occurring? A disagreement? A difference of opinions? A revengeful mind? Insecurity in our own personalities? Must we jump to the negative at every turn, when it would help if we were instilled with, "First, do no harm." Isn't it enough that we know God is watching us, and is aware of everything we think and do? Obviously not. We, as a people, put others down who don't believe in our beliefs, we make fun of others that look different, we judge what we don't understand, and we set out to hurt those we don't care for. And then, we go to church.

We want what others have, and will sabotage them in their efforts to survive and thrive. We preach the talk, but we don't live the walk. We obviously were created by the same entity. We all have the same bodies, although some are short, some tall, some big, and some small. White people have ears and eyes noses and heads, bodies, legs and arms. Lo and behold, so do Blacks, Hindus, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and any other person on this Earth. Even homosexuals! Has anybody ever thought there might be a reason for that? If we were to "First do no harm" we wouldn't worry about the color of one's skin or the slant of one's eyes.

Our World is evolving, and I hope it is for the better, but as long as one person thinks they are better than another, or judges others unlike themselves, we will not be doing God's will. He created everyone equal, why would He be happy that His people are fighting with each other, putting each other down, and killing each other over ideas or concepts? And those are just the people not involved in the Wars that are going on. How God must be feeling knowing His children are killing each other, just because they're different, and haven't figured out how to communicate yet?

I am not naive enough to think that if enemies try to attack, we should invite them in for dinner, but those enemies are our brethren, you know, like they say in church, and yet we have weapons of mass destruction, and boys going off to war. I believe that someone like our President elect, can talk to many of our enemies, and come to a better conclusion than death among our militaries. There is plenty on God's green Earth to satisfy the masses, so does that mean we are a greedy people, and must have more?

Must we, as Americans, rule the whole World? Sometimes, it definitely appears that way. There is so much in this World that we don't even know about, and yet, so much of what we do know about is depressing, and leaves little room for hope. Why? If another country is fighting, and we send troops over because we "care", then where does our "First, do no harm" come in with the troops of our own men and women come into play? It's ironic, don't you think, that we would be willing to have our own people killed in the line of helping others?

It makes no sense to me. I have had arguments with people in my past that I used bad language, name calling, yelling, kicking, screaming, etc. I worked very hard on changing those characteristics to that of a calmer, more peaceful and helpful person. It was hard work to get rid of a lot of pent up anger, and realize there was a better way. Why can't the heads of countries do the same? Does any country revel in the fact that thousands of their people have been killed? Do they even remember what they're fighting for?

Okay, so we can't control any of that, we can only hope that this new administration can protect us. As they are trying to figure out how to do that, my son, completely overwhelmed by a recruiter, getting paid for recruiting him, is getting ready to go into the Air Force. He has been convinced that he will come out with a very good paying job, while first learning how to become a man. If he is sent to Iraq, he will have his rifle and his gear, and he will look into the person's eyes he kills, and will never, ever forget. Or worse yet, the enemy will look into his eyes.

Someday, we, as a people will wake up, just like we did when we allowed women to vote, or slaves to be freed. We will realize that we are all God's children, and getting along is more prosperous for all. It won't matter what color we are, or where we come from, or how old we are, or how rich or poor. Will it be our children's generation that will start the change? They're already being judged because of their tattoos, and dreads in their hair, and piercings.

I don't care for any of these things either, but I look into someone's eyes, and therefore their souls, when I speak to them, and have had great conversations with many young kids who are intelligent and caring, dreads and all.

We have got to learn how to get along, someway, someday, or the fighting will never end, and the killing will continue, or the judgments made on others' will ruin any chance of true happiness and altruism. We have so much to be grateful for, and yet, we act like spoiled brats. It's time for a change, and I hope it begins soon.

   

 


Susan Thom is the mother of three children, two sons, 18 and 21, and a daughter 23. Writing calms her, and gives her a place to go by herself! Clears the head and gets it out. She lives in a rural area, with a lake and mountains, her son and her partner, and has loved writing since she was a child.

She certainly hopes you enjoy her take on life, and her style of communicating that in stories.

She has been on a journey of self discovery for twenty years, and has learned many things about the human mind, and how to maintain some semblance of calm and peace within.

If someone reads one of her stories, and relates to her feelings, and maybe gets a suggestion on how she dealt with them in a positive way, that would be the ultimate gift of her writing.






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Comments on this article:


» left by Dianne Lehmann (4,729)
Dianne Lehmann
(230 days ago.)

Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
Hi Sue.
 
Wow. That was a mouthful. And you are so, so very right.
 
I  hope your son gets out of this all that he thinks he will and comes through it all with his life intact. These are very uncertain times and I can only imagine what you must be feeling.
 
I try to hold peace in my heart every day and live the tolerance that I preach in the hopes that, by example, it will grow in the world. I believe that by changing ourselves for the better, it creates an atmosphere in the world that makes it easier for others to also change themselves.
 
With all that you have accomplished, you are a beacon of light and hope.
 
With respect,
Dianne

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» left by Susan Thom (9,936)
Susan Thom
(229 days 23 hours ago.)

hi dianne,
when i say i appreciate your comments, i truly do.
thank you.
my son is very special to me, our birthdates are 10 days apart, so we share many if not all of the same characterictics and feelings.
how do i feel? like 21 years of raising and loving and arguing with my son is either going to continue or end in a second's notice. i try not to think negatively, but it's hard. i envision the worst and hope for the best, but envisioning the worst breaks my heart and blows my mind. i pray he stays safe, as i also pray God will stay with me if anything happens. i can't talk about it without crying, and i'm shedding tears as i type.
on the up side, if all goes well, he will be self sufficient, and won't have to worry about paying the bills as he does now.
my divorce has lasted 20 months so far, and won't be over for 3 more weeks, and then i get hit with this. i'd rather go through the divorce for 20 years!
i can tell you are a kind, considerate woman, and i'm positive your good example helps others, even if you aren't aware of it.
keep up the good fight.
my best to you,
sue
 

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» left by David Tanguay (8,949)
David Tanguay
(229 days 11 hours ago.)

Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
Yeah Susan, maybe someday we as a people will learn how to live as civilized human beings and not aggressive animals.

Respond to this comment
» left by Susan Thom (9,936)
Susan Thom
(229 days 1 hour ago.)

hi david,
thank you for reading and responding.
there's always hope...
my best to you,
sue

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» left by Chiradeep - The Candles (1,497)
Chiradeep - The Candles
(228 days 21 hours ago.)

Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
Sue! What an excellent article. It is so much neccessary for us to learn 'how to tolerate'. Though I am not an american but I still feel the same way you feel. We tolerate the things that we are not supposed to tolerate, that's sexual immorality etc...and we don't tolerate when we needed to be.
 
Oh! we really need the power & strength of the Holy Ghost to be tolerant in the real sense, then only violence & fighting will come to an end.
 
Thanks for sharing this...May God Bless you...

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» left by Susan Thom (9,936)
Susan Thom
(228 days 7 hours ago.)

hi tc,
thanks for reading and commenting.
it's a rough time for everybody, but i do have Faith that we will one day see the light.
i might not see it, but hopefully, the next generation that will include my kids, and grandkids, will.
i'm so glad you stopped by.
i hope you are well,
my best to you,
sue

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» left by David Pekrul (4,313)
David Pekrul
(226 days 10 hours ago.)

Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
The book of Leviticus contains many laws given by God as to how people should treat each other. Maybe people should start there by reading God's word.
I found the following on a website. It shows that "The Golden Rule" has been preached by many religions in the world and yet have we understood yet?
THE GOLDEN RULE
The Golden Rule or the ethic of reciprocity is found in the scriptures of nearly every religion. It is often regarded as the most concise and general principle of ethics.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself. - Judaism and Christianity. Bible, Leviticus 19.18
Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. - Christianity. Bible, Matthew 7.12
Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. - Islam. Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 13
A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated. - Jainism. Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence. - Confucianism. Mencius VII.A.4
One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire. - Hinduism. Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva 113.8
Tsekung asked, "Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?" Confucius replied, "It is the word shu--reciprocity: Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you." - Confucianism. Analects 15.23
Love your neighbour as yourself. - Leviticus 19.18: Quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22.36-40
Comparing oneself to others in such terms as "Just as I am so are they, just as they are so am I," he should neither kill nor cause others to kill. - Buddhism. Sutta Nipata 705
One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts. - African Traditional Religions. Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria)
One who you think should be hit is none else but you. One who you think should be governed is none else but you. One who you think should be tortured is none else but you. One who you think should be enslaved is none else but you. One who you think should be killed is none else but you. A sage is ingenuous and leads his life after comprehending the parity of the killed and the killer. Therefore, neither does he cause violence to others nor does he make others do so. - Jainism. Acarangasutra 5.101-2
The Ariyan disciple thus reflects, Here am I, fond of my life, not wanting to die, fond of pleasure and averse from pain. Suppose someone should rob me of my life... it would not be a thing pleasing and delightful to me. If I, in my turn, should rob of his life one fond of his life, not wanting to die, one fond of pleasure and averse from pain, it would not be a thing pleasing or delightful to him. For a state that is not pleasant or delightful to me must also be to him also; and a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another? As a result of such reflection he himself abstains from taking the life of creatures and he encourages others so to abstain, and speaks in praise of so abstaining. - Buddhism. Samyutta Nikaya v.353
A certain heathen came to Shammai and said to him, "Make me a proselyte, on condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot." Thereupon he repulsed him with the rod which was in his hand. When he went to Hillel, he said to him, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah; all the rest of it is commentary; go and learn." - Judaism. Talmud, Shabbat 31a
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." - Christianity. Bible, Matthew 22.36-40

Respond to this comment
» left by Susan Thom (9,936)
Susan Thom
(226 days 8 hours ago.)

hi david,
thanks for such great information.
i have been instilled with love thy neighbor as thyself, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you since i was able to understand. i try very hard to do so, and succeed most of the time. the hard part is when someone does something so cruel and viscious that it hurts you and your family.
then, it's a little harder, but...practice, not perfection.
thanks for stopping by,
my best regards,
sue

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