Each human being has a unique make-up by way of genetic and intellectual endowment, physical features, emotional disposition, and environmental factors. Each one is uniquely determined and conditioned by a combination of nature and nurture. We are very happy with our strengths, and we do not have any problem accepting them as such. Problem arises with our weaknesses/limitations. By accepting our weaknesses or limitations we can make them work for us. At least they will not slow us down or come in the way of our progress. For instance, when I have lost my balance and know for sure that I am going to fall, falling and rolling might be more helpful in spreading the given impact of the fall over many points of my body. On the other hand, resisting the fall might concentrate the impact at one or two points leading to some bad fractures of. We have a choice to accept or reject our weaknesses. We reject our weaknesses at our own peril. Rejecting our weaknesses uses some of our precious energy that is not available for our growth and development. By accepting our weaknesses, we can use all the available energy for constructive activities. When we do not accept our weaknesses we are not accepting the reality of our condition; we wish things were different. By wishing things to be different from what they really are, we create our own make-believe realities, and lose touch with the world outside of us. That, of course, spells disaster.

             Our strengths tell us who we are and what we can do. Our weaknesses and limitations put a check on us and sober us up. They keep our feet solidly rooted in reality. We are not perfect; we are perfectible. We have to work with who we are and what we have been equipped with. We have to work with ourselves, and often in spite of ourselves. It is not how many talents we have been given that is important; it is what we do with the talents that we do have. We have to be accountable for the talents we have received. We cannot bury them as the ungrateful servant did and blamed his master (creator) as in the Parable of the Talents spoken by Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 25, 14-30). There is no justice or fairness in terms of what we came into this world with or the situations that we have been born into or the fortunes and good luck or misfortunes, accidents, diseases, disasters, and bad luck that we are subjected to. How can it be fair when my friend who was doing doctoral studies with me in St. Louis University, Missouri, USA, was struck down by cancer at the age of 34 long ago, and yet I am alive and kicking and writing all these things? It does not really matter how many years we live. What matters is how we live the years we do have. Sometimes a shortcoming or blemish can even work in our favor. I am reminded of the story of a king and his attendant lost in a dense forest while hunting. They fell into the hands of a very primitive tribe searching for a man for a human sacrifice for the success of their crops. They did not consider the attendant to be fit for the sacrifice in that he had a bad cut on one of his fingers, that amounted to a blemish, and that was really caused by the king's ire. So the king who did not have any bodily blemish was sacrificed. In sum, a truly spiritual person focuses on strengths while accepting weaknesses. By accepting weaknesses we in a way overcome them.


Leveling-up


             Humanity is constantly evolving. It has come a long way from where it was to where it is now. It has gone through the evils of slavery, colonialism, monarchy, dictatorships, authoritarian and hierarchical structures. It has gone through a long traumatic period of racism, apartheid system, caste discriminations, sexism, wars, holocaust, ethnic cleansing. It has suffered from many evils. It still suffers from many evils of the past. Because persons are not conscious of who they really are, i.e., sovereign beings with inalienable rights, they still tolerate or put up with, for instance, monarchy, infallibility, inhuman customs such as genital mutilations and inhuman religious practices that violate human rights. Death penalty or bodily mutilations for crimes need to go. Abortion for family planning or unplanned pregnancy, cosmetic surgery for youthful looks reduction or enhancement of busts or breasts has no place in a holistic world-view. Looking at these and many other matters of lesser importance not mentioned here, humanity has still a very long way to go from where it is to where it is destined to be.

             Humans are created equal and unique, and as such no one is subject to anyone. Yet we subject ourselves voluntarily to one another for a reason or for a period in the prevailing circumstances. No one grudges if one subjects oneself to another, for instance, in surgery or in a job situation. These functional subjections voluntarily made do not alter the sovereign nature of a person. These are limitations due to an imperfect world or present dispensation we live in. Yet it must be categorically said that this world with all its draw-backs is infinitely better than it ever has been in the past. Persons or nations cannot any more contemplate or perpetrate evil and criminal acts with impunity and without consequences as in the near past. That the world is better than it ever has been is mentioned here to counter the arguments of fundamentalist and fanatic religious persons who see rapture around due to what they call signs of the last days of the world on account of moral depravity. Moral depravity of the past cannot be compared to that in the present. Current evils often are begotten from unjust and inhuman policies of the past still continuing. There is an evil reaction in the present to an evil action in the past. Leveling-up means all persons are on the same level as human beings. No one is above or below. That way we do not need to put anybody down or up. Either we bow to all or we bow to none. That does not mean that we do not either appreciate and acknowledge the good points and accomplishments of good persons or deprecate and take note of the crimes of bad people.

             History is a great leveler. We have bad and good people from all strata of society. I am going to cite a few examples from history. Alexander VI, "the most notorious pope in all of history… was marked by nepotism, greed, and unbridled sensuality". He "lived an openly promiscuous life, fathering several children". Henry VIII, the English king who established the Anglican Church after splitting from Rome for not getting his much-sought divorce, executed four of his six wives, slept also with the mother of one of his wives, and worst of all, executed (St.) Thomas More, perhaps the most moral person in the English realm then, for following his conscience. Emperor Aurangzeb, imprisoned his father, Shah Jahan (who himself killed his two brothers to become emperor) and ordered his brother, DaraShikoh, the designated emperor and the favorite son of Shah Jahan, executed. Aurangzeb got his brother's head brought on a dish; he threw Dara's head on the ground and gave three thrusts in the face with his sword mocking him. He then ordered the head to be delivered to Shah Jahan while seated at table in his prison. In recent history we have Adolf Hitler, one of the worst criminals, who killed about 6 million Jews and a host of others for his insane ideology. Why look into history? Let us come to the current situation. The article - IPL parties: the inside story - in Hindustan Times of May 14, 2010, speaks of "free endless cigarettes, flowing booze, occasionally drugs, and always women, willing and uninhibited women everywhere. The boys lapped it up, and would party right through." These cricket players are the idols of today's youth. On the other hand we have shining examples of Socrates, Buddha, Jesus Christ, a carpenter's son, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and countless others. What does all this say? Human nature is the same everywhere. We are all one. Our choices make us who we are: not power, not wealth. Fighting against vicious racism and discrimination, Martin Luther King stated that it is not the color of our skin but the content of our character that determines who we are. We have every reason to level up with everyone in the world.