#type/zk/zettel #a/maturity/sapling # [[It's almost never one or the other]] Many of the discussions you find in YouTube comment sections are about one vs the other. Is individualism or collectivism the right ideology? Should I have compassion or stand up for myself? Is Christianity or Islam the right approach to Abrahamic religion? Work hard or smart? In many cases, however, the whole premise is wrong, and it shouldn't be a question of one or the other. It's often a little bit of both, all of both, or neither. Sometimes it's a comparison of two approaches that don't mutually exclude each other. Other times it's a seeming contradiction between two things that should actually go in tandem with each other. And sometimes it's just a question that's not reconcilable. In all cases, it's important to look at the question from all sides, holistically, and try to find a balance. Individualism and collectivism both have good and bad aspects. We should look at them holistically, realize they both have problems that they solve and problems that they introduce. Then we can make an attempt at reconciling differences between countries, peoples, and political systems. [[Siming Lan, 2022-09-23|Why China Doesn't Identify with the West, Explained]] We should have compassion AND stand up for ourselves. If you find yourself in a bad situation, wronged by your surroundings, then accept the situation, find compassion for those that wronged you, AND then take the right action to take care of yourself: remove yourself from the situation, demand the others change their behavior appropriately, or do anything else that's required to improve the situation holistically. Only when you have compassion, can you determine the right action that's right for everybody including yourself. Only if you take action to take care of yourself, can you be compassionate towards yourself. [[Eckhart Tolle, 2022-05-31|How to Maintain Presence among Unconscious People | Eckhart Tolle]]. Christians and Muslims both believe in the same god. If we get lost in the details that differ, we forget that. Peoples that live separated have the tendency to evolve in different directions. Historical records are not perfect reflections of what happened more than a thousand years ago. Even if you believe in God, you don't have to believe blindly in a historical artifact that has been altered many many times throughout the years, and passed through several translations. Look at the similarities, and respect each other because both love their neighbor and try to do good in their lives. Work hard and smart. Don't waste your time working on the wrong things or working inefficiently. But you also need to put in real effort if you want to accomplish great things. [[Lex Fridman, 2020-09-24|James Gosling: Java, JVM, Emacs, and the Early Days of Computing - Lex Fridman Podcast #126]] --- Sowed on:: [[2023-09-17|2023-09-17]] Sources:: Continuation:: Branches:: See also:: Further reading::