Like so many things in life, proverbs, considered one at a time, are appealing and have a generally accepted meaning.  Consider them in the context of other proverbs, though, and you’ll find many contradictions that may cause you to think a little harder about the sayings. What do they really mean?  Are you drawing the right conclusions about the meaning or relying on the interpretation of others?  How much do you really think about things, considering each byte of information, versus swallowing each megabyte whole, without chewing?

A friend of mine recently sent a link to a short NPR interview of Julian Baggini, author of “Should You Judge This Book By Its Cover?” Here’s the link to the 5 minute presentation: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126807556.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Too often in life others’ interpretations of sayings and for that matter of events are accepted as being true.  One side effect of the information age is that many have relaxed their analytical mind as everything, like meat at the supermarket, comes prepackaged, washed and cut. 

As with children who have no idea that the chicken legs in a styrofoam and plastic wrapper at the supermarket comes from an animal that was likely walking around not long before, it is now possible to live a seemingly action-packed life without directly experiencing events firsthand. Local, national and foreign events are neatly packaged in bite-sized bits and delivered like fast food through the radio, the TV or the internet.

Life is meant to be lived directly, not vicariously.  The wise person doesn’t believe everything he hears and he is unafraid to do his own detective work.  Take the time to confirm things for yourself.  What do you have to lose?  One area where this approach comes in handy is relative to meeting new people.  I rarely rely on the assessments of others about someone new I am meeting for the first time.  I hear what they might have to say, but I don’t take their word as gospel.  It is merely a point of view.  Some points of view tend to be more accurate than others, and you are wise to weigh them accordingly, but be smart, look to your own interactions as your ultimate guide.

I’ve met wonderful people that others hated. I’ve met awful people that others loved. In every case I am willing to give anyone and everyone the benefit of the doubt. Give them a chance to prove themselves and you will often be surprised.

This morning I ask that you look at your world with fresh eyes. Make room for the unexpected. Don’t rely on pat answers and be willing to go the extra mile in your consideration of and care for everything you touch.          

For a touch of extra reading, you might enjoy Julian Baggini’s blog, found here: http://julianbaggini.blogspot.com/.

Have a great day!