“But,”
he continues, "because innocence is hardly safe among such furious
ambitions, and there are so many men who turn one aside from the right path,
and it is always sure to meet with more hindrance than help, we ought to
withdraw ourselves from the forum and from public life, and a great mind even
in a private station can find room wherein to expand freely.”
I can work in the world, seeking to
offer something good in my own way, however small, but I should be wary of
letting desire for the things of the world consume me. I sometimes think of it
as being quite willing to reach out my hand to others, while still keeping a
firm mastery of my own head. Do not be run away from power, honor, or pleasure,
even as such circumstances must never be sought for their own sake.
Finding that balance between
engagement and withdrawal, between “going out” and “staying in”, doesn’t have
to come from blindly stumbling about. I can already discern the proper mean by
examining my own motives, by honestly asking myself what it is that I want to
achieve from any action. Is it virtue, or is it glory? Is it about what I can
give, or about what I wish to receive? Am I drawn to what is good, or only to
what is gratifying?
Without having the private refuge of
my own mind, the allure of public life will all too easily sweep me away.
Without the principles on the inside, I will become a slave to the fortune on
the outside. The greed, the malice, and the manipulations of others will then make
me cold and bitter.
There will have to be moments when I
must not hesitate to charge into the fray, and there will have to be moments when I
must be certain to stand back. Judging the difference can only arise from a
clear knowledge of right and wrong, and from a sincere awareness of self.
Whatever is driving me at the time will tell me where I should turn.
Throughout it all, the passions must
be guided by reason. If my hands have a hold of the reins, then I am ready to
ride into battle. If the horse is leading the rider, it is time to make a
retreat.
It applies to the little things and
to the big things. Should I go out with friends? Should I ask for a raise?
Should I apply to law school? Should I run for political office? Should I ask
her to marry me?
If I know myself, I will know what
to do. I will recognize when I am being genuine and when I am making excuses.
Taking the time to reflect on what is happening in my own soul is the only
thing that can make it possible to engage in the world.
There have been many times, far more than
I can now count, where I have blundered into foolish actions, and then I have
assumed that action itself was the problem. No, the foolishness of the action
was the problem, and that only happened because my own mind was not safe and
secure from desire, fear, or anger, from a dependence on the circumstances.
True freedom in things public first
requires true freedom in things private.
Written in 6/2011
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