Last time we looked out what your civic duty is to your community and yourself.  Today, I thought it would be interesting to look at fairness and justice.  Is there a difference?

I often hear, ‘it isn’t fair.’  Hell, I even think it from time to time.  And typically, when I hear it, I agree.  It’s not fair that you can’t eat the way you want and have six-pack abs.  It’s not fair that you can’t spend however you like and not run up your debt.  Just like it’s not fair you cannot behave without consequence.

What does FAIR have to do with justice?

Here are the definitions per Merriam-Webster:

Fair:

1.     Marked by impartiality and honesty: free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism

  • Conforming with the established rules: ALLOWED
  • Consonant with merit or importance: DUE
  • Open to legitimate pursuit, attack, or ridicule

2.     Not very good or very bad: of average or acceptable quality

  • Sufficient but not ample: ADEQUATE
  • Moderately numerous, large or significant

3.     Not stormy or foul: FINE

4.     Not dark

5.     Pleasing to the eye or mind especially because of fresh, charming of flawless quality

6.     Superficially pleasing: SPECIOUS

7.     Clean, pure, clear, legible

8.     Ample

9.     Promising, likely: favorable to a ship’s course

10. Being such to the utmost: UTTER

 

Justice:

1.     The maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments

a.     JUDGE

b.     The administration of law

2.     The quality of being just impartial or fair: the principle of ideal of dealing or right action

a.     Conformity to this principle or ideal: RIGHTEOUSNESS

b.     The quality of conforming to law

3.     Conformity to truth, fact or reason: CORRECTNESS

 

What is interesting to me about the definition of fair is that it is not typically used that way.  You know that people have a tendency to use that word to mean that it is right, just or just plain the way we want it.

In a world full of grey...

While you may not always (or even often) get what you want, if we go by this definition of fair... Things are probably more fair that we would often like to admit, even though we don't always get our way.

At the urging of a client, I read, "The Four Agreements."  (If you have some time it is a short and thoughtful read.)  The central premise of the book is that we create our own reality.  If we have determined that things are 'not fair' or unjust, then it is our perception that has determined this.

I would like to go a step further

In a time where it is easy to point and say this is good or bad, what can you do to make it better?  While social media can be powerful, I do not think that posting an article online is as powerful as action in the world.  You don't like the homelessness in your area?  What can you do about it?

You don't like what teachers are paid?  What action can you take?

Perhaps what is truly fair, is to put action behind the things that really stir us up, instead of sitting down, folding our arms and engaging in self pity because we didn't get our way.

I found this quote and wanted to share it with you:

“Democracy is not simply a license to indulge individual whims and proclivities. It is also holding oneself accountable to some reasonable degree for the conditions of peace and chaos that impact the lives of those who inhabit one’s beloved extended community.” 
― Aberjhani,

 

How do you inhabit your beloved extended community?

As always, I’m here.  If you are ready to live your best life, call me and let’s get started!

In late August, I was hot (cuz I live in Austin) and a bit tired as I had been working a lot so I was really looking forward to my vacation. As I was making plans for my down time, I got a letter informing me that it was once again my turn to appear for jury duty and the dates were as soon as I was scheduled to be back from vacation. At first, I was really annoyed and thought about how inconvenient for me.  After pouting for a few days I remembered that if I ever found myself in the unfortunately situation of needing a jury of my peers, I would not just need people who had nothing better to do with their time but people who could think for themselves, have open minds and think critically. 

As we approach the midterm elections and as politics in our country have reached a seemingly fever pitch, I think now is a good time to consider our civic duty.

First…

I find myself saying this a lot about food, social media and a host of other things but it absolutely applies here.  Any time you have a negative thought about yourself or someone else… Who benefits?  This answer is different for every situation but I think it’s a good place to start.  Examining who benefits from your pain or separateness from others can help you challenge thoughts or beliefs that may not be serving you anymore.

A right and a privilege therefore a duty?

In a time when women’s rights are being highlighted a great deal in our culture, I am struck that I live in a place where that matters.  I can march or openly rant, post, wear inciting clothing, etc.  If I lived in a lot of other parts of the world, I could not do those things.  My opportunities for education, independence of thought and person, the ability to vote and openly voice my opinion would be subject to what is allowed or given to me by the men around me.  This alone makes me think that my civic duty is all that more important.

What are my duties?

  • Jury duty
  • Voting
  • Taxes
  • Taking note and action on injustice as I see it
  • Supporting initiatives and causes that matter to me in my local community as well as our community at large
  • Following the laws

Nation-Family

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher, teacher and politician.  He spent a lot of his time and energy thinking about how to live as better citizens.  Believing that better rulers would inspire their people to live and be better people, Confucius wrote about the nation-family and that the ruler (or government) should be like our father that protects and leads us to a greater good and we should serve the nation as we serve our families.

In Confucius' time, China was ruled by war kings and emperors.  We have elected officials but I do think that our elected (meaning of our choice) officials should be leading and protecting us for us, not for their own gain.  He never found a perfect leader by his standards and we probably won't either but we can look.  We have the ability to challenge ourselves and our leaders to be be something approaching the "more perfect union" that the constitution talks about.  But it requires action for each of us.

 

As always, I’m here.  If you are ready to live your best life, call me and let’s get started!

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