The Four

Fear is the lengthened shadow of ignorance. -- Arnold H. Glasow

I have come to believe that there are four basic things that are not good for living: fear, jealousy, righteousness and gluttony. These four overshadow the whole of everything good that I seek.

Fear:
To be afraid of acting on your instincts is one way to hold yourself back. It can be as simple as not speaking the truth for fear of hurting someone. That may sound harsh, but it’s really not. If it needs to be said, say it. There may be repercussions but that is what living is, an active participation with truth. Times that I did not act because of fear are the times when some major issues may have been resolved rather than tucked away and wrestled with later when they were stronger and angrier.

Jealousy:
This is a poison to the spirit. It projects on others how you are feeling. You see the awful doubts that you harbor and are scared of. This emotion is very closely related to fear but I think it has more bile to its substance. It is like indigestion to the soul. You feed it the wrong food and it is emotional heartburn.

Righteousness:
Not to be confused with confidence and passion, righteousness is the overwhelming need to be superior to others, to demand that they acknowledge and accept your point of view. I see this in politics, religion, social movements and more. It exists and is supported by a community that believes in the “just” cause. The Salem witch trials, Jihads, Jim Jones and the Jonestown colonists are some examples of people believing in the righteousness of their mission. Were purifying flames righteous as they danced and licked up the body of Joan of Arc?

Gluttony:
Perhaps the most grotesque of the four is gluttony, for it takes selfishly everything it can grab and devours it. It hoards and consumes as an angry beast. It holds un-quenching desire for money, deeds, possessions, conquests and control. Wrapping itself around everything it can so others can’t have or share in it. Its greatest enemy, charity, is no match if it isn’t controlled. The great desire to call it mine is overwhelmingly powerful and very hard to control.

These are four of my demons that will master me if I do not acknowledge them. What are yours?

Note: I believe that there is more to learn about the writer than what he has written with his words. My words tend to be discoveries about myself.