Complicity

I had been thinking about this over the elections and always wonder how much a difference these elections make in the face of the complicity of our times. I find it is a close cousin to duplicity and apathy, perhaps closer to apathy though I have read about plenty of duplicitous complicity in many histories. Of course, if you stay quiet due to apathy, is it the same as being a willing participant? Just as important (at least to me I guess), are you the person that is willing to sacrifice some (or even one) for the sake of many, and to that end, willingly do wrong for this good? Or does it give you pause? No matter the outcome, I should think that it would give anyone pause, yet it does not. That much is apparent in the past, present, and likely the future. Now I understand that most of us do not have to face such decisions and questions, at least on that scale. But the little things matter as scale is only as important as we feel it needs to be. So to those not really involved in world changing decisions (I might digress that every decision, no matter how small shapes our world, but I guess that is a discussion for another time), apathy, selfishness and duplicity are what actions that may, or may not matter.

In the end, I see history and the present day as rife with those who do nothing when they could do more... so, can I do more? Can you do more, and do you want to? I suppose the question remains, what can I do? Sometimes it might be as little as voting, or it can be extending a hand to those in need, simply saying 'let me help'. While we might make far reaching changes initially, it is possible that those we help might change the world, or simply the idea of right action fosters more change. My optimistic side would agree to such a premise while my pragmatic side understands the necessity of doing a little evil for greater good. And sometimes being complicit, not saying anything, has resulted in a greater good though the actual decision to do so might have been innately wrong.

I end with a strange question, but one that I ask all to consider (and I will illustrate it further in the next post), is doing right, being honest, always the right thing? Or is it ok to be complicit and let things happen, simply saying it is not my problem? To me, the latter dominates us, and it is harder to simply be the good people I know we can be. (if, of course, you feel that we are innately good... I certainly want us to be innately good :)