Because the line isn't fuzzy...

We have made a habit of prevaricating. We blur our language in order to make it seem that we are close to agreement. But, unfortunately, we disagree on a fundamental level. Look at your fellow humans. What do you see? Forget the grandiose speeches, the words of others. That man or woman begging on a street corner, how do you view them? Let's take a step back. The homeless shelter. What first pops into your mind? Taxes. Why do you pay them?

We are not altruistic. All humans beings are self-interested. However, being self-interested simply means that your own survival is a primary concern. That allows for a very broad range of moral norms.

So look into yourself. Recently legislators agreed that we should make some changes in the way we deal with our health. Many people became passionate. I have to ask everyone to personalize. A child can no longer be denied coverage if they are already ill. The children who need the most care. Why deny them coverage? Why support those who do? Money? Really? 0.001% of your income matters to you more?

Have I been unfair? Have I cut away too much? Is the raw decision between money and a strangers well being that difficult? I am not going to ask you to visualize. I am not going to say "Put yourself in their parents shoes..." empathy is not logically. I can not persuade anyone to care. If you personalize enough it becomes a different question. I am asking you to choose between a perfect stranger's life and a few dollars a year.

Some may argue that they are not responsible. Look into yourself, you know that is untrue. You cannot live without the company of your fellow man. Hermits have existed throughout recorded history. It has always been an option. No one takes it. You agree to live with other humans when you start your car, when you turn on your heat, when you get on a train, when you use currency.... When you rely on police protection or jurist prudence, you are accepting assistance to do what you cannot alone. When a child is born with a chromosomal deficiency, it has no choice. It's only chance at life is a society. We cannot reproduce alone. Our children can not survive without support.

Nature does have a way of dealing with disabilities. It's "solution" is harsh and practical. If you feel that natural selection should be allowed to be more deterministic, I can not disagree with you.

As I said, empathy is not logical. It can't be taught are argued. However, reasoning beings can not ignore facts they find distasteful. As for me, I pay my taxes because I consider the alternative. I choose to help those that can not help themselves. I always will

Because it is all the same...

The 4th phone call comes in asking the same question. You look upon your resume. It becomes less interesting every day. You realize that the frustration is a combination of many things. Change is necessary for so many reasons.

And so, you grab on to the frustration. You embrace it. It is yours. It is what you feel. It has a power. Do not try to deny it. You can direct it. There is no negative energy. Energy is all the same; its presentation simply differs. It must be paired with its complement.

So rise up. Let the power flow through you. Channel it, change it, make it useful. Improve yourself. Improve your resume. Re-evaluate the situation. Look upon the frustration as a source of motivation. Look upon the lack of challenge as freeing up time to challenge yourself.

Your body is only triggered to 2 responses: fight or flight. No one has ever accomplished anything by fleeing.