When we say “we”, how inclusive is that word? Does is refer to everyone on the planet? Or to a subset, like a particular country, or a particular race, or religion, or gender, or team, or one side of an argument?

Do we define ourselves by what we are not? Do we need an “other” to tell us who we are?

This can only result in partial knowledge.

Look at the atheist, who defines himself as the opposite of somebody who believes in a god …. can you see where the limit is in that? He might miss an entire realm of possibility, about his own inner nature, which, hey, could be divine, and where the concept of god originates.

And I will offer that the same limitation is being created by the scientist, for whom skepticism is worn as a badge of honor, and condemned to search within the realm of the “objective” at the loss of truly understanding the “subjective”.

Here is a 1400 year old bit of writing …

The Great Way is not difficult
for those who have no preferences.
When love and hate are both absent
everything becomes clear and undisguised.
Make the smallest distinction, however,
and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.
If you wish to see the truth
then hold no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike
is the disease of the mind.
When the deep meaning of things is not understood
the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.

This is from a Chinese text, Hsin Hsin Ming – The Mind of Absolute Trust and is thought to be from the pen of Seng-Ts’an. The link to it is to a wonderful site, with many more writings …  http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/cmSengTsan.htm

Dropping distinctions may seem counter-intuitive, perhaps. I say it is necessary. We only have to look at any conflict where pro-one side is fighting pro-the other side, to see that no solution is possible unless someone has the wisdom to be pro-everybody.

When we say “we” and are referring to everybody on the planet, then we can make good decisions about how to live in a sustainable way.

How big is your “we”, is a good measure of a person, and a good way to understand value.