Whether we admit it or not…
life constantly forces us to choose sides.
Even silence becomes a choice eventually.
As we travel through life, one powerful dynamic keeps appearing over and over again:
Taking a side.
And strangely enough…
it rarely accepts “no” for an answer.
Eventually life demands a position from us.
Sometimes quietly.
Sometimes aggressively.
Taking a side involves risk.
You may be applauded.
Rejected.
Celebrated.
Condemned.
Yet still…
the choice process continues.
EXAMPLES
Politics immediately pulls people into sides.
People want to know:
“Where do you stand?”
“Why do you believe that?”
And once you answer, they often decide whether they approve of YOU because of it.
GUILTY OR INNOCENT
Even sitting on a jury forces people into uncomfortable territory.
You must eventually say:
yes or no.
guilty or innocent.
And the weight of those decisions can affect human lives forever.
Choice becomes unavoidable.
SIMPLE SIDES
Even movies, foods and entertainment create sides.
“I loved it.”
“I hated it.”
One person praises.
Another rejects.
Human beings naturally compare, evaluate and choose.
It is part of our design.
CONTROVERSY
Then come the subjects that ignite passion:
Politics.
Race.
Religion.
Sexuality.
War.
Justice.
Punishment.
Rights.
Morality.
These subjects awaken deep emotions, prejudices, beliefs, fears and convictions that people carry within themselves.
And once awakened…
people defend their side fiercely.
Sometimes lovingly.
Sometimes violently.
PREACH IT?
Religion is another powerful example.
Most religions claim love, truth and God.
Yet many quickly insist:
“My way is the right way.”
Interesting, isn’t it?
Love itself becomes debated.
And whenever people discuss God, emotions intensify rapidly.
Why?
Because something deep inside mankind knows these questions matter greatly.
WAR
War itself is humanity taking sides on a massive scale.
And because war costs human life…
the debate surrounding it never truly dies.
Until mankind learns how to agree…
conflict remains.
SILENT? YOU STILL CHOSE
Some people avoid taking sides publicly.
Others rush toward conflict eagerly.
Some secretly disagree while outwardly going along.
Others remain silent entirely.
But even silence can become a side.
The heart still chooses internally.
AS LONG AS THERE IS CHOICE…
There will always be sides.
As long as human beings possess free will, opinions, conscience and emotion…
choice remains unavoidable.
Whether spoken publicly or held privately…
the process still occurs within us.
CHOOSE
Something within human nature requires decision.
We are constantly evaluating.
Judging.
Weighing.
Reasoning.
And afterward…
when emotions finally calm down…
the conscience quietly begins speaking.
Sometimes that inner voice becomes louder after the choice than before it.
I DON’T KNOW
Personally…
I believe I will continue listening carefully to conscience until I know for sure.
And even saying:
“I don’t know yet”
is itself a form of choosing.
Interesting, isn’t it?
The choice process never truly leaves us while we live.
The proof?
Something made you stop…
read this…
and decide whether you agreed with it or not.
Did this speak to your heart or life journey?
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— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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