I have continued to think about the individual vs. the whole. It seems to be our consciousness that gets in the way of a broader appreciation. Our self-awareness blinds us to a bigger picture. And yet, Dillard points out that while death, at least in the west, apparently astonishes and blindsides every one of us nearly every time, soldiers are willing to go to war because of their compassion for the soldier next to them who may die. She was talking about our blindness to personal death, but what strikes me is the element of compassion….an interest in community. We may not see the whole picture, but we do care about the individual next to us. She asks herself, “at what number do other individuals blur for us. What is our tolerance? And how do we avoid compassion fatigue?” Yes…how far can we extend our particular self before others become simply that... just others?
6.17.12... quarter cloud cover, slight wind
I have continued to think about the individual vs. the whole. It seems to be our consciousness that gets in the way of a broader appreciation. Our self-awareness blinds us to a bigger picture. And yet, Dillard points out that while death, at least in the west, apparently astonishes and blindsides every one of us nearly every time, soldiers are willing to go to war because of their compassion for the soldier next to them who may die. She was talking about our blindness to personal death, but what strikes me is the element of compassion….an interest in community. We may not see the whole picture, but we do care about the individual next to us. She asks herself, “at what number do other individuals blur for us. What is our tolerance? And how do we avoid compassion fatigue?” Yes…how far can we extend our particular self before others become simply that... just others?
