Different strokes for different folks. Obviously. From purchasing to politics we differ from one another, sometimes in extreme ways. Depending on the difference of opinion, we might simply ignore one another, dislike one another, and in extreme cases, actually want to kill the other.
It can’t be a surprise that we can be so different from other people. We are the product of so many differing factors, starting even before birth. Then those differing factors just seem to multiply as we go through life to the point that it is a wonder that we have anything in common with and get along with some other people.
The interesting thing is that if you were to strip away all of the layers that seem to have contributed to who we are today, we all have one essential driving force that colors everything we experience. And it is so primordial that most people have little or no idea it biases their perspective, either to their benefit or detriment.
For example, I know someone who is afraid of pain. I’m afraid of pain, and so are you. But this person is so afraid of pain that it impacts just about everything they do. They tend to be negative and suspicious, often assuming the worst about a situation. Evil is amplified through their words, and conspiracies are front and center in their life. It’s not that they are necessarily wrong about what they think, but it tends to overwhelm their emotional state.
I know many people who hate change. Who doesn’t? But most of the time, when I see that something I am doing is not working out or isn’t very wise, I usually try and fix the situation by making the necessary adjustments. I do not always like changing myself or what I do, but I am not afraid to either.
But people who can’t accept change in their lives tend to fake that it isn’t necessary. They convince themselves that things aren’t as bad as they seem, or are really just great. They focus on the things that they believe supports their position while ignoring the ones that destroy it. We all do that at some point in our lives, but hopefully only occasionally and hopefully regarding things that don’t matter that much.
But others have built their whole world view on false premises just to maintain a status quo or to create one that does not exist or cannot exist. And the more intelligent they are, the more they are able to marshal proofs for their position again, by either ignoring the proofs against their position or at least downgrading them. Sometimes, they’ll even accuse their detractors of the very thing they are guilty of.
This is the basis of corruption. Corruption has existed since man was created, and will continue to exist until Moshiach comes and the yetzer hara is no more. But like a deadly virus, it is possible for corruption to fester and grow and even become endemic. It can eventually overtake entire societies and even most of mankind. The generation of the Flood was like that, which is why God decided to reboot Creation.
I understand and agree that I am just as subjective as the next guy, and in some cases, even more. I basically have an average IQ. Most people who have called me “genius” were being sarcastic, just being kind, or wanted something from me. I claim to be somewhat empathic but those who know me well have a different name for it, and it’s not as nice as empathic. Why do I think that my opinion is right or even important regarding what is going on today?
It’s a complicated question with a complex answer, but here’s the short version.
The “point of me” is not doomsday, and I hate the thought of it. I don’t need to win, as competitive as I seem to be sometimes. I’m not looking to get that materially ahead in life, especially at the cost of another. Basically, I have bought into the Torah’s idea of a perfect world, and it really appeals to me.
Furthermore, I believe in God, 100 percent. I believe He is always there and that He takes note of EVERYTHING I do, say, or think. I am of the belief that He is behind everything, even if I get fooled temporarily by the actors He uses to carry out His will. Like Yosef told his brothers, I know that no one can harm me if God says no, and no one can save me if God says no.
For that reason, as subjective as I may be, I don’t usually work alone. When I evaluate something, I seem to consider two opinions, mine, and God’s. Well, at least my take on God’s opinion, born from many years of learning Pshat, Remez, Drush, AND Sod. It infuses my take on reality with some measure of “outside opinion.” It’s a HUGE advantage when it comes to trying to live a truly meaningful life, especially if you happen to believe in the World-to-Come as well.
But I have spoken to so many others who, though they believe in God and perhaps even Torah, don’t value His opinion enough to let it impact their own. They certainly haven’t taken the time to find out more clearly what it might be, and it has made them, in my opinion, so wrong in their vision of reality.
Completely secular people only have opinion to go by. They don’t believe in objective truth so they have none. Then their lives come down to that internal point of reference that drives them from day-to-day, and decision-to-decision. It was built long ago and is buried under so many layers that they have no idea that it exists or how central it is to their perspective on life. When that becomes the case, corruption is the only possible outcome, and the promotion and acceptance of such corruption is the greatest corruption of all.
That’s what leads to world-wide floods, world-wide wars, and whatever other world-wide calamity God deems necessary to reboot the system. You don’t have to believe in this, but you might want to check it out if you want to survive it.