Nothing in this world is more profound and respected by me than honesty. Without being honest, first with ourselves and then with others, we are nothing more than bad actors looking for some kind of justification for acting the way we do. These justifications are infectious and can damage the self in a number of ways. First, by justifying an act that runs contrary to being honest with oneself one puts him/her self in jeopardy. By that I mean they can become something other than what they are designed to be. This is a place where honesty can hinder the false process. Second, and lastly for my part here, to justify an act that is far and away from the self one makes it possible to abandon any notion of honesty whatsoever.

I think we humans begin the construction of our "walls" early in life... say around the 3rd grade or so. Why is this? It is for protection against the "what is mine is mine and what is yours is also mine mentality." We begin early construction of these walls not only for protection, but also for our need to fit in with the crowd. As we age we identify with certain groups. We talk and dress like everyone else in the group. Once we reach adulthood, our armor changes from jeans and a tee shirt to a suit and tie. But those walls are stronger and more complicated than ever.

I think from the beginning we all want to be accepted. Being accepted fulfills the idea of self worth and friendship. Being accepted brings forth a feeling of comfort where desires can be met and the forces of the world can work in your favor. But the fact is that there are many people acting like they are being friendly even when they are not. This can damage you when they figure out that your friends have been lying about you behind your back and to your face. This is not being accepted. This is being ridiculed for whatever reason. Being accepted is not as important as we think it to be. People are going to do what they do and say what they say regardless of whether or not they accept you as the person you are. To go along with that, there is jealousy. You can always count on jealousy to be an intrigal part of not being accepted.

I'm watching the news and the only things that are on are guns, murder, and politics. The news is all bad. But we have no choices. If we want to "stay informed" we have to watch or read some form of news. I wonder how much money is made from the news? That's what it's all about, money and money only. But what does the news do to affect someone's world-view? The news could be "a" breaking point in the life of someone who is teetering on the breaking point.