A friend achieved two milestones—a first book published and university tenure—yet felt miserable because of widespread global suffering. Humanitarian disasters are unfolding in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Global climate action has lagged, risking an uninhabitable planet. In the United States immigrants face deportation without legal protection, trans people are demonized, government agencies have been cut, research destroyed, universities attacked, and corruption threatens the legal system. Feeling the world’s pain should be balanced by receptivity to joy, a belief rooted in many religious and philosophical traditions and expressed in the image of humanity as a single body.
A friend of mine called the other day with news of two major life achievements: his first book had been published, and his university had granted him tenure. And yet, he said, he was miserable. How could he be happy about his success when so many terrible things were happening in the world? It's a good question, and one that I hear from a lot of people these days.
Global climate action has not moved fast enough, and we are perilously close to creating an uninhabitable planet. Meanwhile here in the United States, immigrants have been rounded up and shipped to foreign countries without legal protection. Trans people have been demonized. Meaningful government agencies have been cut. Research destroyed. Universities attacked. The legal system pushed to the brink and corruption rampant.
Collection
[
|
...
]