To Be A True Human Being

The first stepping stone to becoming fully human is to understand the essence of the humanness itself. We must be a true human being… gentle, large-hearted, noble, and independent of opinion. A true human being does not think evil. Evil thoughts are as creative as good thoughts. We cannot have happiness until we have obtained certain qualities of mind. When we have obtained these qualities, nothing can overthrow us.

Swami Paramananda Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers

What stood out for me in this quote was not the expected appeal to our higher aspects of our human nature. Instead, it was the Swami’s emphasis on the quality of thought we have to sustain or hold on to throughout our lives, if we want them to be noteworthy and noble. He also points to the need for “being independent of opinion”.

That last phrase immediately reminded me of Emerson’s admonitions and exhortations concerning the virtue of self-reliance and his insistence on being someone who does not ”follow the crowd” but stands independently, and somewhat defiantly against public opinion and the safety of following the status quo outlook on life…

“Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore it if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. …”

Emerson’s approach towards both self-reliance and nonconformity has always appealed to me, and I have used it as a reference point throughout my adult life. Maybe it is because I was born under the sign of Aquarius, the non-conformist, the revolutionary, the futurist etc., or perhaps it directly coincides with my lifelong experience of being “the square peg” in my family; in most of my relationships, and certainly throughout my ministry career! In short, in almost every way I could list, I have been either overly independent, or at least “out of sync” with mainstream thinking, and its various attitudes and outlooks.

Not that this trait is bad… but it has made life and fitting into our society more of a creative challenge! It has taught me a great deal about the value of tact and diplomacy and how to mediate serious situations….