Posted on: 19 December, 2001
Author: Ruth Marlene Friesen
The problem with being ... is you can gooff to wrong extremes like gushy ... ... empathy, or taking up offenses on ... of ... is true for all good characte The problem with being compassionate is you can gooff to wrong extremes like gushy sentimentalism, undiscerning empathy, or taking up offenses on thebehalf of others.This is true for all good character traits. If welose balance, each of the positives about us can wander off on a tangent and become something bad.Here's another example; the problem with beingdiscrete is the potential for over-cautiousness, secretiveness, timidness, and sometimes just scaringourselves out of doing or saying anything.The fair-minded can be so concerned about weighing all the pros and cons that they become indecisive and indiscriminate.I stumbled on this while looking for positive traitsin someone that I've neglected to encourage. Maybeyou knew it, and I think I sort of did, but now thisdawns on me in a new light.If we have an irregular person in our lives, who seemsto have nothing but negative traits, try looking forthat "seed of greatness" (as Zig Ziggler calls it), in that person - a good trait that has gone off on a tangent.I like to think of myself as compassionate and discrete,but I have to admit I have gone overboard and been downright gushy, and sometimes given disproportionateattention for the wrong things. Or, I've been wronglydiscrete by becoming secretive and timid and not evensaying a few appropriate words. So I have to agree that this principle holds water.But now is it really possible to look at someone whois exhibiting a wrong behaviour and thinking, "I knowthat person has a seed for [your example], so I will recognize and respond to that, and hope to bring him back on track." Assuming, of course, that as we dwell on their positive trait, it will be nurtured andgrow stronger, and thus change that person.Wouldn't that be first class intentional friendship?!Are you willing to experiment with this? Let me knowyour results. We may have material for a good book. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com