4 October 2020: Stay away from evil

Stay away from evil. This may be the most important thing we can do to solve our country's problems.

Many of us associate with evil individuals, businesses and other institutions when we should be avoiding them and trying to weaken their influence.

For example:

* Is honesty is important to you? If so, why do you listen to media or public officials that are consistently dishonest?

* Is wealth inequality a problem you care about? If so, why do you shop at businesses that provide multi-million dollar pay packages to upper management but fail to pay their employees a living wage?

It's difficult to be principled. People do not like to change their habits. It takes time to research and think about business practices and we all have to get things done. We all have family, friends and business ties that we need to maintain in some way.

I suggest we try to do what we can, and most of us can do a little better. Each week, I try to think of one new thing I can do to disassociate myself from evil, to weaken the influence of an evil individual or institution or to undertake an activity that promotes goodness.

How about you? 

If not now, when?

Notes:

What is evil? My definition includes dishonesty or indifference to the truth; promoting bigotry, hatred or violence; undermining respect for the rule of law; damaging democratic ideals, institutions or countries and taking away peoples' rights. See also https://natpernick.blogspot.com/2020/09/20-september-2020-good-vs-evil.html

See also Proverbs 16:17-33, "The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul." (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mishlei-proverbs-chapter-16)