TAKING SIDES ON ISSUES ...CONSEQUENCES AND EFFECTS!

[Gary & Viktoria]

You hear it on the news, read it in magazines, see it on TV shows, hear it on the radio, see it written online, chat about it in chat rooms and instant messaging, hear it on a call ...there's a lot of negativity in the air these days ...
what's going on?

Is the concept of success and perfection in everything we do within our reach or not? Are we dealing with the right business, the right people, the right values and character for those things we want to achieve in life? We must examine to what extent we will go, what we will settle for, what our expectations are and finally how it's all going to affect our character and that of those we're dealing with.

You can bet that not all people have good values and character. Some will do anything to be the king or queen of the hill. Some will try harder to get there. Some will lie, leave out facts, bully, insult, intimidate, cheat or steal knowingly without regard for consequences and who getting harmed in the process.

People will have arguments, disagreements and general animosities toward others they meet and do business with. This does not just happen online, it happens throughout our lives. The problem comes when we make a decision to side with one person or another regarding another person(s), rules, policies, concepts, ideals, values and character issues.

If we take a side in any one thing we put ourselves in a position of knowing both sides fully when in fact we don't. To know just one side is not enough in any case. To say that one knows one thing or another is not knowing everything that happened. One must discover the whole truths about everything in order to make a good decision. That is not always easy to do, people are capable of keeping the most important details to themselves.

Sometimes it's symptomatic regarding a person(s) situation, we can't possibly know what's going on in everyone's daily or personal lives. We all say and do things we don't mean to, and we all do and say things without giving our actions thought and time to formulate the proper reaction or response.

Sometimes it's not about people, it's about a concept, and ideal or a regulation that we object to. Then we have to examine the facts and make the best decision for ourselves and go forward from there.

We can never fully know what started any issue and we never know what is not being said one way or another. The fact is that no one person(s) is an authority on what is and what isn't. We cannot possible attain full knowledge of any given situation unless we're all psychics or have spies doing it for us. The fact is that even those things are not reliable. Assuming because we think we know a person(s), or guessing is not good enough.

It is always better to remain neutral when it comes to dealing with friends and their issues with others. Those are private issues between that person and the person(s) they have the issue with. It is not a right decision to make private issues a public issue ever. Doing so only creates bad judgement on everyone involved. When we set out to destroy another it's like playing in the mud and we always end up with some on us ...and the people we ask to support us in getting revenge.

It's like the old saying " An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." and "If revenge is so sweet, why does it leave such a bitter taste?" When we set out to destroy others and take revenge, we only hurt ourselves and the values we claim to possess.

That's not to say that there are at times those issues that deem group support necessary. Only to say that if it's an individual case of revenge or vindictiveness, it's better resolved between those persons dealing with the issue personally. When the issue is something that requires a group to make a decision for the better of all, that's different in that there is a right and a wrong. But then again, that also should be a case where something is being voted on and not personal issues of discontent with one person or another.

People drum up support for different reasons and not necessarily good ones. It only eats away at ones credibility with others when we don't take the higher ground and simply walk away from bad situations and move on to better ones.

Anthony Robbins says: It is our decisions ...not the conditions of our lives that determine our destiny. When dealing with other people, friends or not... make the right and good decision to remain neutral if you want to keep or make friendships for the long term.

The bible says "Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You". Ask yourself ...are you treating others the way you want to be treated?

To sum it all up, be nice to others and they'll be nice to you. When in doubt always take the higher ground, making the choice to remain neutral for the good of your character and that of the people you care about. It's not necessary to always be right or to always have the upper hand. To ask others to support you in what is obviously a wrong choice or decision does not mean what you are doing is right. Doing so only serves to put you in a bad light if you are wrong and engaging others in a decision to support taking sides on anything that only involves you and another personally.

Go about your own business and focus on what's important to you personally, your life, your success and ultimately your good character with others. In the truest sense you'll go a lot further in not damaging your own or your friends credibility.


Gary & Viktoria
Florida - USA