But for the grace of God…
Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed.
-Herman Melville
Without getting too political, I’d like to note how ironic it seems to me to hear the President touting policies that encourage people to lift themselves up by their own bootstraps (so to speak), while he has demonstrated so little of this type of skill in his own life. It seems he often champions this Darwinian sort of philosophy that would have damned him many times over.
Sometimes the most important thing to remember when we see those less fortunate or accomplished than ourselves is the line so many other recovering alcoholics have used as a mantra in twelve step programs: “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”
(Maybe that’s also an appropriate line of thought to hold when looking at those who are apparently lacking the capacity to show sympathy for others.)
