Practicing love is never an easy task. Whether my words or actions toward another person constitute love is determined by their outcome—whether they actually bring about a positive change in that person or not. Compassion, affection, or good intentions may serve as motivation for practicing love, but they do not themselves exert real, practical influence in the act of loving. The essence of practicing love lies in knowing the precise way to bring about beneficial change in the other person.
A man went to the Parthenon and asked, "Who is the wisest man in the world?" The temple answered, "Socrates, who lives in Athens, is the wisest man." He met Socrates and asked, "Are you really the Socrates who is said to be the wisest man in the world?" Socrates answered, "I know nothing. If there's one thing I know, it's that I know nothing." He returned to the Parthenon and demanded, "Socrates said he knew nothing. How can he be the wisest man in the world?" The temple replied, "People don't know that they know nothing. But doesn't Socrates know that one thing?"
Conscience is the light that exists within an individual, and justice is the light that exists within society. To say that our conscience is great means that the light within us shines that much more brightly. Because this inner light illuminates clearly, everything we think, say, and do becomes visible to us. What is bad or wrong appears clearly as bad or wrong, while what is good or right appears clearly as good or right. For this reason, a person with a strong conscience finds it difficult to do wrong, and even if they do, they quickly recognize it, reflect on it, and correct it. To say that justice is properly established in a society means that the light within that society is shining brightly. Because this light illuminates clearly, its members can clearly see what is happening within the society. What is bad or wrong appears clearly as bad or wrong, while what is good or right appears clearly as good or right. For this reason, in a society where justice is ...
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