People, Principles, and Perfection

All of us at times are disappointed in the actions of others. Perhaps there is no one who doesn’t disappoint someone some time by something he does or fails to do. But it should not be thought so strange that we should sometimes have cause to be disappointed in others, because, being honest, we must admit that there are also times when we have cause to be disappointed in ourselves. All of us do, unintentionally, and perhaps intentionally at times, things of which we are not especially proud. We say things that we later regret; we give way to thoughtlessness, carelessness, neglect. We often fail to live as well as we know how to live. But it is not so much in our disappointment in people that danger lies, but in our failure to distinguish between people and principles. If we were to use the misconduct of others as a reason for our own departure from principle, we should have placed ourselves in a false position. If a principle is right, it doesn’t matter who abuses it or who abandons it, it is still right. Because our ideals may be now unattainable, it doesn’t follow that we should discard them. Because a man professing honesty proves to be dishonest, it doesn’t mean that we should discard the principle of honesty. If a man professing to be religious doesn’t live as he professes, it doesn’t mean that we should abandon religion, but rather that we should seek ways of making it more effective in our lives. If a man professing altruism serves self-interest, it doesn’t destroy the desirability of altruism. If we are looking for such superficial excuses to abandon principles, we surely need not look far. If we are looking for offense, we surely shall find it, for this is not a world of perfection. But if we can cling to the principle of perfection as an ideal to be sought after, we are on the right road, no matter how slowly we may move. Therefore, disturbing as may be our disappointment in people, it need not be too serious so long as we accept and pursue sound principles. But if we abandon or seek to discredit principles because people are not perfect, that is serious.