sense and innocence, part 2: guile

cunning people are like suicide bombers. they blow themselves up to hell and destroy the lives of people amidst whom they live. almost always, these are the very people who love them most (family/friends).

fortunately, nature has a sense of balance, and tends to favour the innocent. for, although they suffer injuries inflicted by the too-clever people, they are rewarded with wisdom (from the experience) and happiness (wisdom, NOT ignorance, is the actual source of bliss).

and what of the schemers? like all villains of popular fiction, they end up getting their just desserts: friendless, alienated from family, lonely and pitiable.

...oh wait, let me correct myself: they WERE friendless, alienated from family, lonely and pitiable all along. because 'clever' people are too wrapped up in their schemes to notice that they are actually loved and wanted by their family and friends; that they don't need to 'earn' these with their clever plans.

ah, if only people were sensible (not 'clever') enough to realise that being honest to themselves is all it takes to be loved...

sense and innocence, part 1: innocence

a very dear friend of mine once chided me for describing someone i love as 'innocent'. i'd apparently 'insulted' the person by saying she had that quality!

the word has taken on a negative connotation in these cynical times. liberated and high-thinking individuals find it offensive when applied to an adult.

let's see how the dictionary defines the word:

innocent (adj) 1.uncorrupted by evil, malice, or wrongdoing; sinless

2.not experienced or worldly; naive

3.free of guile; artless

to be innocent now stands for being stupid, naive, unaware. basically, a 'babe in the woods' ('babe': another non-pc word)

i think the word was created to describe something beautiful (sue me, i think the whole world and everybody in it is beautiful!).

here is my (and i like to think, the original) definition of it:

any element in its pure form, as nature created it; anything that has not been corrupted by the introduction of an alien substance/sensibility; the original, natural state of being for anything/anybody

(as you can see, the meaning of the word itself has been corrupted by applying sensibilities and contexts to the original, 'pure' word!)

well-known fact: all babies/children are beautiful because they're innocent.

not so well-known fact: EVERYBODY is beautiful. all you need to do is look beyond their apparent 'mask-i-put-on-for-the-world' face, and see their 'true' self.

try it, it'll make YOU feel beautiful!