A Quiet Conscience

Today someone criticized me for something that I did. I think I'm at a pretty healthy place in my life right now because I was able to listen without getting angry, and let it roll over me. There is an old chinese saying that "A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder". I was able to listenly calmy for several reasons. First of all, that person's criticisms were based upon personal opinion, rather than any concrete legitimate arguments. Secondly, I knew I was doing things the right way when I did them. If I had to do it over again, I would make the same decisions, and do it the same way. It's amazing how much confidence you can get from knowing you did something right. When the storms come, when people attack, we can stand shoulders squared and listen without getting upset, and then let it roll on past.

Most people get in the defensive mode when others attack. They think they have to argue back every time. One thing I can't tolerate is people who always have to be right and will hang on to an argument for days until they get proof they were right, then throw it in the other person's face. I remember as kids my brother and I would do the "did not" "did too" thing back and forth. We would actually get to the point where we were whispering it so that we could have the last word. And when we noticed each other whispering, we would just say it in our mind so that we would win. As an adult I have learned that I can let people believe whatever they want, it doesn't mean they are right, and it doesn't mean I"m wrong. I guess that is tolerance; the one thing that people who criticize are lacking.