Which Would You Rather ...

Every once in a while I hear a segment on the radio or a TV talk show that asks "Which would you rather ..." Human behavior has been a mystery for hundreds of years. Psychologists will try to figure out and predict how people will react and respond in given situations. Just this week I listened to a radio talk show that was once again asking this question.

There were several scenarios; but none of them too new.

 

• Would you rather have good health or money?
• Would you rather know when the last day of your life would be or just let it happen?

There's one question I've always wondered ... would you rather have the ability to read minds or be invisible? Super hero status aside, I suppose each could have their own distinct advantages, but then the question becomes 'why would you want either one?' If you could read minds you'd always know what people were 'really' thinking and whether or not people were being honest with you. If you could be invisible then you'd be able to observe everything without people knowing you were there; perhaps even discovering which people were really your friends and which ones gossiped about you behind your back. If we're being completely honest, I'm sure everyone has had some point in their life, whether in their personal or professional environment, when they've felt some degree of insecurity. Insecurities and jealousy can be dangerous. Our imaginations can run wild, imagining and believing the worst without any real validations. IF you had the opportunity to know what people really thought would you change the way you lived your life or your behavior based on opinions that were never told to you directly? Many will claim they have thick skin and say that they don't care what people think, but deep down would that be completely true? Can anyone really never care? Is there anyone you know who is that confident 100% of the time?

 

The reality is that we cannot always change other people; what they say or what they do. We can suggest change, we can imply inappropriateness, and we can hope that people will have integrity and good morals. BUT the one thing we can do, really the only thing, is observe ourselves more closer rather than others. We can change what we do and what we say and how we act and we can change how we are around other people. In the end, we shouldn't be so quick to cast the first stone AND we'll need to dig deep and know that we only need to answer to ourselves and God for our own actions. Let other people's words and actions be just that ... theirs. They'll need to live with the consequences.