What I have to say about that, however, is that political activists rarely act from such a spiritual basis; instead they more often act from inner attitudes of anger, embitterment, moral superiority, and either a self-defeating fatalism or a self-promoting righteousness. I know that when I was younger I thought you had to be really angry to change the world for the better.

Now I know that anger is the least productive political emotion, and serves chiefly to make the angry activist feel important while he or she actually gets relatively little accomplished. Anger clouds your perception; forgiveness clears it. Clarity is essential to political action that actually creates positive change.

-- D. Patrick Miller


Adding this because it's 3:11 and couldn't sleep though my eyes desperately want it. So went to my 'pronoia' hippie Rob's site, and found this quote. Because I need so much to remember it now, when I find myself getting angrier and angrier, and I can feel the need to lash back out at the hypocrisy in certain quarters, and the need in me to be 'right' instead of do right. I need to find a way to curb my growing desire for 'schadenfreude' at the expense of those I perceive are helping merrily along or profiting from suffering of others, while playing the good citizen of the world role in public -- ok, see, here it comes again. It creeps up like that humble brushfire last week crept up on woods and mountain and fouled blue sky with ash for days. Good night now.