diamond

Our society has become increasingly performance oriented to the point that high performance standards are expected rather than appreciated. Our entire society takes it for granted that a diamond shines naturally without considering the cutting and grinding processes and the time spent polishing that diamond to a high gloss on every facet.

Diamonds don't shine themselves. That shine is produced by the care and discerning eye of the outside beholder who sees the potential in the diamond and understands how to direct the processing of that diamond to help it realize its potential. Cut and polished diamonds have decorative value, but the rest of the diamonds have value also. It takes diamond grit to polish the decorative diamonds, so the only thing that can bring out the virtues of the decor diamond is something akin to itself.

The decorative diamond will always receive the attention while the grit used to polish the diamond receives no credit. But then, the grit never asks for credit. The polished diamond almost seems to demand attention as though all owe homage to that which the diamond in and of itself does not and cannot create. The decorative diamond does however reflect glory onto whomever owns it.

A world increasingly focused on perfection will and does reject those with flaws without considering their possibilities. If I worship perfection in others, or even in the best performers in my own family, I am encouraging them toward the kind of thinking that allows euthanasia to exist and be practiced among human beings.