Accept What Is Despicable In Ourselves

We will continue to despise people until we have recognized, loved, and accepted what is despicable in ourselves — Dr. Martin Luther King

The word despicable seems rather harsh to me, but Dr. King makes his point. He goes on to say ‘there are some elements despicable in ourselves, which we don’t want to look at, which are part of our natures. We are mortal.” Again the word despicable. I’d prefer words such as weaknesses and limitations, but then again it might just be that I don’t want to look hard enough at myself.

I want to hide those traits I find abhorrent and pretend they don’t exist, and in doing so I lose my balance, my equilibrium. It’s from my weaknesses and my limitations that I gain understanding and empathy. If all we see are our strengths then we will tend to lord them over the weaker, when we see our weakness we open ourselves up to the messages emanating from our heart.

To paraphrase the five year mission of the Star Ship Enterprise, “I must recognize, love, and accept what is despicable in me and go where this man has never gone before.” Why?

To get in touch with my humanity and embrace humility.

 

 

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About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.