Nothing is ever as bad as it might first appear. Nor are other things actually as good as they initially appear or claim to be. Especially at first glance.
I trust this holds true regardless of organization, position or person.
Their mixture of good or bad…helpful or not helpful…is not the problem. That’s more of a reality. Losing sight of the truth of that mixture, however, creates all kinds of problems. Arrogance, tunnel vision, and a drift towards disruption and ultimately, complete division.
I would suggest this holds true whether we are looking outwardly at others or introspectively at ourselves. When we lose sight of this truth outwardly, we likely lose sight of it inwardly as well. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Once we become blind to this truth on the inside, it blinds us to the truth of much that we perceive and judge on the outside.
We can pay an awfully high price for the lack of ongoing honest introspection. Yet, embracing our own mixture creates a recipe of compassion, empathy, understanding and connection. It is there we can embrace the common good and give each other the patience and encouragement to work through what is not quite so good.