http://nicksomniblog.com/2006/01/24/karl-boehm/ The Courage of Imperfection Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:40:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 http://nicksomniblog.com/2006/01/24/karl-boehm/#comment-86 Robin Serena Wed, 01 Feb 2006 06:16:00 +0000 http://nicksomniblog.com/?p=85#comment-86 I have never forgotten the piece I read on Hitler where it was disclosed that he was a wonderful son to his sickly mother and wept when his canary died. It fascinates me that many of the most deeply wicked acts are committed by people that also have done lovely and deeply good things. When you look at someone you see the side present at that moment and the action of that time. But it doesn't preclude other acts or sides. I suppose the lesson for me is to acknowledge that in order to be qualified as a "good person" one's acts must predominately fall within the "good" area. But even that leaves us wondering if someone commits a horrible crime in an otherwise life of stellar good acts, are they "good" or "bad"? An oddity- but as you say so well, causes us all to reexamine how secure we are in our knowledge of anyone and how we qualify them as people. I have never forgotten the piece I read on Hitler where it was disclosed that he was a wonderful son to his sickly mother and wept when his canary died.
It fascinates me that many of the most deeply wicked acts are committed by people that also have done lovely and deeply good things. When you look at someone you see the side present at that moment and the action of that time. But it doesn’t preclude other acts or sides. I suppose the lesson for me is to acknowledge that in order to be qualified as a “good person” one’s acts must predominately fall within the “good” area. But even that leaves us wondering if someone commits a horrible crime in an otherwise life of stellar good acts, are they “good” or “bad”?
An oddity- but as you say so well, causes us all to reexamine how secure we are in our knowledge of anyone and how we qualify them as people.

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