Weak/Strong

In many ways I’m following on from my previous post with this one.

I recently came across the opinion, online, that ‘left wing attitudes are wrong because they try to make everyone equal when the truth is that we aren’t all the same and some are weak while others are strong.’ It’s an opinion that played on my mind and I felt I had to reply to, both directly and in a blog post.

So I want to explain my thinking here rather than just say I disagree, and to do that I’ll break this down into two points that were made-

1. We’re all different
2. Some people are weak and others are strong.

Point 1. We’re all different

Actually, I agree ( although, I think, for different reasons ). We are.

I know this because there’s no way I’d be strong enough to take the pain to give birth to a child or, for that matter face knowing I’d have that ahead of me for a full 9 months ahead of time.
That said, I’m sure there are people who, on dislocating their elbows, wouldn’t be able to call 999, then a friend for a lift to hospital, then walk a couple of houses distance, be driven to hospital, organise to cancel jobs for the next few days and phone loved ones, all without screaming because every jolt or movement was agony.

And that’s just about different pain thresholds, I don’t even need to get into ways of thinking, instincts, reflexes, triggers, mental endurance, etc..

Point 2. Weak vs Strong

Now here is where I strongly disagree and, what’s more, I think this is an issue which a lot of us on all sides of opinion, tend to miss.
By which I mean, we have a habit of defining everything in terms of good or bad, weak or strong. I think we’re wrong to do that all the time and not just in the obvious ways.
I think it’s wrong to dismiss someone as weak and think they’re worthless, but, equally, I think it’s wrong to pity them for being weak and blindly offer money or goods without understanding that these people are more than charity cases.

In both cases we don’t actually see the people, we just see their weaknesses.

I used to think I was worthless and judged myself against others who seemed so great. I was wrong there too, for much the same reason and also for putting others on a pedestal of always being strong.

You see, I’m not half as good as many others in certain ways but, you know what, I’m persistant and I have things I can do that amaze people. It took me a long time to realise that and a whole heck of pain before I saw my abilities bloom, but I made it. I’m also pretty sure that I can do somethings that those people I thought were supermen, can’t ( and I can imagine it’s hard at times, asking for help when everyone thinks you’re so great ).

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Our whole mindset as a society is to place value on things and people, but I’ve yet to see a moment in life which can’t change or a person who doesn’t have some weakness they need help with AND some strength they can offer somewhere/somehow.

It’s a more difficult thing to do, I’m sure, but so much more useful, to ask where each individuals’ strengths are so we all can benefit from them, and where their weaknesses are, so we can support them.
And the same goes for ourselves ( though I know this can be the hardest thing ) because, no matter how strong we are, there will still be a time when we need help and, even at our weakest, when we think we’re useless, there’s still something in us which is strong and useful, we just can’t see it today.