One person: Many parts
In today's society where it seems that beauty is everything, people often forget that there is much more to a person than the physical. Everywhere there is a message: Stay thin, get fit, stay fit and be happy. I totally agree that a fit body is super important, but it is only one part of a complete package.
Just picture a table.
How stable will a one legged table be? How about if you add a second leg? Obviously that table will not stand. How about a table with one broken leg? I wouldn't feel too happy about relying on it.
I personally believe that people have four pillars that keep them standing firm, and the person is only as strong as the weakest link.
The four pillars
- The body (physical)
- The mind (mental)
- The spirit (emotional)
- The soul (spiritual)
If those four pillars are strong you get a strong individual. Attack one of those pillars and you will weaken the individual.
If you want to be picky perhaps you will mention people such as Stephen Hawking who had serious physical limitations but also achieved a great deal during his life. I would then point out that considering his disease state, he was an exceptional case, outliving most with his condition by decades.
But enough of edge cases. I'll stand by my point. If there are four strong pillars, there is a strong individual.
But what of those who attack those pillars?
- What if someone attacks your body?
Is that a serious crime?
- What if someone attacks your mind?
Is that a serious crime?
- What if someone attacks your spirit?
Is that a crime?
- What if someone attacks your soul?
Is that a crime?
I tend to think that attacking any of the four pillars of what makes a person who they are is a crime. Unfortunately, some attacks are harder to quantify and harder to make laws against...
Physical attacks are fairly easy to quantify.
- Was someone hit?
- Was someone injured?
- Was it bad enough to go to the hospital?
- Did it cause lifelong injury?
A simple medical report can answer all of those questions.
Mental and emotional health attacks are much harder to quantify.
- Was someone emotionally attacked?
- Was it a joke? Was it serious?
- Did it leave someone emotionally or mentally injured?
- Was it serious enough to require treatment?
- Did it cause lifelong injury?
Now it’s tougher. It comes down to how someone feels about it. The same attack against two different people can lead to two very different results. If someone decided to write a comment about this article calling it utter and total garbage, I wouldn't enjoy the comment, but I'm strong enough in my sense of self that it would leave very little lasting effect.
Someone writing their first article or with a weaker sense of self could be devastated by a nasty comment.
Someone using HIVE as their daily source of income? That one negative comment could affect their rewards, reputation, and livelihood.
Same comment but totally different outcomes
Spiritual attacks are even harder to quantify
I was recently in Surabaya, Indonesia where there is a strong Muslim presence. Let's make an assumption that someone decided to serve pork to guests claiming it was beef or chicken. Perhaps serving it in an alcoholic sauce. Sure, much of the alcohol is burnt off, but some remains. Enough spice and the person may never know they ate both pork and drank alcohol.
Then tell them what you did.
Is it a spiritual attack?
- Did it cause injury?
- Did it affect the person negatively?
- Did it injure the person?
I think it would require a lot of discussion and lead to a lot of disagreement. An atheist may say the whole argument is nonsense, while others may be horrified at the act.
How do we judge?
Unfortunately judges have to decide what punishment fits the crime.
Physical crimes are more straightforward. Get the facts, weigh the damage, decide the punishment based on the written laws.
Emotional/Mental crimes? Sure you can get the facts. However, weighing the damage is harder. Is there real damage, or is the reaction disproportionate to the intent? Subjective damages are harder to quantify than objective damages.
Can physical and emotional damage be just as debilitating? Absolutely.
Spiritual crimes? Corrupting a person's moral core? I wouldn't even know where to start judging that one. I personally believe that it could ruin a person but… proving it? I wouldn't want to be that judge.
Hive Learners prompt
The Hive Learners prompt asks which is worse: Physical or emotional abuse? Real life or digital world abuse? Personally I believe both can be equal depending on the circumstances.
- A physical injury can steal a person's livelihood through disability.
- An online attack can cancel someone or steal their reputation... which can also steal a person's livelihood.
- An online attack can also go after someone's sense of worth. The job and life seem intact, but it invisibly breaks the person.
The first is easy to see. The second is more difficult to see. The third may be impossible to see. But they all result in the same thing: a broken person
They are all equally grave. The difference?
- Some are objective
- Some are subjective
Objective ones are easier to judge. Subjective ones are much harder to judge.
They both deserve the same penalty based on damage but in reality? The judge has a difficult job with objective facts. With subjective facts? I'm very glad I'm not the judge.
That's my take on the Hive Learners prompt this week. Feel free to leave comments to support or rebut my stance. I love getting feedback. If you don't feel like leaving feedback? Well, thanks for reading the post anyways. Always enjoy someone reading what I write.
Thank you.