On this day in 1517, the German priest Martin Luther nailed his 96 Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. You have to admire a person who is passionate enough about his beliefs to take on an entire institution, especially one as powerful as the Catholic Church.
I got to thinking about my own principles. Were there any that I believed in that strongly? That I’d be willing to risk everything for? I’d probably second-guess myself too much, worry that my stand was wrong or that the opinion of others was just as valuable.
So much can get in our way of standing up for our values. What if we offend others? What if I incur punishment? What if I’m wrong? What if it’s just too much bother?
I suppose, too, we have to know what our principles even are, in order to stand up for them. Now, some of our ideas will change as we get older and wiser (one hopes). But are there such things as Universal Truths? If so, who determines them and what are they?
Perhaps life really isn’t about finding Universal Truths, but about finding our own. What do you think?
aim4wisdom 