Positive Regard for Undeserving People

There are people in the world who, at first glance (or second, or third), don’t seem to me to deserve positive regard. At all. Maybe there are people like that for you, too.But in an ancient tale, five people are traveling through the forest: the leader, their beloved, a friend, a stranger, and a wicked person. The group is attacked, and one person must be sacrificed in return for safety for the rest. Whom should it be? The wicked person, if we’re being just? The leader themself, if they’re altruistic? But the answer is, no one.Because if we sacrifice anyone, then instead of spending our energy cultivating a warm and connected heart, we have to keep in mind who’s in and who’s out. We’re in a constant process of “yes/no, yes/no,” “you but not you…,” as opposed to being in a constant process of listening, understanding, and caring.