I’ve posted this poem here before, but since it kept popping into my head as I bounced between emotions yesterday, I’m compelled to post it again.
Every eye sees its own special vision;
every ear hears a most different song.
In each man’s troubled heart, an incision
would reveal a unique, and shameful wrong.
Stranger fiends hide here in human guise
than reside in the valleys of Hell.
But goodness, kindness and love arise
in the heart of the poor beast, as well.
From The Book of Counted Sorrows, by Dean Koontz
Throughout my life, this poem has helped me to see things from a different perspective than my own. It’s allowed me to try and see myself as others see me, as well.
It reminds me to look for the kindness in even the greatest imagined beast. It’s good to know goodness is there, because knowing makes it easier to find.
It reminds me that before I can judge another person, I must first look at my own shameful wrongs. Looking inward diverts my judgment enough that, hopefully, I better myself rather than point my finger and cry, “beast“.
We are each capable of being a beast toward others – and within each of us there is the ability to show goodness, kindness and love. I have to believe that.
I have to.
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7 replies on “The Heart of the Beast”
Great quote. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this. It’s exactly what I needed to hear today. Exactly.
So well said. Thank you for reminding me of this. I heard someone say something wonderfully simple and so true the other day – “Everyone thinks they’re right.” Which is funny, because we all can’t be right, even though we’re so sure we are and can get so stubborn about holding onto our opinions that it is difficult to see the logic in other people’s viewpoints.
Before you judge another, you also need to not put your assumptions on him/her. This was pointed out to me very clearly with a student, I thought that he was trying to show me that he is smarter than me, so I kept putting him in his place. It turns out that he was just trying to impress me with his knowledge–he wasn’t trying to one-up the teacher. Sometimes the best we can do is quiet our self–our own beast.
Well put. Though, some people (I know) have hidden their “good” sides so deeply within the folds of their flesh, that the “good” will never ever see the light of day again. It’s sad, really, because I really do believe that we all have good in us.
What a great and difficult thing to keep in your mind. I going to try and remember this too.
I shared your sadness at Prop 8’s passage. A sad, sad result in the midst of a historic day.
Those who have hidden the good have chosen to do so, no one forces anyone to be that way. For them, stick to “what you see is what you get” and try not to even mull over their motives. Luckily, you won’t be able to.