"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole."
"I am not a racist. I am against every form of racism and segregation, every form of discrimination. I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color."
Last night, I was having a conversation (a random one as it usually is with TL) and Malcolm X was mentioned. TL stated that Malcolm X had said something to the effect of, "I am not black, I am not whatever you make me out to be..." This definitely got my gears turning [The Contemplative Psyche: The Box [A Rant]] - this statement does not stand for race alone. This statement stands for so many other aspects of one's own identity.
When asked how he considered himself (militant, violent, black, etc.), Malcolm X's reply was, "I consider myself Malcolm!" How true a statement that is!
Why should I limit myself to seeing me the way others choose to see me - for all I know, their view is limited in its own way. People become so blind by what they believe they want or choose to see that they forget to consider the person as a whole - and may miss out on the experience that is the person (good and bad; perhaps even neutral).
Similarly, why should I limit myself to seeing others in a particular way. TL once told me that he had one thing especially to offer with regards to knowledge, and that it hurt him when I did not approach him directly for his assistance on that subject matter. I may not know how he felt necessarily when I told him that he was wrong to think that's all I saw he had to offer and that there was much more to him that I appreciate (NOTE: this is a very formal delivery for what I essentially said), but that is the truth - I believe there is no limit to an individual's identity and that the moment I stop to label the person one way or another, that is the moment I stop appreciating the total sum of the individual.
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