Good Intentions
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." - - proverb Typically, when an individual takes an action (voluntarily), they intend for the outcome to have a desirable result (for them, if no one else). They believe they understand what the consequences might be, or not; they take action in either case with motivation to achieve an outcome. However, we are limited creatures in our understanding of the complex world around us; the scope of our understanding, in the moment, is necessarily limited. We turn the wheel of the car to avoid hitting the dog in the road, but as a consequence, we strike the child on the bicycle, unseen before. Limited understanding and unforeseen consequences undermine the intentions of our actions. None of this is new to humanity. The opening proverb of this post is well-known (in Western Judeo-Christian societies, at least). With the mention of "hell," it is no wonder that various shades of Christianity, with their attempts at defining ...