a sense of proportion (2)

Now to be balanced about balance ...
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Obviously there are some / many cases in which any kind of genuine contribution / achievement can only be reached when one is totally committed to an endeavour. Basic problem of scarcity, right: we only have so much time and energy. Limited resources, infinite wants / needs. We all have to focus on some things in order to do them well.
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What i mean by 'balance' is not about being a Jack of all trades and master of none. It's about being totally committed to whatever one is responsible for, yet being able to let it go gracefully if letting go is what's required. It's about being able to see that, no matter how important something is to us, there are (many) other people for whom this thing doesn't even figure on their mental horizons, or who, God forbid! actually disagree with us, and to recognise that these other people have the right to think differently, because their disagreement or lack of caring takes place in the context of their own particular life circumstances, values, needs, concerns, etc. To not have to force our own concerns and issues on other people, because we recognise that they may simply not care about the same things as we do -- and to be ok with that.
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That's what i mean when i talk about proportion. Just the ability to put one's own concerns into perspective.
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i think it's a problem that especially affects people who are passionate about whatever it is they do. This starting to think / wish that the rest of the world would think like them, be like them. This wanting to impose; and the consequent inabilty to respect and value different perspectives, different ways of being. i think it's why interacting with activists (in whatever area: human rights, religion, environmentalism, feminism, etc etc ... ) is often so fraught with tension and nastiness. Because for them, whether consciously or not, it's about power, and about wanting to have their way.
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So the secret is to care passionately about something, without hijacking that caring / passion into a means through which we seek power and control over others. It's a really difficult balancing act.
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