behavior(2/1)
Humans wish to escape loneliness
What was becoming clear to me was the extent to which humans, in their wish to escape loneliness, made maneuvers that were very complex and hard to fathom, and I saw it was possible that the consequences of Morgan’s Falls had at no stage been within my control. Klara the AF ponders how accepting an invitation from Josie’s mother to visit a beautiful place put coldness between her and Josie, the sick girl she sought to befriend.…
Behavior is comprehensible only within culture
The reasons for a nation’s cultural distinctions are not always decipherable from the actions of its people. From a Western perspective, Eastern culture is formal and backward. Children in China defer to their parents, even as adults, at a level that most children in the United States would compare to slavery. Obedience to one’s government is a standard in China, but in the United States there are rallies and protests against political leaders.…
Holiness starts in the heart
Holiness comes from heart resolve, not specific actions. Daniel was a potential skilled leader in the king of Babylon’s retinue. Chosen from a young age to eat from the king’s table and train in all the ways of the Babylonians, he and his companions would receive an expert education as a means to absorb them into the culture and build the kingdom of Babylon. Daniel lost his home, his family, and even his name - for their overseer renamed Daniel, “Belteshazzar.…