From: ibshambat@gmail.com   
      
   A major factor in determining one's course of action is one's definition of   
   what is strength. How it is defined and how it is wielded carries a vast   
   effect in how people's actions are directed. And on this, some definitions are   
   better than others.   
   One wrongful definition of strength is found in Michael Jackson's song "Beat   
   it." He said, "strong is just fight, it doesn't matter who's wrong or right."   
   This disastrous attitude has caused horrible problems in African American   
   communities. People are    
   taught that being strong is about being a gangster; and most people with that   
   attitude wind up behind bars.   
      
   Another wrongful definition of strength is found in the Syrians who claim   
   President Obama to be weak by virtue of his refusing to unilaterally declare   
   war. These people identify strength with despotism; and - surprise surprise -   
   what they get in their    
   country is one kind of despotism after another. Syria has not become a strong   
   country from this belief; it became a tyrant's playground, and it is the   
   people that have suffered from this the most.   
      
   Also wrong is the definition of strength that is popular in cowboy areas of   
   America, such as Texas: Being physically strong but rash and injudicious. They   
   become physically strong, but they make major errors that lead them into   
   trouble or result in    
   asinine behavior on their part. We see this with some Republicans regarding   
   Bush a strong person for having waged a war in Iraq. He waged a war in Iraq;   
   the military and mercenary organizations hired by the military killed 600,000   
   Iraqi civilians. This    
   is the shortcoming of that definition of strength: The person becomes a jerk.   
      
   As part of both the cowboys' and the despots' definition of strength is the   
   idea that strength is about decisive action. Recent history has shown the   
   shortcomings of that definition. Bush acted decisively in Iraq, and now   
   600,000 Iraqis are dead. It    
   cannot just be about decisive action; it has to be about right decisive action.   
      
   A real, workable, beneficial definition of strength includes self-control,   
   judgment and principle.    
       
   Self-control is required for real strength in order to prevent oneself from   
   using one's strength improperly and hurting the people whom one loves or   
   people whom one is not intending to injure.    
      
   Judgment is necessary in order to wield one's strength in a way that is   
   intelligent rather than dumb.   
      
   And principle is necessary so that the strength be wielded rightfully rather   
   than wrongly.    
      
   Strength has to be defined rightly, and then it becomes a positive force   
   instead of a wrongful force. People who aspire toward strength must also be   
   taught self-control, judgment and principle. It cannot be about beating up   
   random people, it cannot be    
   about being rash, and it cannot be about being despotic. It has to be a tool   
   for enforcement of rightful and positive purposes and be never allowed to   
   become a purpose in itself.   
      
   Gangsters, despots and cowboys may be physically stronger than the next   
   person, but they do not actualize in anything good. Only when wielded   
   rightfully does strength becomes a positive thing rather than something   
   destructive. Self-control, judgment and    
   principle must be an integral part of all strength training. And this will   
   create character to go along with strength, resulting in strength being a tool   
   of good instead of a blind, destructive and stupid force.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)