4.4.4 Resolving Apparent Contradictions
People are more likely to avoid conflict with their neighbours if they comply with the standards of socially-acceptable behaviour in the society they are in, as described earlier (4.4.2), centred on observance of the Golden Rule. To do this, they may have to resolve apparent conflicts with their religious texts and the customs of their forbears. This should not mean having to sacrifice their own culture, but it does require some care in their interactions with other people.
An accommodation or a compromise is always possible, given goodwill, in one of three ways – as described in the following sub-sections:
● religious texts can be interpreted in different ways (4.4.4.1);
● a permission is not an instruction to do something (4.4.4.2), so people can simply refrain from actions which offend;
● people can take personal responsibility for conflict resolution (4.4.4.3), by ignoring advice or by choosing a different adviser.
This page is intended to form part of Edition 4 of the Patterns of Power series of books. An archived copy of it is held at https://www.patternsofpower.org/edition04/444.htm