Respect your world but do not venerate it

Our world is not just the blue ball where we live, it is also those social institutions which help us share our blue ball. He who throws trash in the ocean disrespects his world; she who lobbies for a lucrative government contract to build something of little value also disrespects her world.

Such disrespect spreads like a disease; from one action by one person it can spread to many people. When the disease becomes epidemic, something valuable dies. Don't spread the disease of disrespect.

We venerate things that are almost perfect, things we want to remain the same. Our world isn't finished changing. It thrives on change. Don't venerate it -- that will make you oppose change merely because it is change.

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