“See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” is a Japanese proverb that signifies maintaining purity by not witnessing, listening to, or discussing negative acts. This proverb sort of reminds me of one the egghead sculptures at UC Davis. There is evil in this world. Fortunately, I have not been in a situation where I have seen it with my own eyes. I may have experienced it, or the devil may have seen me, but I have not seen the devil or known to have seen the devil, nor do I really have a care to.
We live in a society that stresses the importance of community. Being part of a group exposes us to people who may not necessarily like us or agree with our perspective. It may also inadvertently expose us to dangerous individuals who want to harm us. However, it is ironic that community is actually the healthier path in life. It is the way to a metaphotical salvation and, yet, paradoxically, can put us in the way of discomfort and potential harm. Perhaps going back to the Japanese proverb, we need to sustain a certain level of ignorance to function in this world.

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