Abuse / Mishandeling



“We should meet abuse by forbearance. Human nature is so constituted that if we take absolutely no notice of anger or abuse, the person indulging in it will soon weary of it and stop.”
Mahatma Gandhi

I cannot agree with Gandhi’s statement that an injustice may stop taking place by simply ignoring the one committing the injustice. That seems to me too much like a matter of ostrichism… the pushing of your head into a hole in the ground, preventing you from seeing what goes on around you. Now doing that will not eradicate any dangers from taking place.

My reference to abuse, in this discussion, will refer to the use of anything or anybody for a purpose for which it was not intended to be used for. Wikipedia correctly defines abuse as the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. So, if you use the butter knife for loosening screws, then you are literally abusing that knife. Aldo Leopold said that the reason why we abuse land (nature) is because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. Only when we see land (nature) as a community to which we belong, then we may start to treat it with respect and love. Is this not true for all objects, inanimate and animate?


Is there any normal relationship that is built on a foundation of abuse? NO! Abuse begins when you start to consider your partner, friend, neighbour, or whatever as a commodity, as something having utility value, and not anymore as a part of the community to which you belong. Abuse will not stop by ignoring it, learn to respect and appreciate everything in life.

There is no justification, nor any excuse
for any form of abuse.
So here is my final comment,
abuse is something I can never defend.
b * a

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 “Ons moet mishandeling met geduld benader. Die menslike natuur is so saamgestel dat as ons geen notisie neem van geweld en mishandeling nie, dan sal die person wie dit doen gou moeg raak daarvan en dit stop.”
Mahatma Gandhi

Ek kan hierdie keer nie met Gandhi se stelling saamstem nie. Van wanneer af het die ignorering van ‘n probleem, die probleem laat ophou? Dit klink vir my te veel na ‘n kwessie van volstruisisme… wanneer jy jou kop in ‘n gat druk en dink dat net omdat jy niks sien nie, dit sal weggaan en nie meer daar is nie…

My verwysing na mishandeling vandag, sal verwys na die gebruik van ENIGE objek met die doel waarvoor dit nie gemaak is nie. Wikipedia definieer die konsep mishandeling as die onvanpaste gebruik of behandeling van iets, gewoonlik ten einde ‘n onredelike of onvanpaste voordeel daaruit te kry. So, wanneer jy die bottermes gebruik om skroewe los te draai, mishandel jy die bottermes, en net so met die slaan van ‘n vrou of die uitbuiting van die natuur.

Aldo Leopold sê dat die rede waarom ons die natuur mishandel, is omdat ons dit beskou as ‘n kommoditeit wat aan ons behoort. Slegs wanneer ons die natuur as ‘n gemeenskap sien waarvan ons deel is, dan sal ons eers begin om dit met respek en liefde te behandel. Is dit nie so waar van ALLE objekte, lewend of nie-lewend nie?


Daar is GEEN normale verhouding wat op mishandeling gebou kan word nie. Mishandeling begin wanneer jy jou vriend, vriendin, kinders, bure en lewensmaat as ‘n kommoditeit beskou, iets wat ‘n nuttigheidswaarde het, en nie as iets/iemand wie deel van die groter gemeenskap van die lewe, met sy/haar eie intrinsieke waardes nie. Mishandeling sal nooit ophou deur dit te ignoreer nie, so kom ons leer om mekaar se intrinsieke waardes te respekteer en dit deur te trek na dit wat ook die natuur insluit.

Daar is geen regverdigheid of verskoning
vir enige vorm van mishandeling nie.
As jy daaroor stilbly is seerkry jou beloning,
so moet nooit daaroor die mond snoer nie.
b * a

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