#1267 - protect and nurture
We protect what is weak.
Or at least what we believe it's weak.
A person, an idea, a value, a group, a relationship, love, nature or else.
We decide to act as the protectors because we believe that thing is weak, or at least more vulnerable than us, and must be protected from harm.
If something is strong, does it need protection?
Probably not.
Maybe, I'm oversimplifying, but anytime I hear someone saying things like "we must protect our values", I always perceive it as an admission that those same values are weak.
The problem is that protection doesn't make anyone or anything stronger. On the contrary, it can even weaken the object of our protection.
So, our goal should be to strengthen what we protect until they don't need our protection anymore.
Isn't what we do with our children?
We protect them, but we also nurture them so they can become adults who can take care of themselves.
The same should be for intangible things like ideas, values or love.
If you believe one of your values is weak and needs protection, how can you nurture it to make it stronger?
If you feel your love requires protection because it's not strong enough, how can you nurture it so it can shine free?