Human thoughts, unless they are shaped by special problems, worries, or wounds, generally prefer to remember only what they have done well and the moments of joy and delight. They neither want to acknowledge nor recall their faults, mistakes, and sins. This is especially evident as a habit in those with a strong sense of victimization. Because of this habit, people tend to treat their faults and mistakes lightly, rationalizing them so that their wrongs are neither seen nor remembered, easily vanishing from memory. Those who have been wounded in such a way, through the habits formed by their victim mentality, tend not to dwell deeply in reflection and inner anguish, but rather possess a greater desire to avoid and forget, seeking instead to remember only those things that follow the desires of the flesh—joy and pleasure. In other words, human thoughts by nature do not wish to endure the pains of worry and distress; thus, when it comes to their faults, concerns, and problems, they avoid thinking of them, preferring to escape. Therefore, rather than facing deep concerns, they instead pursue fleshly pleasures and joys in an attempt to shake off and forget their troubles.
Of course, some people, depending on their nature, may brood and magnify their problems excessively, while others may dismiss them as though they were someone else’s concern, neglecting to hold any sense of responsibility at all. The truth is, just as every human being endures much pain in the process of bodily growth until reaching adulthood, so too the heart grows by passing through many worries, burdens, and troubles—through inner distress and heartfelt anguish, the heart deepens, broadens, and enlarges, maturing through such trials. However, the younger generation today often refuses to undergo this process of growth through facing troubles and worries. Instead, they seek to avoid anguish, chasing only after fleeting pleasures of the moment. As a result, though their outward appearance may be that of adults, their hearts remain immature, childlike in their level of maturity.
In other words, though the growth of the heart is accompanied by pain, it is precisely through such anguish that the heart is widened, deepened, and matured. Yet because they only try to avoid this anguish, they have grown outwardly but not inwardly. This is why many of today’s youth so easily entertain extreme thoughts even when confronted with small troubles or concerns—it is because their hearts have not grown, and they lack patience and self-control. By facing, confronting, and enduring problems, worries, and burdens, the heart grows, and in that growth one learns patience and self-control. But because they avoid rather than confront such situations, patience and self-control are never learned. Thus, many see only their own tears and wounds, and by their selfishness they fail to gain the broader vision, consideration, yielding, forgiveness, forbearance, and patience that come through understanding others.
Living without cares, worries, or deep concerns, desiring only comfort, ease, and pleasure in accordance with their own convenience, these habits of pursuing fleshly desires make them extremely closed, selfish, calculating, and transactional in accordance with interests. Having no interest beyond the success, joy, and pleasure that suit their tastes, they fail to perceive their own limitations and weaknesses. And when problems or worries arise, because they lack the patience and self-control to endure, persevere, and overcome, more and more of today’s youth are driven to make extreme choices. This is the tragic reality of the present world.