HIPS: There Are Monsters Inside of Us (Let’s Keep Them In Check!)

By Bryan Hyde

COMMENTARY -- None of us wants to believe that we could ever do truly monstrous things.

At the same time, we’re often quite comfortable with acting like lesser monsters when we think we’re right. Or when we respond in kind when someone else is in monster mode.

The truth is, our moral compasses need regular calibration to keep us on course.

There’s nothing weak or wrong with regular examination of our own hearts. It takes courage to evaluate what tempts us and to make corrections when necessary.

That courage is what gives us the strength to keep our monsters in check. It also allows us to learn from others.

One of the side benefits of actively keeping our own monsters in check is that we become more aware of opportunities to lift and comfort those around us. It also serves to keep our fears in check when we learn of others engaging in monstrous behavior.

If we spend our time searching for monsters to expose, we’ll find plenty of examples.

On the other hand, if we seek to notice people doing kind things for one another, we’ll be pleasantly surprised at what we find.

Sometime, when sitting at the drive-thru, pay for the car behind you and see what happens.

Often, a small act of anonymous good will carry on for a dozen or more vehicles whose occupants happily do the same for those behind them.

We all need these reminders occasionally, lest the headlines convince us that the monsters are winning.

* Hyde In Plain Sight is written by KDXU personality Bryan Hyde. Catch his daily HIPS vignette at 7:50-ish every weekday morning on KDXU and listen to The Bryan Hyde Show weekends at 7 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday nights.