I've encountered homophobes, misogynists, sexists, and people who don't care about animals.

[hfojvt]

28. I think enlightenment is more like a path than a light switch

A light switch generally has two positions - off and on. I don't think people are like that, either enlightened or unenlightened.

It's certainly very hard to be completely free of biases and faults and ignorance and errors. Even I only manage it a couple days a week ( )

Although I guess you could start with a fairly basic choice. Either people are on the right path, or they are not. I liken it to a trip. In Kansas City, you can either face to the east and make your way to the city on the hill (Boston) or you can face to the west and make your way to sin city (Vegas).

Or did I say that backwards? You can face to the west and the City of Angels (Los Angeles) or to the east and that pit of corruption (D.C.).

Anyway, for the sake of metaphor, one direction is the right way, a path where somebody is trying to do good, trying to learn, trying to be a better person, to build a better world, or they are going in the other direction.

Some are going in the right direction, and others are not. Some are further along the path than others. Some far further.

Some, though, are not as far as they think they are. What I see your OP leaning towards is "hate". You hate, you have contempt for those others, those unenlightened ones. You want to talk about how imperfect, even deeply flawed they are.

I find that attitude to be unenlightened. I don't want to condemn or hurt or insult those who are on the wrong path or not as far along. What I want is to encourage them to turn around, to avoid getting lost, or getting weary in their own journey.

Maybe that's a lost cause with many people. Lord knows I have been very, very ineffective at changing any minds here, but there should be something more to enlightenment than just sitting on top of a mountain and throwing rocks or pointing fingers at all the fools down below.