Go Beyond Niceties

“I love not those who love in words alone.” – Sophocles, Antigone

We read to learn, yes, and we do so with passion. But when that doesn’t translate to our action then what have we really accomplished? If we don’t act for others, if we say one thing but deceive those we mean to help, we deceive ourselves and hurt everyone. So too if we read without actively engaging the text, ideally with others, then we’ve done very little. This quote from the Greek tragedy, Antigone, teaches two important lessons: our obligations to others go beyond niceties; our words, those we read and those we offer, must be joined by action.