To say we live in difficult times is likely the greatest understatement of this or any century.  Now in my eighth decade, I have seen and experienced a long and interesting life.  But I have been unable, until now, to come to grips with the dichotomy of Thomas Aquinas and J.S. Mill.

Aquinas prayed — "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference."

In his 1867 inaugural address to the University of St. Andrew, John Stuart Mill, with a quote often wrongly attributed to Edmund Burke, said, "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends than that good men look on and do nothing."

In his accomplished and superior manner, Shakespeare said — "Ah, there's the rub."

I am appalled when I watch the news, which I have been doing far less often these days.  I needn't go into specifics; if you're reading this, you likely do watch the news.  There is precious little in the headlines to give us pleasure or hope.  The stories the media share with us are nearly universal in their horrible depictions of human depravity.  Sharing should be a good thing.  These examples of sharing are not.

I have been inclined to agree with Thomas Aquinas and accept, with serenity, that I cannot change the narrative that presents itself with tsunami-like force daily and that I am wise to recognize my inability to do so.

But then the Shakespearean rub of J.S. Mill comes to mind.  I do not want evil to triumph, and I think I am a good man.  How, then, can I exhibit wisdom as defined by Aquinas and still not be one of those individuals doing nothing and facilitating the victory of evil?  After much thought, I have chosen the following course of action:

I will not accept the world as it is presented to me on a daily basis.  The differences between impossible and difficult are significant.  There may seem little I, or any other single individual, can do to make the world a better place.  But any tiny ripple I can create in the metaphoric pond in which we live, joined by the ripples of others, can change a tsunami of pain into a great wave of hope.  Philosophers have made this argument for centuries.  Change is not impossible.  It may be terribly difficult, but that is a far cry from hopeless.

So I will watch more news and make ripples with the words I write and speak.  Thomas Aquinas was right.  It is up to me to recognize what is impossible to alter versus what can be changed.  Serenity was too easy, and a bit of a cop-out.  Wisdom is the hard part.  I will endeavor to muster the courage to allow wisdom to prevail.  In so doing, I may play a small part in the fight against evil.  I hope all good men will join me.  Let's make some ripples.

Bill Hansmann is a dentist and dental educator with over fifty years in the profession.  He continues to teach and write political blogs and semi-mediocre novels while living with his wife and cats in Florida.

Image: Botticelli and Watts.