AFB,
Thank you for the explanation. You didn't muddle it at all.
My "difficulty" with this perspective, which is a libertarian type thinking (isn't it), is ... it's flawed to my way of thinking.
Why? Because it's very subjective as to what is negative and what impacts me. Does a neighbor smoking pot negatively impact me even though he doesn't try to impose his beliefs on me and he is a good guy ... etc? I think so.
Does another friend of mine who had stopped drinking in excess and now is back drinking, negatively impact me - even though she doesn't "do" anything to me - negatively impact me? I think so.
Which means we now get into the discussion about pot smoking pro/cons - drinking pro/cons - over to, how to eat pro/cons - cigarette smoking pro/cons - judgment pro/cons ad infinitum.
So, because I believe (as I think you do too) that we are all interrelated and interconnected, then I think it's actually impossible to NOT impact our fellow man by our actions ... the idea is to try to minimize the negative impact by not being "horrible" and ideally eliminate it altogether.
Anger, strife, upsets, judgmental actions all impact our fellow man by virtue of the ripple effect. Those closest to us "suffer" most ... those further out from the ripple less so.
My neighbor, the pot head, for example doesn't effect me all that much. But, he surely does his own family and kids ...
Perhaps we are saying the same thing ... just differently.
That 'ole Washington heat can definately be a real mood swinger. Glad to see you've "cooled" off
But, those hot days, to me, were not as bad as those endless grey winter skies ...
WR,
Christine B.