The morning after a public presidential political assassination attempt is one our nation hasn’t faced since 1981 when John Hinckley attempted to kill Ronald Reagan.
I was struck last night, and this morning, how commentators and journalists expressed a hope events would not escalate in the coming days and weeks. Which led me to consider how hard it is after an intense experience to discern appropriate words and actions. The best advice I have ever read regarding how to approach such a situation comes from the work of 4th century BCE philosopher Lao Tzu who wrote:
“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?”
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