The medieval church forbade usury and claimed that usurers went to hell. However, as the feudal system of the Middle Ages declined and merchants emerged as an emerging power, usury businesses amassed enormous wealth. Usurers donated their corrupt wealth to monasteries, and when they died, they could be buried there. It was a bonus that the donor usurer could receive the sacrament of confession shortly before death. Fear of the afterlife caused poor churches to accumulate wealth, used to decorate walls or build larger, more elaborate structures, leading to the Renaissance era. The unjust usury business sparked a literary and artistic revival. Let go of the illusion that only good things can change the world for the better or the right. The innocence of ignorance about how the world works makes it easier to accept sin and corrupts the world into evil. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
The conversation itself is value-neutral. Good and bad conversations are determined by circumstances and methods. Claiming that having many conversations is inherently good is misleading, as not all conversations are beneficial. Sometimes, silence can convey more than words. Dialogue exchanges information, communicates emotions, and conveys intentions and stances. However, a fruitful conversation can occur only when there is an implicitly respected distance between conversation partners, allowing both to express their intentions and thoughts appropriately within that distance. The reaction to these revealed intentions and thoughts ultimately decides whether to continue the conversation, shift to another topic, or maintain a stagnant relationship. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”