Balanced Scale
Unfortunately, reality, being beyond dualism, does not always conform to the categories we create. Neither are issues always black and white as fundamentalist groups worldwide portray them. For instance, we could say that Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and other leaders (past and present) have clearly shown us the terrible price we must pay for the abuse of power. We learn from them the value of peace, truth, compassion, and justice — traits they so obviously lacked. We also learn that words can deceive, however noble, logical, and sincere they may sound. To discover the truth, we have learned to look at a person's actions and the results they produce rather than base our conclusions on the words they speak. Talk is not always cheap: it can be quite expensive. In short, we don't listen and automatically believe; instead, we watch, and even then, we watch consciously.

Micro Scale
On an individual level, if we are not geniuses, then how can we live a worthwhile life and leave a positive legacy to humanity? One way is to do something that would be generally good for everybody, like to try making others happy. If we did that, then we would be contributing to the positive legacy "cause," at least in the moment. After all, we call the good works of the past "positive legacies" because they make people happy.

If we expand the definition of legacy to include acts that have a definite value, but they last only for a moment, then a positive legacy could be a simple act of kindness. The act might not stretch distinctly into future generations but would produce short-term happiness. The healing and life-affirming effects of kindness diffuse gently through time and society, from one soft moment to the next. History itself is no more than a multidimensional string of unbroken moments. By using our "genius" of being kind, we can build a subtle but powerful legacy, because these acts have a cumulative effect. Blessed are the peacemakers. And it helps to be this way with all living creatures.

In addition, if we do good even with a momentary gesture, it makes both parties feel good. How can that be bad? You can use this technique with everyone, like with people who are waiters: talk to them, make them smile. That way, both go away with good thoughts and feelings. What happens is that people remember us and we remember them much more than if we had not made a conscious effort to make them happy or smile. Everyone deserves to enjoy life, if even for a few seconds. We leave a legacy to the person . . . we remember each other . . . we have made a connection. This is the smaller picture, which can grow into a big picture if all of us treat each other with love and kindness.

Possibilities
This moment-to-moment legacy plan may sound oversimplified. Maybe it is. The implications, though, go beyond seemingly isolated acts of kindness. Not only does the axiom "What goes around, comes around" apply, but metaphysically, each individual act directs the course of the history — not in any necessarily crucial way, certainly — but in minute increments. If, for example, everyone took every opportunity to hurt someone, then our current reality would rapidly deteriorate into hell on earth. It's not a far leap, then, to imagine the opposite development: if everyone took every opportunity to be kind to someone, then our reality would soon enough transform into Heaven on Earth. This sounds simple, but is it idealistic? Perhaps; but in theory and practice, it works.