I listened to this the other morning in amazement.
Just a short story about an amazing person.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=89164759

I don't think I could have been so charitable.
Glad there are people that can.

An amazing and inspirational story. Thanks for posting it.

One bright candle in a world of darkness. Hopefully it will light some corner in the kid's concience and help him find a better life.

I honestly don't think I could have done it!

Cool story.

Originally Posted by Bilbobaker

I listened to this the other morning in amazement.
Just a short story about an amazing person.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=89164759

I don't think I could have been so charitable.
Glad there are people that can.

I looks like Mr. Diaz lived the text below with good results. I think that everyone can do this too if they train themselves to look at crime, and bad behavior in general, as a cry for help rather than a personal insult against them.

Matthew 5
38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

That guy was a social worker if I remember correctly.
Perhaps BadAltitude is just such a person as well. (he's also a social worker I think)

If you work with people on the fringe of managing normal life you probably develop a skill at spotting someone in need doing something stupid and are able to take/make good an advantage for the person in the need.

He certainly had a concern for the would be criminal.

Be really cool to watch the future of that teen to see if he took the 'pay it forward' mission.

The interesting thing to me is how cool this guy was, considering the hormones that kick in when we sense danger, that he was able to overcome that and take control of the situation, without violence is amazing. If you noticed, he let the kid decide what to do.

Shocking to the kid that the guy was nice, which is the sad part - and the thing about the dishwasher was revealing about how our society teaches folks who to respect, and who not to.

Treetop, former disrespected dishwasher.

Originally Posted by Treetop

The interesting thing to me is how cool this guy was, considering the hormones that kick in when we sense danger, that he was able to overcome that and take control of the situation, without violence is amazing. If you noticed, he let the kid decide what to do.

Shocking to the kid that the guy was nice, which is the sad part - and the thing about the dishwasher was revealing about how our society teaches folks who to respect, and who not to.

Treetop, former disrespected dishwasher.

Amen.

That guy was totally on top.
Everyone is a person and their needs always vary. One's current job position is not reason for abuse.

He probably realized that dishwasher may some day be his boss or brother in law or better.

Thats cool.

He probably realized that dishwasher may some day be his boss or brother in law or better. - bbb

Actually, I think looking at it that way diminishes it. I think he realized everyone is a human being, like you said, and deserves respect, at least until they show they don't deserve it.

I agree.

Originally Posted by Bilbobaker

That guy was a social worker if I remember correctly.
Perhaps BadAltitude is just such a person as well. (he's also a social worker I think)

If you work with people on the fringe of managing normal life you probably develop a skill at spotting someone in need doing something stupid and are able to take/make good an advantage for the person in the need.

He certainly had a concern for the would be criminal.

Be really cool to watch the future of that teen to see if he took the 'pay it forward' mission.

I think Mr. Diaz probably just treats everybody this way regardless and doesn't need special spotting skills to do so. It takes a mindset of selflessness and giving to do what Diaz did. I think that most people would be scared during such a mugging and then angry at the mugger for scaring them and angry because the mugger took something from them by force. That is the common reaction as I see it. Mr. Diaz's mind was in a totally different place than fear and anger. His mind immediately went to concern for the needs of the mugger, instead of being fixated on his own needs. It is the fixation on our own needs that brings about fear and anger.

This story shows that concern for other's needs, above your own, has a healing effect for everyone involved. Even just readers of the story, like us, are healed in a way by having a blueprint of behavior to emulate that can free us of fear and anger. We can 'pay it forward' too. Do you accept the 'pay it forward' mission?

Originally Posted by Treetop

I think he realized everyone is a human being, like you said, and deserves respect, at least until they show they don't deserve it.

That is the real lesson here. Everyone deserves respect. Most people would say that a mugger, threatening your life at knife-point for your money, has shown that they don't deserve respect. But Mr. Diaz proved that assumption wrong.

Well that is the conundrum, I was referring to the dishwasher, and would have considered the mugger had given up any respect due him. I agree the assumption is wrong. The reality, at least in this case, it seems, is the mugger was desperate. In dire straights. Too many times we see folks assume they are people of bad character, when we ourselves may never have had to be tested by the same life circumstances.

There, but for the grace of God, go I...

I realized I never answered the question. The only time anything like this happened to me, was when I was visiting a friend, who used to be my neighbor. It was the same street I used to live on. I parked pretty far from his house, but close to where I lived before, and left my doors unlocked, even left the windows down. When I was leaving, I approached my truck and this guy was sitting in the driver's seat and I got angry, asked him what the hell he was doing, he says, "Oh, is this your truck?"

I said yes and that he better start getting out right now. He was young and very nervous, I realized after he left, that he had cleaned out my change I had tossed in there, mostly pennies and my Swiss army knife was missing too. Didn't occur to me at the time that he had already pocketed some things. I though about the knife and that didn't make me feel to good about my aggressive behavior, but I didn't hurt him or try to make a citizens arrest , didn't report it either, but the answer is still no, I don't think I could do what this guy in NYC did.

This goes back to what I first said, the body releases hormones, we react without thinking much of the time.