Shades of Grey

(I'm not sure where this post is going, I'm mostly trying to figure something out in my head.)

In my view, the world is mostly not binary.  There are facts, but there is no absolute truth.  My interpretation of a set of facts will never be the same as another person's interpretation.

Being aware of that, and because of my strong belief that I do not have the right to interfere with someone else's life journey, I tend to be very tolerant of other people's behavior provided it does me no harm.  I'm not sure if that is the best way to explain it, but it is what comes to mind right at this moment.  As an individual I may choose to not associate with someone because they say or do things that cause me hurt or discomfort, but I feel it would be a great wrongness for me to try to enforce my code of ethics on them, because my view may not be the best view for them.

The times when this is hardest, the times when I don't know what to do and when I become anxious and disturbed, are when I am dealing with someone who has a very narrow interpretation of what is right and wrong and is very passionate about enforcing their view of how things should be.  On the one hand, I accept their view as valid for them, but when those views impact other people's lives I find myself stepping in to try to hold them back, because I think that they do not know what damage they can cause by forcing someone else to conform to their limited worldview.  But then, I have to think that I am attempting to force that person, who feels very passionately about their view, to conform to my view.

It's all very confusing.

At times like these, I'm not sure what is the right thing to do.  Do I step up to try to protect others, or do I stand back and let each person deal with the situation as they see fit?  It's easier when I am dealing with the situation as an individual, but what if I am in a position of responsibility?  Is it OK for me to stand back and let those who I have made a commitment to serve sink or swim according to their own abilities, or do I have a duty to step in and protect them?

This is, I think, the main reason why I should not be a leader.