(Note: John Muir walked through North American wilderness without a weapon. His agenda was simply to be where he was. But he was also made of steel and knew how to fight. jrs)

Mean-spirited people flourish when
good hearts look the other way.
Ignorance is only bliss for the ignorant.
The rest of us have to stay light on our feet,
trying to understand the laws of Nature.
To avoid being prey, some pray,
some embrace predation in a beneficent way,
some surrender all pretense and leave kindness
in shallow graves scattered across a bleak plain.

(admirable, yet implacable, predator: video.nationalgeographic.com; gentle John Muir: philosophyforlife.org)