The late Hugh Prather used to talk about this. This was late in Prather's life; at this point he was not only writing and publishing books but also raising a family, leading small study groups, and for a while leading church services as an ordained minister.

I well remember Prather -- this was in New Mexico -- using a metaphor similar to the opening post on this thread. That we are all sitting in the cinema, in a movie theater, watching a disgusting movie. And at some point, one may choose, mindfully and with charity toward one's neighbor, to get up from one's seat and walk away from the movie and out of the theater.