I was born as a thinker. I've spent much of my life thinking about things.Thinking about myself, thinking about others, even thinking about thinking.This is not to say I always think the right things, or that what I thinkabout is always of any use to anyone. My brain isn't the best brain, and Idon't have a great deal of conventional education.
Nonetheless, I sit and I think. Since an early age, my thoughts led me tobelieve that there was something funny about the world in which I was living.I started out as a child, interacting with my family, learning from theirbehavior, thinking about the things they do, the things they say. Garneringfrom it my basic beliefs about love, kinship, respect, and the value of life.
As my world grew beyond the borders of my immediate family, I began to learnabout selfishness, greed, hate. I recognized these things as alien to what Ibelieved "humanity" represented. I had theorized that the only reason humanbeings had grown beyond the animal world was because of our capacity for greatthings - Community, peace, love, tolerance. I still firmly believe that theseare the foundations for a solid community, and a happy, prosperous life withinthat group.
When you are born, you are helpless. Unable to perceive the world around you,unable to rectify the situation you're in. You have fear, but it is mitigatedby the fact that you have a loving family to nurture and protect you. Fear andLove. These are the basic emotions we are born with. To simplify it further,even though you don't understand the feelings you have, the only thing youhave the capacity to be afraid of is NOT being loved. You do not KNOW this, butyour biology has hardwired you this way. Had you not been loved and cared for,you would have died. When you cry, you are calling out to the ones who loveyou. What I'm saying is that we are designed to love each other. Without thisbasic, primal desire for love, we would not have humanity. We would not havea culture at all.
From love comes empathy - The ability to see and feel the emotions of otherhuman beings around you. From empathy sprouts understanding and tolerance.From these, a community can foster peace and tranquility. This, in my humbleopinion, is how humanity has achieved great things. How we, as a whole, haverisen up to be the stewards of our world. Not mere beasts roaming the plains,but the overseers who work the fields, care for God's creatures, and nurtureall life on this small planet. It is the peace that allowed us to take timeto think. With our thoughts, we discover new ways to improve our lives andthe lives of those we share our space with.
A child does not know hatred. When you were born, you did not hate. You did notdiscriminate based on skin colour, class, religion, or culture. You weren'tselfish, as you were not even self-aware. These are unnatural feelings, thingsyou did not consider. That is, until you were taught by someone how to hate.We are born with the capacity for great things, and unfortunately that capacityincludes the potential for these negative emotions. They are counter-intuitiveto the things that make us great. Selfishness breeds ego. Ego gives us thecapacity for materialism and hatred. Materialism because our ego desires thefalse admiration of others. Hatred comes from the fear that someone else hasthreatened our ego. These are things you did not know as a child.
I've spent my life being confused and conflicted. With all these things plantedfirmly in my mind - Things I believe to be obvious Truths - I watch the worldaround me in total chaos. Chaos that seems to be accelerating. This is not tosay I live as a Saint, but as I said before, I spend a lot of time thinking.Most of these thoughts are dedicated to how I can raise up the ones I love. Tomaking their lives better, thereby improving my own life with theirs. With thatstatement, I would also like to clarify that I'm not trying to be selfish, butsimply that being part of and nurturing a peaceful, loving community will giveyou a more peaceful and loving life. This is inevitable.
This, unfortunately, also works with the negative, learned emotions andactions. Even more unfortunately, it seems as though there is a trend in ourworld pushing us towards these negative, unnatural ways. It seems popular tohave the nicest car, the most sexual partners, the biggest house. These thingsdo not provide love or peace. The desire to achieve these things displaces thenatural, pushes away love and fosters selfishness. For if you are to HAVE,others must NOT. This creates an imbalance, causes others suffering, createssocial classes, distrust, hatred.
There is a great inequality that pervades our society. Instead of caring forone another, we are taught one-upmanship and greed. This allows for us to betaken advantage of. As we grow and are taught, indoctrinated to believe ininequality, in distrust, in competition rather than cooperation, we cry outfor someone to care for us. We beg, like children, for someone to give usstability. Those who teach us greed and hatred are the ones who come forward,offering us a solution. "Be with us," they say. "We will take care of you." Inexchange, we give our labor, loyalty, and servitude. Yet, I know I still feelas though I'm not safe. I'm not living a life of peace by being a member ofthis invented culture of hate.
Now, after several generations, the "protections" provided to us and theexchange of servitude are enacted upon us when we are born, by default. Dowe not get a choice? Could we not solve our problems by being loving andpeaceful?
I think we can and will. What do you think?
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