Mankind seems to like to go to war. It's in our fallen nature. For some, our battles are trivial, like fighting for a mother's attention or for someone's affection. Others like to battle for pride, self worth, financial gain. I don't know what it is exactly but there is a certain satisfaction in being better or more powerful than something or someone else. We like to exert our dominance. We like to get what we want and we like to get it easily. So we gather our artillery and ammunition. Wars are fought. Weight is thrown around. Resources obtained all because someone wants to dominate for the sake of their own selfish purposes.
It reminds me of the line in a song "power is only made by power being taken".
Such statement makes sense to me. We are all equal aren't we? We have equal rights. We're all of the same species. But we abuse each other and struggle for power. Social classes are created. Races and sexes are discriminated against. Seniority is enforced. Everyday there is a victim and perpetrator and each lives within. We are the push and we are the pull. We are the innocent and the guilty in some small or large way.
Everywhere there is conflict so everywhere there is a fight. It could be brother versus brother, friend versus friend, country versus country, religion versus religion, or so on.
World peace is a fanciful ideal but it can never be obtained.
In saying so though, I would like to put forth a proposition.
What if aliens attacked?
What if some superior and terrifying species from another solar system came to wreak havoc on us? What if they plundered all the races, social groups, religions and nations?
Wouldpeople of different races, cultures and ethnic backgrounds unite? Even if they had hated each other and been 'enemies' for centuries?
I reckon all of our differences would be put aside in an instant. There would be no more countries or continents. There would just be 'earth'. There would be no more races or ethnic groups. There would just be 'humans'.
And as for religion... The Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Catholics etc would all have their minds blown so much that they'd be desperately seeking and rethinking truth.
And the Scientologists... I guess they'd have a few questions (or answers) of their own...
Maybe if we had an external enemy it would create a greater sense of peace within. Maybe the best way to bring peace amongst each other is some sort of EXTERNAL TOTAL F***ING DEVASTATION.
A homeless guy talked to me when I was looking for Koi fish under the ice in a Chinese garden in Vancouver a few weeks ago. He said many things to me. Amongst them: "It's all going to end soon. Nature is going to reset itself. We've f***ed it all up so it has to fix itself. You'll know by the birds and the other animals. They'll run away. That's when you know it's coming. They know when to leave. It's all going to blow."
He also told me of a strong hallucinogenic you can derive from Acacia wood but that is beside the point. I've looked to the sky ever since and watched the birds. I've actually fantasized about watching them all fly away till not a sound could be heard. I've pictured myself running with all the other people in the city when the ground opens up and the mountains explode. And in that desperation and panic, whilst running I've thought: This is quite nice actually. We are all the same. Just people running from disaster. Why didn't we realize this earlier? Maybe we could have treated each other nicer while we were alive.
Wow. You know, I always kind of thought along these lines. Only instead of wondering what would be different if aliens attached, I came from the opposite direction -
ReplyDeleteOur problem is that we have outgrown all the natural dangers on our world, all the things that make our hearts pump. All the big predators are extinct or as good as, and we've built structures that can withstand all but the very worst storms that mother nature can throw at us.
I figured that in the absence of external danger, we create our own conflict. Something to get the blood running a little hotter, a bit of drama that we all seem to crave on some level.
But now I think about it, even when there is a need to pull together people still bicker. Watch Battlestar Galactica if you haven't already; perfect example of the scenario you describe and yet still in-fighting and lack of focus was rife. I'd like to think it'd be different in real life but to be honest I'm not so sure...
I reckon it is in our nature to push our belief on others. When life is more settled down we will always refine our beliefs and so we diverge, then want to get satisfaction from knowing “the truth” and preach to others to get them to believe in the same things and reinforce ourselves and our ideas to create strength in it.
ReplyDeleteI think that if we understand and appreciate the diversity in life and how we perceive life, we would learn a lot more. Unfortunately, whether it is the individual or the group we will always be the enemy to difference. If an alien race came along the human race would be united because we want our beliefs to remain dominant on a very base level. Then we would settle down and revert to having a higher resolution on our own beliefs and find stuff to feel difference to.
Religion is a very good example of this, you have protestants and catholics and sunni and shiites. Then you have babtist and presbyterian and all the stuff in between. It’s when those beliefs settle, in how the world should be, diverge so much that it conflicts with the direction you/we/us/them want to go that creates conflict.
Another example is when you have a close relationship with someone. When you diverge things turn to shit. You can compromise your own belief in an attempt to create harmony, but you will usually have in the back of your mind how far I could have gone with those beliefs and have resentment for compromising for someone else. It’s when you have a common enemy/belief and never have things settle and diverge that you find a lasting relationship. You take comfort in each other and you reinforce each other and create a united beleif. You strive together, you believe in each other.
The beliefs that I have, drew me to the conclusion that it is natural to strive, then you don’t find indifference in bullshit. Have a belief and perform you actions with no compromise on your own beliefs, but if you do make sure it’s for someone who you believe in. Never let things settle in some kind of believed utopia because it will never happen. We will always diverge, it’s fundamental to evolution/intelligent design. We are still driven by our belief/gene survival nature in the end.
If people realised the same stuff I do then maybe people can take a step back and reject our construct and the world would be a nicer place. Then I go back to the start :P
Maybe it is more important to think that you believe in yourself, but not too much. Don’t have a romantic belief that you know it all and this is “my destiny”, because that’s how wars begin. Be open-minded and absorb the beliefs of everyone around you in an attempt to create a united belief that people will put down their resentment for. Damn it’s hard to escape it!
Whatever man, I don’t know. I can only strive :)
@ Irene: Yeah you are probably right. There would still be bickering and conflict on some level. It's like a seed that is deeply rooted inside. I guess some water it more than others while others try to make it die.
ReplyDelete@ Unknown: Like Bruce Lee said; "My truth is not your truth and your truth is not my truth." There is always going to be discrepancy in beliefs and ideals. I agree it is important to understand other cultures and beliefs as everything has something to teach us and we need to be sensitive and aware but we have the right of freedom of choice. Probably no matter way we look at life as humans we will always make a big mess. There is no justice or peace, there's only forgiveness. Maybe one day we will all unite on that?