Why should it sadden us so that an individual may never see
what is right in your eyes as right? Do we not each have the ability to think,
decipher, research, and come to our own conclusions about what is good and
right in the world, about where we come from and our purpose here? Who are you
to assert your superiority and knowledge over me, just because you read a
textbook or saw a life-changing movie or had the most insightful discussion
you’ve ever had? That doesn’t mean that the other person listening to you would
be convinced of your point, even if you recreated everything up to that point
that made your stance so meaningful to you. There is no one hardwiring that
makes all humanity equal. We will never all see eye to eye, for that would take
out the spirit of difference and of pursuit that we treasure so dearly. Without
that spirit, there would have been no Moses, no Jesus, no Muhammad, no Buddha.
There would have been no Van Gogh, no Einstein, no Newton, no Descartes. No
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, no Rosa Parks, no Martin Luther, no Paul McCartney. No
force for change.
But the realm of the individual is cold and lonely, left to
live out his last breath alone, without a friend or family. For that reason,
humankind has engaged in a massive, inextricably linked social contract, in
which we live together in societies in order to provide one another with goods
and services in exchange for an increase in productivity, social welfare, and
security of body and mind. However, with the social contract comes the added
bonus of community, of a world of dialogue and reciprocity. The human being is
an egoistic creature by nature, but society can help quell that nature and show
the benefits of the sphere of communal dialogue and action. Each individual is
faced with a great chasm, a void immeasurably large, which stands between the
actual—who an individual is at that moment—and the potential for what the
individual can become. Just because we may laud the actual does not mean it is
truly the better path. And yet, by pondering the gap, it itself will not become
any smaller, just as the distinction between thinking of the final destination
when compared to taking a step towards it. But how to decide what is worth
fighting for? How can we know what is the good that we seek? Does it lie within
the opinion of the majority? These are indeed justifiable questions, as perhaps
it does not benefit us to take the banner up and fight for a cause that others
see as detrimental to society and to the world at large. The distinctions set
out in Hammurabi’s code between the slave and master and the punishments for
damages and deaths was revolutionary then for their sense of justice and, while
appreciated for its great contribution to the world, would be reviled now if
enacted. And yet, not everyone today would revile it. There are places in the
world that still cast different judgments upon people based on their status,
rank, or societal privileges. Who am I to speak my mind and say that my
opinions are right and theirs are wrong? The answer to that is simple: an egoistic
human being. Who is to say that my views are fundamentally correct and true?
This is the more difficult question. I could pursue my views throughout my
meager existence on this planet, act and judge based on them, and lessen the
gap between my perceived actual and potential. Yet who is to say that my deeds
are right or wrong? In the 1930’s, thousands saluted and hailed a man who
ardently pursued the beliefs of his mind, and with that swayed an entire
populace and allowed them to help follow him to these dreams that they shared.
Others, however, defied his will and rule of law by hiding families designated
for ethnic cleansing, a purification of the land and its inhabitants. I have
been taught that these rebels were actually the good guys, while the vast
majority, including this man that rose to power from nothing and managed to
hold a nation together in a time of financial crisis, were the bad guys. Who am
I to say that this is the ultimate truth? No one. And yet, I can say just that,
for I am someone—a human being, a defender of this earth and a participant
thereof, a person with a claim to this planet and opinions entirely my own. I
may share the notion that the actions of this man were wrong and disgusting
with many of my colleagues and peers, but that does not necessarily mean that
it is right. And yet, without
formulating standards and pushing them through, the world as a whole will not
develop. You may ask: why would we even want the world to develop? Why not let
it stay the same as it is? And I can simply point to the natural course of
events, the history of rock, plant, animal, and human, and show that the nature
of the world is to change, and that fighting entropy simply cannot be done, try
as we might. Could someone prove me wrong? Absolutely, and I would welcome
their criticism! But at the moment, until we can undo the passing of time, we
must not only pass with it—we must embrace it! And I am grateful for this
natural propensity to change. We must not be like the animals that have become
extinct. We must thrive, challenge, and change, for that is linked closely with
our natural instinct—to survive. And with the power of the human will, had we
not chosen to survive and procreate, we would no longer be here anymore.
Could
I have added the question, “But is this good,” after every idea in this piece?
Undoubtedly. And I have done so multiple times. But at the end of the day, it
is not so much what is good as it is what is right, what is sound, what allows
for a creative and productive world, and that is the real pursuit of this
piece. All the rest is periphery, for with foundations of truth comes both happiness
in that security and love of humanity it its ability to challenge it. This may seem
a paradox, but it is not so, for no single truth that a human could comprehend
is the ultimate truth, for if it were, there would be no possible way to
disagree with it through both rhetoric and fact. Instead, the challenging of
truth allows for a recreation of an individual’s conception thereof, and a
stronger foundation on which to stand after that new truth is built. Of course,
that moment—or hour, or day, or period of years—may be a hard one to be in, but
with diligence and study, that new level is attainable and that much more
desirable. So pursue truth! And while you act on it, listen to the critiques of
those around you, question your actions, and be ready to stop if your actions
are not in society’s best interest. Don’t let pride interfere, since it may
have some value in motivation but can easily seal one’s doom. So goes anything
of the sort; we must appreciate these traits, but realize that a trait can be a
strength as well as a weakness. This, too, is the case with the willingness to
listen to others. Ponder your path too long, and you may have waited until that
path was buried without hope of retrieval, leaving you isolated and without any
new option to pursue.
I can certainly imagine the entire world living in
peace—what a beautiful notion of agreement and willing to transfer the space of
opinion and thought to the sphere of public discourse and debate instead of to
arms. But I could not imagine a world without religion, without countries, and
without possessions. For without those, we could not express our uniqueness.
There is a beauty in living together as one while still not seeing all eye to
eye. We thrive on the debate of the day to day—how boring life would become
without it! An increase in social well being, in fiscal well being, in unity,
and in happiness are things we all ought to strive for, if we do not do so
already. To reach beyond our bubble, to ask important questions, to strive for
the truth that means the most to us without rejecting outright the opinions of
others before giving a listen—these are the tools given to humanity to use, to
build upon, and to live by. I hope for the day when we are finally able to see
these things through, to come together and to remain an individual. To remain a
core, valued member of society while still being able to stand apart and say,
unabashedly, “This is who I am.” And we, the generation of global
communication, of access to a myriad of databases, of ability to defeat global
poverty, disease, and oppression, we, the generation that can stand up for what
we believe is right but remain sensitive to the thoughts and viewpoints of
others, we are the true fighters. So take up this cause with me. Fight with
more than weapons. Fight with the desire to be free, to take in the opinions of
others and merge them with your own, to stand tall and yet to take one for the team,
without hope of compensation. For in that way, we will all be able to move
forward as one, each unique and yet unequivocally united, an undeniable voice for change and for pursuit of good,
whatever we deem that to be, so long as it for the betterment of the world, in love
of our world, each other, and the dream of peace.
"When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others."
--Peace Pilgrim
No comments:
Post a Comment