homo hominis lupus
In a sense it is ironical.
Mankind got rid mostly of the dangers of being pray and ending on the shopping for dinner list of Ms. and Mr. predator. We also eradicated diseases like pox, we have the cure for many other diseases and would just need a fair distribution mechanism. We invented central heating and for most of us reading this post, the idea of dying of hunger is further away than a personal trip to Mars.
This we managed as race, for some of us. And because humans are the way they are, we balance things by accomplishing mission after mission, making sure that the sum of human misery in this universe is expanding over the years, like the universe is.
There are explanations, of course, coming from scientists, telling us why we are what we are. Aeons of fighting for survival, for food with competing tribes, of being suspicious towards everything that looks differently, made us what we are. A very, very social, quite intelligent ape who was given the gift of language, allowing us to build empires and destroy them.
We do not seem to be able to share properly and to love each other properly. Or at least respect each other.
Thus, for many “over there”, life is a different reality. And “over there” means a couple of hours in a plane; an easy trip for you and me, comfortably seated in a shiny Airbus or Boing, and with a white Chardonnay on our lips, we can land tomorrow in zero comfort zones on planet earth where drinking Chardonnay in a plane is like dancing on moon for many.
And, for many here and there, life is hate, hate towards an endless stream of hate objects. Maybe it is time to search for a cure of hate.
September 11th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Dear Andy, I perfectly understand you.
When the life is difficult - to remain the person very difficultly. Small I.. and the huge world - and I not forces to change it, but I can keep and change myself, the my childrens, the my environment and can be… Then this world becomes even little bit better also we shall leave ” very, very social, quite intelligent ape ” and its hatred on our vital start. Your fine post is a good opportunity to think about.
September 11th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Oh Andy,
I wish I had something profound to say but I don’t. I loved your post and also think that vladimir above is onto something. When faced with the profound, all we can do sometimes is change ourselves. Perhaps we can all become what we wish our examples to be.
We need that brain 2.0 right now!
September 11th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Dear Andy, you sound like you’re in pain. Maybe because you feel separated, “worlds away” from the people from “over there” but in reality you’re closer then you think to the ones that may die of hunger tomorrow. Deep down we have the knowledge we’re all connected, so hating someone just makes one hate him/herself, thus the suffering seems endless. The good news is that along with cabability for hate and destruction we have a capability for creativity, love and understanding. So it goes back to Vladimir’s comment about small me and the big world, and somehow it works out that not only I’m a part of that world, the world is in me too. I AM the world, so when I change myself, I do change the world, it’s funny how that happens.
Much love to you, be well.
September 11th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Dear Veronica
you are very right. Yes, I am somewhat in pain, for a reason that I did not want to post yet. Time has not come to do so. Let’s say: I am faced with death, standing close to one of my most loved human beings. I am faced with memories of 9/11 that I still do not understand. And both make me sad, because I see how precious life is, how vulnerable we are and how much we should care for ALL of us, instead we do different. It is hard to understand and even harder to deal with. But Vladimir and you brought it to the point: Small me, big world, and yet….
Thank you for your lovely comment, that was like the red little line in the evening sky, when the sun has disappeared already behind the horizon.
Dear Vladimir
I thank you. You brought it to the point. I send you hugs and my appreciation.
Dear GalileosDaughter
I thank you, at least we can try to be…can’t we?
September 11th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Thank you so much for this post Andy. I especially find the part interesting where you wrote: “being suspicious towards everything that looks differently”. I think we are a loving and caring race, but…… only to a certain point, towards the people we know and understand. We can be very cruel towards people we don’t know or don’t understand, giving ourself the right to kill them, even innocent children. They are ‘them’ and we are ‘us’, but we all are ‘us’ we all are human beings living on the same planet that we share, all sharing the same emotions. I wish we would think more in the term ‘us’ when we think of the human race.
Love and understanding is the cure for hate!
September 11th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Dear Andy and all,
I’ve been reading Slaughterhouse five recently… this book seems to explain a lot about human race. It reminds me how often we don’t see the big picture, we’re looking at things through our narrow tube, unable to even turn heads. We consider the picture at the end of our tube to be the whole world. We, Earthlings, are so full of fear that we forget we’re not the only thing out there and beings that are different from us have a right to exist too…I tend to think thatn much of our pain and suffering come from our limited perspective, we forget how the Universe is in constant motion and things come and go and transform. How fragile and precious every living thing is and unique and never can we enter the same river twice. What we call death is sometimes only means of moving on, before you are reborn with another purpose, elsewhere. The world is a good place as long as we’re open to see it. I hope your life gets easier and things make more sence to you in the following days. You and your perfumes and your thoughts, for one, made my life bearable on many dark days. And yes, the sun is always there, even when it’s dark on our side of the Earth.
September 11th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
Dear Andy, sorry to hear you’re not doing so well. It is reflected in the profoundness of your post today.
I agree that Vladimir has hit the nail on the head. We can change ourselves, our immediate environment (our kids) for the better, thereby changing a small part of the world. Sometimes we might feel like drowning in all the suffering we see around us because it is so little we can do.
I also agree with your statement ‘we do not seem to be able to share properly and to love each other properly. Or at least respect each other’. I think the reason for that is that so few people are taught to care and love, for a myriad of reasons. But those of us who have been taught and have the compassion, must pass it on, in whatever way we can.
Somehow this makes me think of Mother Teresa, who had so much love in her, it shone the world over, in spite of all the misery and unfairness she encountered. May you soon see the light at the end of the tunnel again.
A hug from me to you.
September 11th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Dearest-
Imminent loss is a powerful thing, immense in its impact.
It colors our perceptions, like a veil.
There is an awful lot of cruelty and pain in our exquisitely beautiful world.
But we all have impact, and a part to play in’making the universe whole’- Tikkun Olam.
May you find comfort in those you cherish, and are cherished by.
Sei mir gegrusst, sei mir gekusst.
September 12th, 2007 at 4:18 am
You and the others have said more profound things than I can come up with. Like our friend above, I wish you comfort and love. You’ve brought a lot of beauty into our world, which to me is very much what the “Tikkun Olam”, repairing the universe, Ida mentioned is all about.