I wrote this post while in Burkina, I just never felt ready to share it. Today I decided it was time to open up the discussion:
If we stop to think for a second, I mean really stop to reflect, do you think we could answer the question: what's wrong with mankind? Do you think if we give thought to our actions, our choices, our principles, we can find the truth about why we have suffering in this world? Why we have inequality? Why humanity is so divided?
Do you think that there is good within each of us, or does that skip a generation from time to time? Do you believe every child comes into this world with innocence in their hearts? Or, do some have a mission, given by fate, for evil?
Do we always try, at least try, to be good people? To see the good in others? Is it easier to commit immoral acts? Or, does good trump evil in the battle for our amusement?
Irrespective of religion or credo; what unites us? What divides us? Inclusive of religion or credo; what unites us? What divides us?
Who initially decided to divide and conquer the world? Who initially decided to mend it?
Do you believe in equality? Between men and women? Between different races? If we truly believe everyone should have equal opportunity, why don't we? Does our ego get in the way of unity?
I don't know the answers to most of these questions. I wish I did.
Dear Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI am going to attempt to answer some of your 22 questions.
I would say the biggest fault of mankind is the ‘me’ and ‘I’. I think if people did make a conscious effort to think about their actions, choices and principles we wouldn’t even have suffering in this world. If people did make this conscious effort they would know deep down that we are all the answer. Every person on this planet could probably act a bit more selflessly for the betterment of mankind as a whole. This is my socialist outlook on life. I think that if the people who ‘have’ help the ‘have-nots’ then there would be less inequality and the economic gap would not be such a huge divide.
For the questions on goodness I genuinely want to believe that every child is born innocent and good. I tend to lean towards the most optimistic outcome in situations, and for the good of people I hope it is true. In my opinion, anyone of sound mind at least during childhood tries to be good and see the good in others. Unfortunately, I think some are discouraged at a young age by certain circumstances or situations that reduce their faith in being good. I think the people who overcome these tough circumstances and continue to be good are those who are surrounded by other good people.
Again, being pro-socialist I believe in equality. I really like the social democratic ideology when it comes to equality. It reflects my appreciation for universal public services and freedom from discrimination. I think for equality to be possible health care and education need to be universal. Moreover, I believe in equality despite such differences as age, gender, race, social class, religion, sexual orientation and ability.
What is your position on the topics of equality and the good in people?
I believe we are inherently good, and we always have the capacity to be good. The problem is we don't always choose to be good. As you mentioned, when it becomes a "me" against "them", we lack the essential quality of unity, and it is through unity that the world issues that exist today are solved.
DeleteWhat keeps me up at night is the question of why some people fall into the temptation of pursuing pleasure over prosperity, individualism over community. Maybe we need more socialist Alyssa's in our world :)
I don't have the answer to your questions, because I have the same questions (not helpful, I know!)
ReplyDeleteBeing an INDEV student, we've been exposed to so many issues in the world. And, I've always thought, why are some people good and why are some bad? Just last week, while preparing my presentation on Human Trafficking, I had to take a break because I was so overwhelmed by the fact that a human life is being treated like dirt. People are being viewed in terms of monetary value; and children, innocent children, who should be in school are being subjected to such horrendous crimes. I mean, how did we get to this?
This post was written out of a "how did we get here?" kind of mood. I don't know when we lost focus on cherishing the miracle of a human life, or when we decided materialism would be our measure of success. What I do know is that there is a better way for humanity, and their are people out there working toward revolutionizing the system. It's just hard to know where to start.
DeleteFor me, the question of whether or not people are good requires an answer to a more fundamental question: what is good? It could be argued that when we talk about 'good' and 'bad', we are really just expressing our own personal values, since the existence of an objective 'good' or 'bad' cannot ever be shown to exist (at least not through reason alone). In other words, you might chose to value community over individualism, and I might chose the opposite, but there isn't really a clear way to say whether or not my values are right and your values are wrong.
ReplyDeleteIf this really is the case, the question would seem to become: why do individuals value the things that they do? The only reasons that I can think of involve our physical hard-wiring and our life experiences, 2 things that are beyond the control of any individual. In other words, people believe the things that they do because of who they are and when and where they live. If I had been born in Kevin's body with Kevin's brain and Kevin's experience, it seems reasonable to say that I would have Kevin's values. Therefore, individual context determines individual values.
So, to answer your question(though inadequately, I admit), the answer might be: some people are 'good' because of their specific context, others are 'bad' because of their specific context. Values are beyond the control of the individual, and are a by-product of living life as the individual person that you are.
I doubt this answer is satisfying, but maybe it will give you something to think about. Just in case you feel like you've been starting to get too much sleep.
Dan
So perhaps the questions becomes, do we as individuals have the capacity to unite our varied experiences and context for the sake of humanity, or will we forever be battling for that we believe to be 'right' and 'wrong', 'good' or 'bad'?
DeleteJe m'excuse, j'ai écrit une réponse la semaine dernière mais elle n'a pas enregistée.
ReplyDeleteEn bref, ce que je voulais dire:
I think (but definitely am far from knowing for sure) that one culprit may be power. I think human beings have a love of power, no matter what their intentions are. And I think that in trying to acquire power, exert power or maintain power, people hurt others. I agree with you and Alyssa that everyone is born good and has good in them. But things like an affinity for power can overshadow all else when situations present themselves.
I think positions of power are important for humankind, but it is a sensitive thing that can be easily abused if one is not disciplined or focused enough. It is also a matter of the circumstances people find themselves in that lead them to take advantage of power or use it for good.
I'm not so sure if any of this is true - it's just a product of my own reflections. I also have been unable to determine how we can overcome this, as it seems to be something so fundamentally engrained in our beings.