What's Wrong With Us?

I formally and publicly clearly state the fact that I absolutely have no idea what humans are all about. I am 42 years old and completely and unequivocally flummoxed.

As a species I think the human species is the most idiotic of all…batty, witless, senseless, thoughtless…boy can I go on and on. Take your pick.                                 
                            


Humans are gifted, we have everything going for us, beginning with the opposable thumb and the cerebral cortex in our brains no other animal seems to possess. However, we give the impression of being the biggest curse of planet Earth. We are a blight on not only all the other animal and plant species but mostly on ourselves.
                          
We defy all sets of norms, rules, expectations, standards that the most basic animal species follow naturally. We love to destroy, cheat, judge, and sin. We are a supercilious, arrogant, patronising, toxic species who doesn’t know how utterly and unreservedly destructive we really are.
                           

We resort to violence, robbing, stealing, cheating as if that is what we are born to do. Terrorists gun down and bomb the innocent, murderers run amok, governments and politicians swindle their citizens, businesses and business men ruthlessly walk all over the common class, the so called preachers and priests, the agents of God, indulge in everything they strongly and vehemently preach against, the saviours are plundering the earth for insignificant gains and the commoners and the poor think nothing of stealing, thieving, fooling, deceiving …oh god I am running out of adjectives.

We have become crass, insensitive, irresponsible beings who have no awareness of humanity, morality or civility which of course should be our primary and rudimentary instincts.

Humanity is defined as the quality or state of being kind to other people or to animals. The below given passage from humanity.org beautifully expresses my feelings…

There is, of course, no end to the magnificence and horror in the human drama. Across the continents, humanity rises to every challenge, sinks to any depth. We cherish each heartbeat and murder at will. We bless nature’s miracles, yet trash the hood. 

We accept this polarity as human nature then move on in our ‘glassy essence’. All the while our righteousness lords over other life; yet we beseech gods for mercy. Our anger flares to violence; yet we demand justice. We covet ceaselessly, give generously. Our wallowing is legion; yet we take science and art to Olympian heights.

Not least, so many suffer relentless poverty, each day wondering at living another; so many are refugees from disaster or violence, escaping under unfamiliar skies to avoid a closer death, grasping whatever it is they have left - a child, ragged clothes, a pot to cook in; so many are victims of injustice, of the vagaries of despotism or ill luck, with no legal system to which they can bring their wisps of hope.

-          Tony Balis

Kindness, compassion, sympathy, empathy are words not being taught to the future generations and these in todays’ context are actually considered harmful. We know and understand so much of what life is all about but we choose to ignore our most collective make up, which is the co-existence of our species with all others and among ourselves. Why have we become like this? Why have we chosen to harm ourselves? Why does peace of mind and happiness evade us? Why are we selfish and unkind? Why do we act inhuman as humans? Why has spitefulness and meanness become second nature to us all? Why is humanity in such a deep mess and disarray? 
                                  
                                        

These are some questions that I am going to ponder over as I go about my daily duties and responsibilities. In the blogticles that follow this one I will attempt to answer them. Maybe the answers will help me face this very perplexing and confusing world.

We've been playing games since humanity had civilisation - there is something primal about our desire and our ability to play games. It's so deep-seated that it can bypass latter-day cultural norms and biases.

- Jane McGonigal



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