Three lilies, three opinions
It's been a while since I've been here. Well, not only for this interesting Weekend Experiences community, I've been absent from Hive in general, which I sorry about. But family has the highest priority on my attention scale and an extraordinary event has taken up practically all my time for a little more than a month. But I took advantage of some available time to review the Weekend-Engagement topics and although a little late, I will try to write 3 of my personal opinions, as it is a motivating topic, which I would like to share with the members of the community.
Let's get straight to the point.
1. I do not believe that human beings are selfish by nature.
Of course there are selfish people (and not a few), but that does not mean that all human beings give priority to personal interest over any other cause. The actions of great historical figures, such as Mahatma Gandhi, exemplify how it is possible to renounce personal interest and dedicate oneself to changing the lives of millions for the better. But it is not only well-known figures who have sacrificed their own well-being to dedicate themselves to helping others. How many common stories do we know of mothers/fathers who have dedicated themselves entirely to caring for children with disabilities that prevent them from fending for themselves?
The rules that govern our society are the ones that condition our selfish way of acting. The cult of private property as opposed to social property has shaped the way millions of people think and act throughout history. For this reason I think that it is the environment and not the nature of the human being that provokes selfish behavior in us.
2. All the inhabitants of the planet belong to a single race: the human race, and the world should be considered as one big country.
We have dedicated ourselves to classifying ourselves according to the color of our skin, the region we come from, the religion we practice or the political ideas we follow, among many other parameters. This way of thinking has only served to divide us and to enhance the dominance of some over others. But we are all human beings, children of a planet that is our common home.
When humanity acts on the basis of what we have in common, erases the artificial borders that divide us, and achieves equitable development for all the inhabitants of the Earth, then we will demonstrate that we are truly intelligent beings. But this achievement is closely related to what I wrote in the previous opinion. Selfishness (of the powerful) does not allow us all to be considered as equals and to act as common owners of the planet.
3. Human beings should be able to flip a "switch" that will disconnect us from life when we consider that it is no longer worth living.
Life is the most precious thing for human beings. Preserving it is the obligatory condition for everything else we want to achieve. But enjoying life passes through a filter of dignity that allows us to want it to last as long as possible.
I am of the opinion that when the time comes in our existence when we can no longer enjoy the gift of life, we should be able to turn off the switch that keeps our body functioning. This should be a personal decision.
Our personal opinions differentiate us from the rest of human beings. By the general nature of my 3 opinions developed in this post, I understand that I am not exclusive to that way of thinking. I am sure that many more think as I do on these topics than I have written about. Don't be shy, if you wish, to share your opinion in the comments. I promise to read it with interest.
Thank you for reading. A nice weekend to all.
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✏️ Original content by @leopard0
✒️ Translated with [DeepL.com](https://www.deepl.com/es/translator) (free version)
📸 Own pictures
Comments (2)
To the first - I think they're neither selfish nor altruistic by nature. There are some instincts that come with our pre-settings, but most of it is from socialization, and which values we are taught to adhere to. Which leads to the second.
Though we are one race, there are non-artificial boundaries between cultures and the weighing of values they represent. Treating everyone as "the same" erases the individuality of these cultures completely. The different as the other is very important in the world, a resistance towards the "sameness" that is preached to us by consumerism. We are not the same. And we shouldn't aspire to be. Instead of merging into a big blob of nothing, we should rather confront ourselves with the "other", learn about it, and understand that being different and being accepted as different is a treasure.
I understand your opinion.
If we assume that we are all human beings, that reason alone makes us equal. But reality is quite different. Nothing justifies the unequal development that exists today among nations. Even less so when the well-being of one part of humanity is sustained by the ruthless plundering of the other part.
An equitable global development would allow to climb to a new level of human development. How much talent is lost today worldwide because millions of children cannot complete a primary level of education?
Just as a nation works together to achieve a satisfactory level of development, so should humanity work together to achieve the development of our common home: the Earth.
Nor do I believe that having a worldview that does not restrict us to current borders threatens cultural diversity and individuality. That is something that is already in danger and not precisely for that reason.
It was very good to read your opinion on the subject. Thanks for reading.
Which would just lead to more destruction. The current idea of "development" is unfortunately oriented to take as much of the "free" resources available, the ruthless plundering you're talking about. The so called "developed" nations are not only plundering elsewhere, but also their own resources - just that they did it for longer, and do not have as many left as other nations. Development has to be thought differently, enabling the less-developed nations to skip the destructive part.
Education, too, is more than what the system tells us it is. "Talent" is just an euphemism for "exploitability". The current educational systems do not enable happiness/bienestar, most of them are a mass production of workers.
The question that I would pose is:
How can humankind create the possibility of a happy and dignified life without destroying the planet and value communities at the same time?
I like the question 🤔
When I opined about development that includes everyone on the planet I did not specify how to achieve it.
I agree that it necessarily has to be sustainable and in harmony with the environment. Happiness may well serve as an indicator to measure the development achieved. The important thing is that we all have the right and the opportunity to be happy (even if we perceive it in different ways).
Happiness as indicator is a good point! It also means different things to different people, both within one culture as well as in different cultures. Some won't even like what we call "development", they'd say it's a step backwards. Unfortunately, the lifestyle of superficial abundance has become famous all over the world, and way too many people want to be like that.
Thank you for the post and the conversation! Very interesting and thought provoking 🙃
Thanks to you for the kind comments and enriching discussion.
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