Physically, we’re all built the same way. Physiologically, we all function the same way. We all experience emotions the same way; when we’re happy we smile, when we’re sad we cry. We’re all fighting to survive in this crazy topsy turvy world.
Some people may possess more physical things than others. Some may be financially better off than others, but at the end of the day a human being is a human being. Nothing else matters, not the colour of one’s skin, not what nationality we are, not what religious doctrine we adhere to, not our beliefs or culture, nor anything else you can think of that makes you “think” we’re different.
In reality, the only things that make us think we are different to one another are our own construed, and somewhat distorted beliefs and our ignorance.
Please note that when I use the word ignorance I mean it in the sense of “lack of knowledge and a consequential lack of understanding.” I also refer to ignorance as the lack of interest to discover and enquire.
When we learn something, we come to know it. When we know it, we can grow to appreciate it. We can come to terms with it. We can investigate it further if we wish. We can create a big enough database of its characteristics in order to begin to fully understand it. Thus, we can start to make educated formulated opinions about it instead of using third party here-say and guesswork.
Of course, there is one golden ingredient that’s essential for any type of learning and understanding to take place. We need to have curiosity. Motivated by curiosity, we’re driven by interest in the subject matter.
As many of you know from your own experiences, if we’re not interested in something we never learn about it. No matter how much information comes at us about it, we simply discard it. We pay no attention to it and dare I say, we even close ourselves off to the notion of it.
Likewise, if we don’t have a certain flexibility of or within our belief system, we’ll simply reject any new possibilities that arise from any topic relevant information coming at us. Pardon me, but in doing so we cocoon ourselves. We voluntarily become ignorant. But, under the circumstances it’s not because of lack of information.
When ignorance is due to lack of instruction or knowledge, it’s excusable and even forgivable; to an extent. I say to an extent because, even without instruction, most of us have a conscience. We all have a little inner voice, or an inner sixth sense that guides us through right and wrong. Most of us are also equipped with common sense which, when it’s followed honestly and open heartedly, also guides us in a positive way.
Quite frankly, I strongly believe that laziness and hatred are the major culprits behind voluntary ignorance. Laziness, because we can’t be bothered to do our own due diligence. Half the time, we expect others to spoon feed us with information; be it right or wrong.
Most of us are so indoctrinated to look up to our elders and respect ruling authorities, that we choose to blindly trust anyone we think has a little more education than us. Worst of all, we blindly put our lives in the hands of those we think have a more important role in society than we do. Yet, it’s exactly this mentality that’s made us lazy in the first place. It’s this handing over of responsibility to others, for our welfare, that allows us to continue to be in denial and live blame free.
If a bomb explodes somewhere, it wasn’t us. It was some militant or military of some government of some country for some reason. Yet, who elected the government who ordered the military to detonate the bomb. Isn’t that the same elected government some militants are fighting against because they see the evil of its members?
We all have responsibility every single day in every little thing that happens in every single country around the world.
Most of the time, because we only hear bad news coming at us, we switch off and go back into our little blame free world of denial. We might empathise for a short while, but human memory is short-lived.
I hear people say to me: “Well, what can I do? - I can’t do anything.” There is always something we can do. Half the time, we just can’t be bothered to find out what it is we can do. Doing nothing is worse than doing even something minute.
Hatred is the worst of all evils. One of the most useful things my step-mother ever said to me was: “You should never hate anything or anyone in life. Dislike it, but don’t hate it.” She’s right. Hatred is a very strong emotion. The word alone carries with it very heavy connotations. The sentiments behind it are even stronger. Both the word and the sentiment are charged with so much negative energy.
Hatred is a destructive emotion. It doesn’t create anything positive. It only creates more of the same. It wedges barriers between people. It destroys mother nature and this very planet we live on and depend on for the sustenance of life.
Whether we think it or verbalise it, we’re sending out poison into the world by way of our energy. Similarly, any time someone else sends out poison into the world, we’re influenced by it.
If we were to analyse hatred, I think we’d find that really it’s only motivated and fueled by ego, pride, a sense of superiority, arrogance, stubbornness, un unwillingness to adjust who we are in front of someone else or something else. In fact, many times we knowingly, and sometimes unknowingly, cut off our noses off to spite our face; all in the name of a proud ego.
Just like love, kindness and compassion feed off and spread love, kindness and compassion, so too does hatred, anger and rage feed off and spread hatred, anger and rage.
You’ve all heard the sayings: Two wrongs don’t make a right and you reap what you sow. It’s true, we generally get back from the world what we put out there. We can’t expect to receive love if we give hatred or indifference. Similarly, nothing will ever change unless we start taking back responsibility for ourselves, our actions, thoughts and beliefs and, of course, the environment around us.