We humans depict grave contradictions through our contrasting behaviours. We encapsulate both good and bad of the Creation. Despite being mortals, we are so much better than gods in so far as our benevolent endeavours are concerned. Our present life is all due to relentless human endeavours since our existence. Blasphemous as it may sound, our love, compassion, empathy and forgiveness put us above gods. But our vengeful and vindictive side makes us nothing short of demons. In such a short period of time since our evolution, we managed to overcome our physical handicaps and fly far from the Earth. Our intrinsic inquisitiveness and restlessness resulted in our scientific discoveries, inventions and innovations that revolutionised our life – that is, how we live, travel or communicate. But the same character may also make us completely redundant and possibly extinct not too far into the future. We are unquestionably fallible. Shades of the good, the bad and the ugly characterise each one of us. We live in a world where the meanings of good and bad remain subjective, varying with time, place and opportunity.
We may consider ourselves as Nature’s best creation but must equally consider ourselves also as Nature’s worst blunder. But, as always, Nature will make the necessary amends; it is only a matter of time.
As the year 2021 comes to an end, another calendar year will pass into our individual memories. Different nations will remember and script it differently, as will the humans on an individual level. But, as a race, what did we learn during the year, if at all? How did we improve? Did our life styles, general approach to life or social behaviours change for the better? Did we become morally, ethically, socially or professionally more responsible than before? Have we become happier and more peaceful with time? In what ways, if at all, did we evolve and make progress as a species? When will we learn to look within and stop blaming others for our miseries? Will the new year be any better?
The aforementioned questions will attract a range of different answers, depending upon one’s socio- economic background, political bent, level of education, family and / or community values, individual nature and personal aspirations. The answers will precariously dangle between optimism, existentialism and nihilism. Possibly, our spiritual disposition and religious beliefs will also override our sense of pragmatism. Nonetheless, the facts on the ground will not change or disappear whether we choose to see them or not.
If we live the new year 2022 in the same manner as we did 2021, how can we hope for a better future?
Optimism is holistically good and also helpful for mental health but only to an extent. Realism is more prudent. The fact is that the current human race evolved only a few hundred-thousand years ago but, shockingly, we have already triggered the sixth mass extinction on our planet, thereby, fast-tracking our own extinction. If we review the previous five mass extinctions, we may possibly become humbled upon realising that, in contrast to us, much larger, mightier and ferocious living beings walked and ruled this planet for millions of years before becoming extinct. The question, therefore, is not if we will also become extinct, the question is when?
Our future actions will decide if the 21st century will be our last.
Despite being the most intelligent of all past or present living species on the planet, not only we fight our own kind but also constantly undermine the very planet that supports and feeds us. We are the only thankless, living species that incessantly consumes its own home (the planet Earth). Not only we prey upon all other living beings, we don’t even spare our own kind, albeit using more sneaky and conniving methods that cleverly disguise the man-hunter lurking within us. As the most irresponsible lifeform, we have not enriched our environment to sustain our natural habitat. Abysmally, we carry the distinction of having worked hard to obliterate our own kind. Despite widespread poverty and hunger on the planet, we have invested heavily on weapons of mass destructions that are designed to completely annihilate our race.
We are and continue to remain our own greatest threat.
It is a shame that not many of us have still not opened their eyes to the greatest truth that humans share the same 99.9% DNA. To divide our kind between ‘us’ and ‘them’ must, therefore, be construed as our shallowest act of sacrilege against Nature. Our complicated minds make simple truths look complicated. If the fruits of Nature are freely accessible to all, regardless of how we look or where we live or how smart we are, how can the secrets of Nature require super intelligence or Divine Grace to be deciphered by a privileged few? Those who constantly refer to their religion to support their mundane arguments, or take refuge under their religion for any reason, either don’t understand the essence of their religion or are clearly unsure about themselves. Truth is not a prerogative of a few, the sun and the moon make themselves visible to all.
One does not have to read books to become wiser or better. Self-reflection and contemplation help us in our self-improvement.
There is nothing wrong with religions, any religion for that matter. Religion has sadly pushed us into dwelling within own individual religious silos and shallow existences. A person may like to be called an A or a B but being called a ‘human’ must always come first. In our regression, we also intertwined religion with politics, causing not only a pungent but extremely toxic socio-political environment, which leads us potentially into a strifeful, perilous future. It is ironical that, in the first place, we created religions to help us to lead a more civil and orderly life; but then, we also misused the same religion to grab power and rule over our own kind. Our lust for power is insatiable and one of the prime causes of our perennial suffering.
Only by recognising the humanness in ourselves, we can recognise the humanness in other people too, which is absolutely necessary to bring about sustainable coherence in our shared existence on the planet. Lust for power and material greed makes us see other humans as sacrificial material commodities, which undermines the existence of our race.
We are being judged as we judge others. None of us is absolutely perfect. We are all fallible. Each one of us errs not once but endlessly. Sadistically, we rejoice at the pain and suffering of our adversaries, forgetting that it won’t be long before we too will go through similar pain and suffering as our opponents do now. Seasons change and the wheel of time keeps turning. Earth rotates and moves perpetually. What goes down, comes up but falls again. Forgiveness alone breaks the cycle of cause and effect, and results in a sustainable peace and progress of all. Sadly, we have not yet realised that love, compassion and forgiveness are the sole paths for our peaceful, progressive and sustainable coherence. To say that you forgive and to be truly forgiving are two different things. Vengeance keeps our sufferings going. Our vengeful thoughts and actual acts of revenge perpetually trap us in the cycle of redemption and suffering.
Forgiveness is a panacea against suffering no matter how hard it is to forgive. Vengeance harms the vengeful mind much more than the perceived enemy that it is targeted at.
Instead of focussing our energies on highlighting the ‘bad’ of others, would it not be more prudent to focus on our own improvement? When shall we realise that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ complement each other to keep the world going? Without the ‘bad’, the ‘good’ does not exist, as the day does not exist without the night. Good and bad are subjective and keep interchanging their appearances and purposes with time and place. Without sickness, medicines and doctors would have no role to play. Without crime, police and judiciary were not required. Destruction precedes construction. Our challenges are our best friends.
Death is the greatest gift that humans may have received from Nature. It will always be like this. To purge itself of bad people, the planet has to turn into an (imagined) heavenly place, which is impossible considering how material greed and human selfishness has escalated due to a phenomenal growth in human population and, therefore, competition. Our population may have long overshot an optimum, sustainable number. The ever-growing urban sprawl, accompanied with a dwindling liveability of our cities and deterioration of our natural environment is fast being mirrored by our rural and hilly areas.
An alarmingly growing footprint of humans and our mindless, consumeristic activities mirror a terminal cancer of our planet.
In the name of progress, we try to change things, some absolutely unnecessary. Activity defines life, as change characterises the world. But, when the very foundations of a structure (family or social structure) or an institution (educational or legal) are undermined deliberately in the name of a change or inadvertently through our sheer negligence, the collapse of that structure becomes inevitable. Changing an established order or a system for reasons of politics or just cosmetics — without careful consideration of their consequences brings nothing but tears. Patchy temporary fixes turn into chronic issues and long-term pain for all.
The world must redefine the term ‘progress’. Living a wealthier or longer life alone can’t be deemed as progress, although these have been the core objectives of the human existence since the times immemorial. Thanks to the Industrial Revolution, the human longevity has increased considerably over the past couple of centuries but have we become better human beings, more humane, compassionate or considerate of sufferings of our fellow beings? Nothing is wrong with living a longer life provided it is lived purposefully, with respect and dignity. Human progress and scientific development must be considered as wanting if the older people are perceived as burden by their own families or by the society and not able to live a respectful and dignified life in the sunset years of their retirement.
As 2022 begins, we must challenge ourselves and ask if we have the will and wisdom to help our kind? Are we resilient enough to stand and run to meet our sustainable goals? Our existential challenges and past failures must inspire us to quickly act responsibly before it is too late. However, notably, where the inputs remain unchanged, the outputs can’t be expected to be much different than before unless, of course, the system itself undergoes a significant change. To solve our chronic and complex human issues, it is prudent to step back and analyse them with an open mind, using fresh perspectives and more holistic approaches, but all in a timely manner. Positive changes don’t occur all by themselves, they need human effort based on well-thought-out sound plans. A change that is not sustainable can’t be deemed as a change.
Going forward, unless each one of us behaves responsibly and proactively looks after not only our individual selves but also that of our fellow beings, without historical bias or deliberate prejudices, our wellness is neither granted nor sustainable. We live in a well-knitted global village. Our individual health and safety are truly interdependent with the health and wellness of our fellow humans from across the planet.
Health of a system is interdependent with the health of its individual units. The whole is as important as a part; both can’t exist without each other. The world progress will be defined by the progress of people across the planet. Unless the wealthier nations look after the needs of relatively poorer nations, the concept of globalisation becomes meaningless.
I wish you all a happy New Year 2022. May good sense and wisdom prevail upon us!
…. Bill Koul [30 Dec 2021 (Perth, Western Australia)]