On this day in particular, I am thinking of the gulf that divides us in this country. In a nutshell, one side is based on Service to Self, and the other, Service to Others. There was once bipartisanship, now there is acrimony. (continued)
It boils down to two types of humans. One type thinks it's fine to own sentient beings. Another type sees the interconnectedness of life and strives for utopia. Service to Self, Service to Others. How does that happen?
My suspicion is that our souls are pilgrims on this earth, and overall we are slowly improving. But life itself is truly violent, for it consumes other life to survive. I posit that humans are an early beta version of sentience, not even close to being the crown of creation.
Many of our fellow humans have not yet learned life's most important lesson: we need each other. Everything in life is interdependent. But we survived as a species because of the souls of the hunters. The qualities required to kill for survival fit more into the Service to Self camp.
We need to find a balance between the frailty of life, the struggle for survival, and our highest benign notions of selflessness and concern for others. Humanity is a work in progress, two steps forward, one step backwards. Hopefully we'll all find that sustainable balance eventually.
Jan 20, 2025 23:46
