Something that has really been grinding my gears recently, and seems worse that I thought the more I look at it, is the complete lack of humanity we have.We are horrible to each other. We are so concerned with winning at the game of life, that we will do anything to other human beings to get to the top. It really is dog eat dog, but it's not just at work, or in sporting events, it's in every day life. We are so full of ambition, we miss the big picture. Everyone wants to be at the top, and have the biggest house, and newest car, and the best job, and the smartest kid. We are all preprogramed to be ambitious, I guess because when we were all cavemen, you either had the most food, and the best furs to wear, and the warmest cave, or you died. Evolution has made us behave this way, but is it a habbit we should break? Matthew Good has a great line in his song "21st Century Living" "Around here our ambition hurts more than it helps. Around here our ambition throws a non-perishable item in a donation bin a Christmas. Then pats it's self on the fucking back because it thinks it's done something decent"
I am just as bad as everyone else. I like to think I'm a nice guy, but if you look at my actions, I am a horrible person.
I couple of months ago, I was getting fuel at the local gas station. As I finished filling up, a young woman pulled in in a Chevrolet Cavalier. She got out, and closed her door, but instead of closing, it bounced back open. She looked at the door, and again tried to close the door, but it wouldn't close. Working on cars for a huge part of my life, I knew exactly what was wrong. Cavaliers are notorious for having bad door hinges. Long story short, the latch that holds her door closed, had latched itself in the closed position. Without being opened back up, the door would never latch closed again. The fix for this is very simple. You hold the door handle open, and flick the latch to the open position. It takes 3 seconds, and requires no tools. I saw the young lady make a call on her cell phone. Probably to a friend or family member, that would need to come from where ever they are, to help her fix the door latch. My instant thought as I watched this unfold was "haha, sucks to be you" I got in my vehicle and started out of the parking lot. I then started thinking, maybe I could help her. By the time I figured maybe I should help, I was out of the parking lot, and wasn't willing to turn around and go back. Why was my automatic reaction, the typical, "sure glad that wasn't me" Why do we laugh at others misfortunes? Do we like to see other humans fail, or have a hard time? Are we so caught up in the game of life, that when we see someones misfortune, it seems like a gift to us? Like we just got a ahead a little bit somehow? Why do we not instinctively want to help? We see a car accident, or someone drop their groceries, or get a flat tire on their car and all we can think is, I've been there, it sucks, see ya. Imagine if something un desirable were to happen to you, and intead of everyone looking on and laughing, everyone did their best to help you. Picked up your groceries, helped you change your flat, or told you that you've dropped your wallet. Wouldn't that be a better world? Don't get me wrong, there are good samaritans out there, that do good every day, but it seems like the rest of us are only looking out for number 1.
It seems like we always want a compition. A way to scale ourselves, to see that we are doing well at life. These people aren't fellow human beings to us, they are opponents that are in our way, in our quest to be the winner. Matthew Good has another great line, and I think it's true. "Nothing shy of war, or death, or money will ever fuckin change a man" People can act different, but they are always the same person deep down, unless one of those three things effects them. In war time, people put their petty differences aside, and unite for the good of their nation. Who cares about the little things, where there is something far more important going on. War gives a sense of unity within the country. People are more willing to help each other because they are on the same side, fighting for the same cause. But what we really need is an alien attack. Imagine the entire world putting to rest their pointless squables, to come together for a greater good. No more fights over religion, or oil, or holy lands, or money, just the entire world working as one unit. Think of the efficency, and the knowledge that would be pooled. It would be amazing what could be accomplished if we could work together, instead of against each other.
Don't we all prosper when we help each other? Doesn't the future look brighter, when you can count on someone to pick you up if you fall? Now ask yourself, why do we need a war, or and alien invation to accomplish that?
