Learning from the past

1364: 

Repairing Earth means repairing ourselves, and the most productive way to do that is by learning to put ourselves out a bit.  Altruistically.  But we need to look at our history and learn from our mistakes, so we don’t fall flat on our altruistic faces.

Now, since we can’t know what’s up ahead (any more than we can reach for the stars) we have to be schooled by the past, so that we can constructively bring the future into being.

Maybe we vegans see one simple, sparkling idea which stands out from the rest, allowing us to think differently.  Substantially so.  As soon as we change our thought patterns, then it follows that our whole nature may change.  A wind blows through, as if there's a ‘wanting’ for change.  It’s another way of empathy-governed life; our very nature is evolving, responding to that wind; in very practical terms it is simply uprooting self interest, and replacing that by wanting things to be good for others.  (And incidentally, it’s such a buzz to be around people who are experiencing these sorts of constructive feelings).  This is all rather a complete turn-around from the greed, self-interest motive.

This ‘other view on life’ might turn out to be our most mature quality (certainly the most useful!!).  Perhaps this is the greatest thing to be salvaged from our previous war-torn century – shame and blame growing into a more constructive attitude of resolve to repair things.  By our become conscious of consciousness itself, we start to see how we can actively ‘evolve’.  We see how, by applying ‘this other view’, we act evolve via empathy.

Looking back on how things have turned out, it’s hardly believable that so many humans could have so recently been involved in so much barbaric behaviour, and allowed things to turn out the way they have done.  And yet, albeit in different forms, the same barbaric behaviour is still thriving today.  In the future, others will look back and find what we take for granted today as being unbelievable, and yet, at the same time, they too won’t see what they’re involved with.  How do we, in the middle of this particular era-of-barbarism, stop.  Stop and take stock and consciously alter course?

         

Perhaps we must look back at the extraordinary events of the mid 1940's, where we see human nature in all its best and worst extremes.  We see bravery, altruism, waste and cruelty, all the big bricks with which we might be building a future.  It would be sad to think we could take nothing constructive out of all this.