1504:
Even though we humans impose
upon the world the very worst attitudes, unbelievable levels of indifference,
lack of responsibility towards the weak, and an acceptance of a damaging value
system, all this shouldn’t make us pessimistic.
It’s the ultimate challenge-to-change, helping us face each other
and, despite differing viewpoints, resisting the temptation to go to war with
each other.
It’s as if we are the victims
of a divide and rule system, designed to keep us at each other’s
throats, to keep us bickering and weakened.
Our non-acceptance of each other’s differing views easily turns into a
non-acceptance of each other as whole persons. We take-against someone for their poor
attitudes, and inevitably value-judge them, dislike and disapprove of them. In another location, the same 'hardening' has
to take place, in the way farm animals are treated. It helps the human do
terrible things to these animals, in order to break them, kill them and use them
for food.
Meat eating and making value
judgements are destructive in dangerous ways. Going down that road keeps us hardened, weakened
and warring with each other.
For each individual, life on
this planet is governed by our 'at-home' behaviour. That's where moods such as 'pessimism' show
up along with being unfriendly and lacking self control. Where, for instance, adults get frustrated
with a child's behaviour and go too far.
In trying to correct a child, they end up showing disapproval not only for
the bad behaviour but for the child. They
act the bully. Kids have to take it,
because they know they are trapped by their lack of freedom and lack of
experience-of-life. The biggest damage
to children comes when they sense 'dislike' in the air. The adult's attempt to exert pressure and
bring about better behaviour, often strays into a no-go-non-acceptance of the
whole person. It's as if, in an instant,
a faith is broken. What the adult has
done is make-separation. And once done,
there's less chance to restore balance.
I know people who haven't spoken for forty years, after some remark was
made and feelings of dislike shown, and this wasn't cleared it up at the time!
Is it all about
ego/pride/face-saving? Is that how these
conflicts arise? And similarly (at-home
or in general), where one country is ever at the throat of another
country? Is this really just pessimism, a
belief that things aren't going to get better?
And following on from that, we cobble together some sort of solution that
we know can't possibly work. And
the inevitable failure makes us angry and frustrated, and that's where the
violence comes in. Never more evident if
you've ever watched the angry shouting and corresponding fear-caused, when
humans are trying to direct cattle down the chute at the abattoir!
But, in human-to-human
relations, once the semblance of friendly exchange gives way to using force to
get what we want (usually we want agreement) control of the situation is lost. This 'going off' at someone can
sometimes intimidate them enough to make them submit, but that misses the
point. It is never the solution, only the buying-of-time. Whatever force we use, even though it might look
like a solution, all it does is reduce one's own feelings of being overwhelmed
by the problem.
It's here that something
important breaks: you abort on the other person, or they with you. In families, this is where many parents give
up on their kids, and vice versa, because neither will let go of their
underlying pessimism. And so force is resorted
to, making break-through impossible.
If we always insisted on
forging positive feelings, then intelligence will be directed towards non-violence.
It might put demands on our patience,
for it takes longer, seems harder, and there's no audience for applause. But it's likely to prevent break-down. Where there's affection there's no-way
you'll abandon the other person, or in any way leave them behind. Or
'go-off' at them. The optimist always
does everything possible to avoid separation.
The optimist isn't afraid of being positive.
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