Mankind, and the Key to Our Existance

[Bobson]

I look at the things going on in the world right now, and I really, truly don't understand why they're going on. I'll cover a few of the things I'm referring to, and I know I'm writing a lot here, but hopefully when you guys have some time, you'll read this. =)

-Gangs. Before I get into this one... I just want to say that I really am not racist at all. Where I grew up, there were no gangs (or if there were I sure didn't know about them or ever see anyone commit any violence toward others). So this may be my naivity coming out, but I want to talk about black on black crime. Honestly, when I think of the word "gang," I picture black people. I'm really sorry if this offends anyone. I know there are gang members of every race and color. It's just honestly what I picture. So black on black crime, in the form of gang wars. Why? If I were black, I think I would look back and consider what my people went through here in America. Slavery - as close to what I can picture Hell on Earth to be... an utter disgrace on all of mankind that anyone would ever commit this sin. But considering everything blacks have gone through in the past, just to be able to live freely... how could anyone ever... just kill each other? WHY?! I don't understand it. I was watching this documentary on Little Rock, Arkansas, and how the gang population there has increased exponentially over the past 10 years, and is still growing at a disturbing pace. People drive into a neighborhood and open fire on kids playing in a yard. Why does this happen? What the hell is wrong with us? It's just stupid, and I can't figure out why we do these things to each other.

Along those lines, I'll go into war in general. I don't understand war, and why it happens. Honestly. I don't understand the concept of greed, and why there's so much of it in this world. I mean, obviously I know what greed is, and I'm guilty of it. I know I am, and I'm downright ashamed to say that. But what brings someone to the point of KILLING others out of greed? I think greed is the bedrock of every war, when you really get down to it. Disagreements, sure. One country wants this, the other country wants that, LOLWAR. Mankind is so foolish, and I don't understand why.

You know what I want more than anything in this world? What would make me the happiest man alive? Falling in love, raising a family. I don't care if I make 50 thousand dollars a year or 50 million dollars a year. As long as I can support my wife and family (that I don't have), I'll be able to die a happy, and hopefully old man someday. You know what's the weirdest part? This is all I've ever wanted, ever since I had a dream when I was 6 years old. Yes. I had a dream when I was 6 years old, about meeting a woman who I loved. When I woke up, I cried because it felt so real, that I didn't realize it was just a dream. I had that same dream again when I was about 8, and again when I was about 12 years old. Since I was 6 years old, I knew all I'll ever want in this world is to fall in love and raise a family.

I don't understand war. I can't understand greed. I hope one day humankind realizes the pure stupidity of what we do to each other in the name of greed, and that we, as people sharing this Earth, can learn to live together peacefully. And I've been to war, I've seen it all around me. I've seen men, women, and children ripped to pieces by bombs we drop on each other, and bullets we fire blindly, thinking that somehow this is the answer to the problems in the world right now. Men, women, and children - suffering in dozens of rows of beds in hospitals in the most dangerous place on Earth right now. And I have absolutely no problem admitting that when I think back, and picture the things I saw, it puts tears in my eyes even as I write this. I can't believe we've survived this long, given how blind we are to all the miracles of the world. The problems we think we face in the world today are imaginary and otherwise results of our own mistakes. The answer isn't war, the answer isn't to kill the "evil people in the world," or to kill our enemies. The answer is love. It's an emotion, it's a miracle, and if we don't realize it someday soon, we'll never survive.

I really want to hear your opinions.

Again, if any part of my post offends anyone, I apologize sincerely. It wasn't my objective here.

[Greenblaster]

I honestly can't bring a noteworthy reply to mind, so I'm simply going to say kudos. The world needs more Bobsons.

[Atrus]

Bobson,

Your questions and your concerns have been on the minds of civilized people for a millennium. Your thoughts on the significance of love and family are not new, they are timeless and essential to those who seek truth and understanding of the world we live in. It's been a long day for me and I'm too tired right now to express my thoughts, but this is a good post and I'll return to it. I too would like to hear the thoughts of some of the others on the questions you ask, and would encourage everyone to give these types of posts consideration and response. Yes, yes... we don't come to Spawnpoint to get all deep and heavy, but life isn't a game and these types of questions are important to ask and equally important to answer.

I'll be back...

[Bobson]

Originally Posted by Atrus

I'll be back...

I was hoping you'd put some input here, Atrus. From my short time on the SP forums, I've noticed you seem to be the local wise man. lol

Thanks, I'll check back for more over the next couple days. =)

[Atrus]

I don't know about being any resident "wise man" but I do appreciate the compliment.

After a few hours of sleep I woke up and it hit me like a freight train that perhaps what I said above was incorrect. If I draw comparisons between games and life I find that there are many similarities. As with any game we play life has boundaries, limitations, rules, regulations, borders, maps, etc., and life as well has cheaters. Those who would change the game environment to satisfy their belief systems or ideology, those who would bend the rules to satisfy their greed, or those who would ignore the rules seeking an advantage over others. Perhaps the correct thing to have said would've been that "life" is the single most important game we will EVER have the opportunity to play. How well we play will determine the outcome of our lives, and the quality and comfort in which we live. This is why the struggle for higher education is so important, this is where the rules of the game begin to take shape, and where the playing field is established. Perhaps if we place your questions in this context, readers here might feel more comfortable expressing their views.

It's around 6:00AM where I'm at so a couple more hours of sleep seems to be the rule of the moment, lol.

L8r
~A

[cpnichol]

I'm continually surprised and disappointed by the stupidity and cruelty of people.

The simple truth is that people are capable of truly horrible things. I'm reminded of a psychology experiment done after the Second World War. It's purpose was to examine the validity of the "I was only following orders" excuse that was commonly used in the trials that followed the defeat of Nazi Germany. So they took a bunch of regular Americans and put them in a room with a man in a white coat, where they had to give "electric shocks" to what they thought was another subject. Most of them were prepared to give potentially fatal shocks to another person, even after the other person stopped responding, simply because there was a man in a white coat telling them to.

People will act in ways that they would not think they were capable of in certain circumstances. A few examples of these circumstances are; in response to an authority figure, being in a position of authority or being in a group / gang / mob.

It's an uncomfortable thought to realise that this can apply to you too, but if you think about it, it's hard to see how we could be so successful as a species without the ability for cruelty. When times get tough and survival is on the line, people can justify almost anything.

[dwinx]

I have a couple of responses to the ideas presented here.

My wife "made" me read a great book a few weeks back regarding growing up in poverty and all that goes along with it. I will post the name of it when I get home. Anyway, it basically follows a family for a few generations and shows the kids making the same mistakes that the adults did. They have children before they can provide for them, they cripple their ability to work because of drug use and they wind up in jail for selling drugs because that is the only avenue they have to get ahead. If you read the book backwards, you would say "how the hell did they make these decisions?" but as you watch the decisions being made, it makes a lot of sense. People are a product of their environments and a lot of those environments suck at the moment.

As for people "following orders," my wife (she somehow manages to stimulate my mind while I try to kill it with Counterstrike) had a one credit class this weekend about negotiation and the importance of the first offer.

In an experiment, the researchers rigged a roulette type wheel to always come up 60. They then asked a person whether they thought Africa's United Nations participation was above or below 60%. Pretty much everyone said "less" and when asked what the number was came up with 45-50%.

They then rigged the wheel for 10. When asked, people said "more than 10%" and they concluded that the participation was around 20%. A game of chance dictated whether they though the answer was 50% or 20%, even though they had no idea in the first place. The human mind not only does not refute orders well (like the shocks), but evidently cannot overcome a simple suggestion either.

[Atrus]

While I was hoping more people would've jumped into this thread I do have a few closing thoughts. As a diverse and complicated mix of people we here in America have opportunities not normally made available to many other peoples of the world. As diverse as we are we too are limited in what we can do to improve the human condition. War, poverty, pestilence, desperation reach into the lives of those around us and we have little we can do as individuals to effect change to the larger picture.

What we can do, what we should do, what we must do, is use what powers we do have to take responsibility not for the problems of the world, but for the problems that adversely affect our little corner of the world. As individuals we are weak, as a people we are strong. But, the beginnings of meaningful change are first realized at the personal level. What each of can and should do is look around our circle of influence and ask what can I do to improve the human condition. We each have a responsibility to exercise our right to vote, and we each have an even greater responsibility to our loved ones and our neighbors to influence their lives for the better. We vote in the hope that our leaders will live up to the promises they've made, and when they don't we have a responsibility to vote them out. The responsibility to our loved ones and those close to us is something we can actually have a meaningful and effective influence over. Again, as individuals we are weak, but if history has shown us anything it is that when we come together for a common purpose Americans are a most giving and compassionate people.

Look around and ask yourself this question. What can I do to help - first my loved ones, then my friends and neighbors? If we ALL did this together I suspect we could affect change to the rampant and uncontrolled hatred, violence, and distrust shared among us all. There will always be those who won't cooperate, but it begins with each and every one of us as indivualas if change is to come. The world is an unfriendly and uncertain place, but where change begins is in our own hearts and minds. Change is constant - things will always change, they will never stay the same, and that's a condition that will last forever.

Change begins with you.

~A

[Serov]

Love is the answer. how?
First we need to recognize there is something wrong, and to do that we need to realize there is a right and a wrong. many people deny this saying "whats right for me may not be right for you, whats true for you may not be true for you".
relativity. yay for completely erasing the notion of one truth or one set of truths from the modern mindset. that is one reason for much of the glorified violence on television, the streets, and in the minds of our world's people. (hope this makes sense to more then my fatigued mind)

We, all of humanity, are corrupted beyond repair and are continuing as fast as we can on the road to complete destruction. I believe I can reliably say that times will only get worse from here on out. not a real happy ending, but the only one I can see.

We can affect change on our immediate surroundings for a period of time. Love. Agape love. pure unconditional love that transcends all boundaries is the only thing that can save us from complete and utter destruction.

How?