Human Society - A Quick Fix

Human Society - A Quick Fix

There is plenty of literature available on topics that discuss human race, especially the question, what is wrong with human race. All of those agree on one point. That humans behave in a manner that is destructive to the planet, all its occupants, and everything else, not to miss the very first victim, human race itself. However, all such discussions centre around possible remedies, and a plethora of wise suggestions appear at regular intervals, making an already complex life, a little more involved. Nowhere could I find an inquiry into a fundamental question, why should humans cause a danger to their planet, if they are as much a natural constituent of the planet, as others? Or, is human society, the unnatural one?

No, human life should not pose a danger to the planet, more so, when it is a part of it. But in reality, it does. Why? I think, humans do not live the way they should have been living. Human society, or the way humans interact with the rest of the universe, is not a natural construct. This line of thought is not at all a strange one. In fact many propositions arise from a variety of thinkers, and, almost all of those are but suggestions about how humans can release themselves from the artificial ways of life, they follow. Though they only happen to follow such a life in the natural course of events. But, as mentioned, all of these adds to the existing complexity of living as a human. And, it won’t be incorrect to say that almost all of the damages we do to our environment originate out of this complexity.

Now, let me see how we can put this right. How to make our life, less complex? Based on the experience gained over last many centuries, and making copious allocation for the potential for further awareness that may turn all these upside down, let us look for new conclusions. What exactly is wrong with human life? Why is it so involved? What is the one thing, the regularization of which can put the whole race back on track, assuming, like all other species of life, humans also are meant to flourish in some environment, where the environment also gets enriched in return?

One common error I have observed with almost all who dwell on human life is, they consider human as just another form of life. And while doing so, they naturally get unduly influenced by the living style or other peculiarities of all those forms. Each form of life has a common character or ability that is shown by all members of the species, while they all could differ widely in their appearance. But human is predominantly a character that has life, where each human, while comparable to another in appearance, is entirely different from the other in character or ability.

We therefore need to study personalities, or, examine which part of our personalty is not going well with the environment, or leading to irreversible changes to it. I studied this aspect, and I have noticed one thing that stands out. Which is common among all humans, rather, it is the only thing common to all. Which is nothing but the propensity to have at any time, and at any age, whatever be the circumstances, one or a set of priorities that take the primal spot in life. One is able to forgo any or all the needs of living, if it helps in getting those preferences or goals met. Also for the same reason, one can hurt another one with no remorse whatsoever. And one will get the feeling that all one’s needs are met satisfactorily, when those priorities are met, even when one misses all the real needs of keeping oneself at the prime of health and in good comfort.

To find a cure for this, let us first see, how we came to adapt this as the signature character of human race.

Humans have to learn everything before they actually practise it. That includes the art of learning itself. Let us therefore see, how did the present style of learning, come about? Why we are learning things like addition, multiplication, and other minuscule parts of all forms of arts and science? I feel the answer is a simple one. Such a pattern was established by we grown-ups. We found it easy to appreciate those parts, rather than whole that enveloped all those parts. (I find there are better ways of learning. )

Situation is more or less the same, when we proceed with our lifestyle too. Lifestyle essentially is nothing but a collection of standardised ways of confronting, or putting forth issues. When one is confronted with an issue, or while one is putting forward something, one’s demeanour shall aways be coloured by one’s idea about the expectations of others, something that is dependent on the preferences or goals, each one entertains. There may be few, who will disregard totally, the expectations, or it may be a life and death issue, for some. But, the majority of us fall somewhere in-between.

Thus, we only need to establish a set of priorities for ourselves, which has the power to bring in a calming ambience at all times, whatever be the context. In fact we are lucky here. We can comfortably devise one, which, with the experience gained over many centuries of turbulence, shall be something that can promise a good future to our future. The set of priorities defining our lifestyle, gone shall be the days of frequent uproars, making human, as predictable as any other form of life.

Now let us talk of a brand new lifestyle. We have seen above, what is needed is nothing but establishing a fresh set of priorities that does not lead to turbulence. Our foray into physical entities, both things and phenomena, have already taught us an important axiom. That everything good or useful ceases to be desirable, when it is not in the median range of the possible variations, whatever be the entity in consideration. For example, a rotary pump will produce the designed output flow, only when it operates not in the extremes of permissible speed. Or, where the speed is more than a lower limit, as well as less than an upper limit.

If we take note of this, I think formulation of a new lifestyle will be quite easy. And it is easier to continue to adhere to it. Shun everything that is beyond the optimum, whether towards the less, the minus, or the damaging, or to the plus, the more, or the advantageous. In fact it is not difficult to make this happen. Stop competitions of any nature, though it is not easy to do so.

Each one then shall be free, or rather feel encouraged, to fend for one’s life, following one’s own approach, and behavioural parameters, that result, always in a desirable outcome. As long as the society deems good qualities like acuity, dexterity, sophistication, etc., as more acceptable and celebrated, which should anyway be occurring to us naturally, flow of life shall continue to be smooth.

I feel vindicated once again. I have been writing about the danger posed by the extremes. That the adverse effect is the same, whether because of good things, or due to bad ones. Constantly, we are nurturing both the ones. One, by promoting it beyond ourselves, and the other, by not opposing those with enough force, or by opposing, only if it proves to be posing an urgent and serious threat. And, if we happen to notice any such instance as a danger, we go to the extremes there also, of correction, compounding the issue. That is, effectively, we are accommodating extremes everywhere. And this is what most of my books, hubs, or other articles say.

(By the way, the significant danger posed by the extremes is very well understood by the mankind, as far as man’s foray into science and technology goes. It is well known - the specified behavoir of an equipment, system, etc., is valid, or reliable, only while the system’s operation, or the measurement, or whatever, is in a region that is neither inching towards the minimum, nor near the maximum. Such a region is generally identified as the linear range of the parameter of interest. By choosing appropriate values for size, weight, electric potential, impedance, and a host of other variables, the designer or the engineer has to ensure that operation does not go beyond the linear range. Or, an operating range is specified for the entity in question, within which, a linear relationship can be assured. I feel, we need to dovetail and incorporate such concepts in our life too.)

All of this is okay, but, if this is all that was needed to keep the society healthy and vibrant, why it did not happen so far? Why is that we have overlooked it all these while? And what can make it happen?

You see, we continue to live as a society, both by enjoying the extremes, where it is pleasant, and by making it simple to overlook the danger posed by these, where it isn’t so. But for social living, both would have been impossible. The question need to be asked therefore is, what is making us live as a society. There are two main forces keeping the humans organized. Which are, language, and religion. Look carefully. One can see that both are not essential at all for any of our metabolic needs, and comes into play only for those activities that are offshoots of social living.

Let us examine each. What do language do. We have always seen language as means of communication, and have been nurturing those to ease, or to enable, wider exchanges. But, more important is its appropriateness as an expedient for whatever, the speakers desire to achieve, like its role as a vehicle of thought. But, when the choice of language is based solely on ease of communication, we are letting random exchanges, whether meaningful or not, and that have no relevance in the absence of a society, flourish. When looked in this light, a common language becomes a liability, mainly by promoting unnecessary exchanges and other forms of communication between all and sundry. This, while adding nothing of any value an individual, keeps the prevailing ambience, one well appreciated and desired, which effectively prevent humans from progressing with the activity that yields the richest dividends, namely, thinking.

This in turn make the idea of society, stronger, and the role of its constituents pretty insignificant. Whereas, in the absence of a society, each one of us would have been choosing one’s language based entirely on its ability to spark thoughts, one would like to pursue. Also, each will continue to be a reckon-able force at all times.

Now let us see how religion comes in here. One result of such widespread exchanges is that sooner than later, all worthwhile topics of exchanges shall meet its culmination. Surely and completely, if the end is a success, while prolonging, say partially, otherwise. The discussion, exchange, or talk, naturally will have to veer towards the irrational, if it is to remain. Irrational, since only such topics can continue to serve an exchange without the fear of a culmination, while giving a boost to artistry, imagination and creative thinking. The longest surviving topics of this genre are the ones that get identified, collated, and are widely accepted as religions.

I think, the following we can surmise from the above.

One way to bring peace is to identify and choose a language, as well as religion, strictly on the basis of one’s own personal preferences, which will bring all issues with the human race to an end. You see, for whatever reasons, if people are to go irrational, or cross the limits of another’s tolerance, eruptions can still be expected to occur. But, unlike now, where such eruptions multiply and strengthen in the vast canvas provided by a common language and culture, those would smother each other, being of random nature, and not well understood or appreciated by all. And, gone shall be the days of recurring turbulence.

Another way is to modulate the tendency to go for the ultimate, or the maximum, and avoid the significant danger posed by the extremes. Here, one can continue with one’s language as well as religion, but for the necessary moderation.