Musings on Society

Musings on Society

I love helping people, and feeling the sense of joy that comes over them when a problem is fixed. Sometimes in life little frustrations can define an entire day, making it near impossible to have a moment of peace or levity; when those frustrations are brushed aside in an instant by a kind act or word it can truly have a wonderful impact on an individual. All of the angry energy that had been mounting, causing so much negativity, is suddenly gone by a simple action.

While kind acts may seem simple, it amazes me that people refuse to perform them.

It seems to me that individuals in society are too self-centric, focusing only on their needs and wants. Instant gratification is paramount to most peoples’ happiness – unfortunately this usually comes at the cost of another person’s unhappiness. The very essence of society is the idea that people work towards a common good, supporting fellow community members, and striving to make society a better place to be. But it appears that once a society grows too large it begins to implode through a social shift, wherein people exist more in a self-driven mentality than a socially driven mentality. The reason for this implosion, I feel, is that once a society becomes too successful it becomes drunk on its success. Over time newer generations do not experience the effort it takes to build society, and just expects it to work. They have experienced all of the perks of success, but none of the pain to make society what it had become.

At this point perhaps society begins to break down. Immorality will rear its head in peoples’ search to find more paths of pleasure and satisfaction, all the while these things are nothing but fillers of happiness that only temporarily simulate bliss – which is only truly found through wholesome activities, kind interactions between fellow men, and expressions of loving acts.

All of the above is a cycle. Like all cycles, they can only be broken through a conscious effort of will. Just as a son grows up under the hand of an abusive father, he himself must guard his heart to not become the very monster he once despised. This same principle can be applied to rules of society. We must look to our history, understand why civilizations collapsed, comprehend the psychology of its people, and break the self-same-cycle our society goes through.

I am convinced the way to break the cycle is to show unconditional love to all people you can, so long as it will not bring harm upon yourself. Stand up for your fellow members of society in any situation that you deem worthy, and cast out ideas that drive men to desire more power.

people generally exist inside bubbles of 'self', through which they can see and hear everything around them but which, nonetheless, acts as a barrier to the sense of 'belonging' which eludes the modern human. perhaps acts of kindness can act as the pin that bursts these bubbles. the surrounding atmosphere of empathy can then rush into the 'space' left vacant. maybe the bubbles re-appear spontaneously over a certain time, maybe once 'popped', they're gone forever.

originally posted by: RoScoLaz4
people generally exist inside bubbles of 'self', through which they can see and hear everything around them but which, nonetheless, acts as a barrier to the sense of 'belonging' which eludes the modern human. perhaps acts of kindness can act as the pin that bursts these bubbles. the surrounding atmosphere of empathy can then rush into the 'space' left vacant. maybe the bubbles re-appear spontaneously over a certain time, maybe once 'popped', they're gone forever.

I would like to think once people have experienced true empathy they will be changed forever. To truly connect to another person on a deeper level is an amazing thing.

a reply to: MentorsRiddle

the self is the center of the person where personality begins