Thursday, December 13, 2007

I may be a negative person

I know this probably comes as a shock to the people who know me, but some people...OK, a lot of people (if not everyone)...perceive me to be a person focused on negativity. While I might argue that what others perceive as negativity is really only me expressing my frustration and sadness at how far short our species seems to be of its true potential, most people would interpret that as inherently negative, so the argument is endless and circular.

That's not to say that these people may not be right. I am satisfied with the way I live my life and see brighter days in my future, but there is no denying that internal view does not transfer to my perception of the world external of my epidermis. Humanity at large seems to be stuck in a proverbial rut. We have it in our collective power to feed every man, woman, and child on the face of this Earth, yet people continue to starve. Our species has within its power to end all war and live in a harmonious balance with ourselves and with nature, but tomorrow someone will die in a voluntary conflict on one continent or another.

We have incredible potential, but fail to achieve it, often times failing to even consider making that potential a reality. We are too busy with more important things. Which begs the question, what the fuck is wrong with us? How do we live in a world where I can ride a $20,000 motorcycle, while another man cannot afford to put gas in his $200 car? How is obesity an epidemic in this country, while millions are malnourished in Ethiopia? There are no simple answers for those questions. Some of the discrepancy is tied to choices we make, some of it to the luck of our draw, and some of it to the collectively failure of our species to unite and genuinely care about one another.

We are still simple animals living in a world we have made incredibly complex. The potential is there for total unity, but the reality is that we are inherently self-interested, as animals it is incredibly difficult not to be. Self-interest is a part of our survival mechanism, just as it is a part of our overreaching drive toward innovation. This aspect of our general nature, human nature, is hard-wired, as evidenced by our species' historical behaviors.

So recognizing that, which is effectively admitting that we are simply not yet capable of achieving our fullest potential, sounds like an intrinsically negative perspective, but in reality it is nothing more than being objective. Accepting that contemporary humans are incapable of reaching the highest summits of cooperation does not mean that we have to cease climbing the mountain. The rule will have exceptions, and we may be lucky enough to be one of those exceptional humans. Is there any harm in aspiring to make an attempt in whichever way we can? Does any good come from denying the obstacle that is human nature? Certainly, I tend to dwell on the matter, but that is only because I am so bored with the distractions most people employ to keep their minds otherwise occupied.

If we are not at least trying to be part of the solution, we are by default becoming a part of the problem. My negativity is really a reaction to the divide between the world as it is and the world as it could be. I focus on the issue because very little else really matters, in my opinion. If enough people get upset enough about the state of our collective situation, the giant problems become miniscule. Change is slow, and so few Americans seem to give two shits about changing anything beyond the current television channel, so I get frustrated. That frustration is a part of who I am, for better or worse. If that makes me a negative personality or a lost soul, I may be helpless to do anything about it.



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Posted by Erik @ 12/13/2007 09:24:00 PM