Human's Nature: The Proof
Jun 11, 2002
Human's Nature: The Proof
Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch'entrate
Everyone keeps using the words 'human nature' as if they explain everything. Yes, I do realize human beings can do very evil and very good things, but we're the only ones judging us. A dog wouldn't look upon Adolf Hitler and hate him for the human atrocities committed under his Reich; a dog can't judge and neither can anything else except humans. You see (or even if you don't), because only humans can judge humans, human nature is merely a facet of itself. Human nature is subject to the same scrutiny and the same fallibility that humans are. Therefore, if a human is able to change, especially for the better, then human nature may too improve. Undoubtedly, you have heard some fool exclaim that greed or jealously or some equally un-amicable emotion is just human nature and that everyone is prone to such things. But look around you. You'll see that naturally (and even not naturally) some people don't seem to be affected by copious bouts of disagreeable emotion, are they then less human? No! They have perhaps the genes, perhaps the upbringing, perhaps the willpower that has evolved into something more refined. As human beings, they may only occasionally indulge their less sociable traits and the same can occur for everyone's nature. I'll assume (ignore the axiom) for now that I am talking to someone who is human, but not at either end of the moral spectrum. If this isn't you, read on anyways. So, let's pretend you are a child with a hero, let's say Superman. You adore your idol and then one horrible but sunny day you hear Superman, thinking he's off the air, trash-talking Lois Lane and using the four letter 'f' word every, shall we say, third word. Instantly your opinion of Superman changes and drops precipitously. Even as a child, you feel that Superman's behaviour is inappropriate, although you may not know why you feel that way. The reason you feel that way is because you believe Superman to be a nice, noble, generally good kind of guy: the kind of person you want to be. Yes, you want to be that way; anyone can see how much easier things go when everyone is friendly, good-natured, and honest. I believe (rather idealistically, I suppose) that if humans can overcome their twinges of the seven deadly sins, human nature can improve. Homo sapiens, being the dominant sentient species on Earth, have a sort of responsibility to continue evolving, developing, and changing, both to prevent stagnation and to give everyone a species to be proud of. Quite simple, really.
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Treatises on Hate
Dec 18, 2001
The following are thoughts about hate and extreme dislike and moderate dislike. They are not just a point of view, they are the truth. It seems to be pointless to have negative thoughts, even twinges of jealousy or annoyance serve no purpose. Dislike of someone you don't know or whom is dead is pointless. Take Hitler for example. Hitler, by all accounts, is dead. He wasn't a very morally upstanding figure and he was responsible, at least partially, for the deaths of millions of people. My friends recently told that me that they hate Hitler. What is the purpose of hate? It makes you feel bad, it tightens your muscles much like stress does, and it causes you to think of all the bad things you know of that the hated has ever done. Does it affect the dead person? I think not. Does it do anything beneficial to you? No. Then why do you continue with such self-injuring behaviour? The answer is because everyone does it. People are constantly saying, "I hate her" or "I dislike him". Now, if you are hating someone to make them feel bad, you are probably doing it to get back at them for something they've done or something you think they've done. Which is being exactly like them. You are doing something you probably wouldn't want others to do you if you were in the same situation. It becomes a vicious circle that no one leaves unscathed and that only ends with the termination of the situation by one or both parties. Millions of people have died in history because of hate and misunderstanding resulting in the same; therefore, I am not saying to forget the past, only to forgive it. The past cannot be changed so you might as well accept it for events that have happened, events that you truly cannot fully understand. You don't have to agree with what has happened, but you must not hate it. Hate damages you and sours those around you, even if you call it "really, really disliking someone". Would you knowingly be self-deprecating? No, and now you know what you are doing so you have no excuse. Remember, the Emperor (from Star Wars) used hate as a force but in the end it consumed him.
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