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Different? Unique? Similar?

Sometimes the human population in the immediate vicinity of anybody’s has to be looked at from a height of about 200 feet above the ground. The closer we are to things, the value and importance we attach to it could be that much irrational. Nevertheless, it is an interesting observation all the same from that height. It becomes difficult to make out who’s who from that elevation and many barriers start to feel out of place to put on these creatures walking around below like tiny ants, purposeful, yet lost. Rules may need revisions and goals may need tinkering from this height. This is not airplane height where the world becomes a beautiful pattern of art, this is just high enough to remain significant and to look for relevance. Until hovercrafts are made available, this elevation must remain a metaphor.

History says rulers divide, I tend to disagree. Rulers group, not divide. Smart ones do it nonchalantly, dumb ones obviously. These groups are beautifully similar within and dangerously different from each other. Harmless differences become points of differentiators and hence competition is born. To compete with other groups the best of each are sent and to build an arsenal of the best for each group, competition within is prescribed. Culture of defining ‘who am I’ becomes relative to the rest, rather than beauty that lies within. To stay ahead is always a target, but to stay ahead in what is never a concern. The rulers then create the rules. Rules that are made to feel so good when followed, so bad when not. Rules that pit one group against another, and one human against another within groups. An ever-present conflict, a non-unity setting, results. Thus, collective consciousness becomes aspirational, sometimes even a dream. Thinking becomes a character that needs medical attention to cure. Uniqueness becomes weird. Fitting in becomes goal.

Mankind has similarities and thinkers have lived to find patterns among these. Business has taught us how to connect these similarities and make a world out of it that is connected to some similar thoughts. Rulers, some even today, have this knowledge and use it to create a distinction among mankind and derive pleasure out of creating, and reinforcing those for control and wealth. Mankind is similar for a reason, is it not? We come from this planet called earth that has predominantly similar properties, physical and philosophical, natural and supernatural. Isn’t it childish to get carried away with these similarities and try to use that understanding for material or egoistic gain and not look beyond it to enjoy the phenomenon as it is?

Pattern recognition must be inward, and once embarked on, that knowledge shows the outside world and results in erasing that dichotomy. Mankind is not different or disconnected from any other ‘kind’ on this planet. Man isn’t a result of some miracle, it’s probably among the most convincingly explained phenomenon how man has come into being. We are maybe now dangerously close to being convincing enough to explain how man is going to vanish from the earth, so much so we are happy reading about colonizing Mars! From how man became distinct nomadic groups to how we have divisions now in sexual orientation, evidences galore around in reinforcing the facets of groups with common differences. The need to establish superiority is explained by nature’s way of fittest as the resultant survivor, but I tend to disagree. This ever-present conflict is a result of few of those who hover above at 200 feet, understand the chord to strike to make the rest of us dance to that tune.


This is not war, neither is this unwinnable. Inward journey is the direction. Understanding one’s potential not as a relative measure but as a unique set of qualities will detach thought from popular opinion and break the hypnotic monotone of somebody’s violin, displace that someone and can orchestrate a harmony among many. The journey to that 200th feet must begin inward and in that to understand our personality is but the step one.  

Comments

Rajesh Kumar said…
Interesting observations. In my view harmony seeking human behaviour is at conflict with entropy seeking concept in science, which is supposed to unlock energy. There is also a dichotomy within us, under which, we keep professing harmony, at the same time, creating entropy in the world. Let's not get oversold on harmony. Entropy, or chaos, represents the churn and creates new aspects and facets of life. Let's remember that the mythical Samudra Manthan released Halahala(poison), it also released Amrit(nectar of immortality). My humble views.

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