Animals live almost exclusively by instinct. They find food, protect their young and reproduce instinctually. Isn’t it beautiful? We, as humans however, have a much broader range of possibilities at our fingertips than simple instinct. We can reason, compute and build. Right now, it seems, many people are living at the basest level of life. They are harming others because of the perception that their own existence is being threatened. Many people are acting-out against others simply because they feel they might be harmed. Some believe the only question is; Me or them.
Up the evolutionary scale
Learning to accept others even if you do not agree with their ideas is a huge step up the evolutionary scale.
Things change all the time. What was appropriate fifty years ago is no longer so. How does a group of people walking through Central America seeking freedom and opportunity threaten your well-being? Are you living at the emotional level where you believe in shortage of food? Most in our country are well beyond that threat. Can another person’s religious beliefs threaten our lives? We see people killing for no other reason other than someone else has a different religious belief, or skin color. Living at the level of instinct can mislead us into thinking there is a threat. Examining our own motivations for disliking others is very important. Failure to self-examine our thoughts drops us way down the evolutionary scale.
Who am I
What is important to me as an individual? This is an essential question to get clear in our own minds. If hate defines you, please reexamine why. If bigotry defines you, who told you bigotry was important. If a different religious or spiritual belief threatens you, reexamine how rooted you are in your own belief. It is time to living beyond instinct. Read It’s All About Me and learn more!
