It’s pretty obvious that we have created a nation of bullies. Perhaps we could stretch that and go so far as to say a world full of bullies. Is this the apex of evolution? The true survival of the fittest? In one incident after another humans have seen the collapse of empathy for one’s fellow human being. This does not bode well for the capitalist system. In order for the human race to get beyond this pivotal point it may be necessary to decline to fight and not “stand one’s ground”.

As history has bore out time and again, a certain type of behavior will continuously foster similar behavior. It becomes a perpetual cycle of greed and hatred. Sadly each begets the other. Religion, if actually practiced, seeks to reduce or even eliminate these feelings. Sadly it often has the opposite effect and becomes justification for usurping others property or even their very lives in the name of one’s chosen entity. Further exacerbating the idea of religious concept is the notion of capitalism. Ownership of wealth and property enabling oneself to perceive a certain sense of entitlement.

Add to this the ready availability of deadly weapons and you create a perfect storm of violence the world over. Every day people are dying because of greed and hatred in the name of religion or capitalism. The more we hear about it, the more we fear it, the more we feel we need to be armed against it. Thus the cycle continues ad infinitum. This cannot possibly be the apex of evolution as humankind is so apt to crown themselves. This behavior will lead to nothing but eventual extinction.

When you think this out it is not difficult to see the logic behind this argument. Every day comes a new barrage of information, an onslaught of the mass media directing us to what they think we should be thinking about. We need to take a step back and consider for ourselves with our own reasoning. Be careful that you are not destroying something because you are scared of it or because you just don’t understand it. Be careful that you aren’t pushing someone around because they aren’t acting in your interest or in the interest of the corporation that is padding your pockets full of cash. The sanctity of life depends on empathy. Every major religion recognizes this. Practice it every day.

“The word ‘belief’ is a difficult thing for me. I don’t believe. I must have a reason for a certain hypothesis. Either I know a thing, and then I know it – I don’t need to believe it.” — Dr. Carl Gustav Jung

“If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.” — Dr. Carl Gustav Jung

Get off the cell phone and Drive! — Jake Shween