Look at the world around you. What is good in it, and what is poison? Which are the things that humans are responsible for?
The world that we have built is a marvel. We have conquered every inch of this planet and are pushing beyond it. But while this may be some stunning accomplishment for humankind, it has been a disaster for humanity. We have all been dragged along this march of progress, convinced by the prevailing powers that this is the path back to Eden, that coal power plants and air conditioning and freeways and faraway slave labor mining will salve the pain of this existence.
Why, throughout history, have we waged wars? Because we want more. Why have we built miserable factories that pollute our skies and streams? Because we want more. Why do we enslave ourselves to lifetimes of debt and most of our lives spent in jobs we hate? Because we want more. Why do we spend countless hours bingeing television or mindlessly scrolling empty content?
More. More. More. That is the answer to our unhappiness. More is the driving force of our economy. More is the justification for genocides in distant lands. More is the salve for our anger, our fear, our discontent.
As we consume more of the outer world, we lose more of our inner world. We may become more materially rich, but we are all more spiritually empty. We ignore the suffering of our fellow man, across the planet and even across the street. We deny the destruction of our planet in the face of hard evidence. We are less connected than ever to our communities and our kin, a war of all against all to simply survive and possibly feel a moment of security.
Those in power will tell you that this is some recent development, that all the world was joyous and happy until the “others” came and ruined it. They will tell you that we can go back to this great era if you believe them, if you submit your will to their command, if you hate the “other” and destroy them.
This is a lie.
For the vast majority of human civilization, the system has only ever served a tiny fraction of humanity, a fortunate few who either took power through violence and force, or who preyed on our natural decency to convince us to give it to them. At its best, this system maintained a sense of comfort for a lucky few million inhabitants, while the rest of our species has been exploited, slaughtered, and made to live in squalor.
A few million people congregated around the centers of power, where they are told that it is “liberty” and “democracy” and “free trade ” and “hard work” that have afforded them such comfortable lives. In reality, we are shielded from the true cost of our consumer comfort, and if we ever catch a glimpse of it we are so appalled that most of us try to forget it anyway.
Even in this comfort, how happy are you, really?
Do you spend the majority of your hours sitting in traffic, and dealing with bills, and shopping for unnecessary distractions? Do you spend the majority of your days working at a job that offers no meaningful value to society– and in fact probably does some degree of harm? Do you spend the majority of your years waiting for the privilege of a few days’ vacation, or a chance to reunite with your family for the holidays, or the chance to retire when you are nearing your final chapter and then you’ll get to enjoy this life?
Who told you that this is the only way to live, or the best one?
Why did you believe them?
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