Humanity
Humanity: The word humanity comes from the Latin humanitas, meaning “human nature, kindness.” Humanity includes all humans, but it can also refer to the kind feelings humans often have for each other. It refers to the qualities that make us human, such as the ability to love, have compassion, and be creative.
In 2021, a professional football player was seriously injured during a game. He suffered a heart attack on the field and was rushed to a hospital. Fortunately, he survived, and the prognosis was favorable. What got my attention was the public’s poignant outpouring of blessings and prayers. Football fans from every team unanimously expressed their kindness, and there was an outpouring of compassion and sympathy for this one football player. You also see these heartwarming responses during catastrophic events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornados. Why are those feelings absent at other times when we’re just going about our daily lives?
In my opinion, what is missing is the feeling, not the thought, that we are fellow human beings. During difficult times we find it is easier to bond with one another. The differences between people seem to melt away, replaced by the realization and acceptance of our similarities. We are gifted with the rare chance to connect with others and put aside differences of race, creed, color, and beliefs. On the contrary, when stuck in thoughts, we can hear or read about thousands of war casualties and the destruction of entire cities without feeling anything. We pick up the cell phone, take another sip of our morning coffee, and go about business as usual…as if nothing has happened.
A Cherokee Tale of the Two Wolves
A young boy came to his Grandfather, angry at another boy who had done him an injustice. The old Grandfather said to his grandson, “Let me tell you a story. I, too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and hate does not hurt your enemy. Hate is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times.” “It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offence when no offence was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf, is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper.” “He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, because his anger will change nothing. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, because both of the wolves try to dominate my spirit.” The boy looked intently into his Grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which wolf will win, Grandfather?” The Grandfather smiled and said, “The one I feed.”
According to the story, all humans have these emotions and feelings inside. Which ones are felt and expressed is ultimately your decision and mine. We always have that choice. This begs the question:
Why do the characteristics of the evil wolf seem so “omnipresent” in today’s world, whereas the expression of the good wolf in us is mostly during those rare catastrophic occasions?
In my experience, when I connect with the good wolf inside, I feel good. On the contrary, it’s painful when I connect with the evil wolf. I think that, in general, people, if given the choice, would overwhelmingly choose to feed the good wolf. Why? We want to be happy and at peace. We don’t like the pain and suffering that the evil wolf offers. We go to our temples to pray for the removal of our pain and suffering. It would be hard to find people who pray to have joy, peace, love, hope, and kindness removed from their lives.
The reality is that we don’t live in a vacuum. If we live alone on an island, at the top of a mountain, or have minimal contact with others, it may be easy to experience and express primarily the positive side of us. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Our constantly changing surroundings influence us, including our relationships with people who harbor the same two wolves, with many preferring to feed the evil one. We may see them as greedy, angry, selfish, lying, and cheating much of the time. In most instances, we are adept at avoiding people like that. However, if “evil wolf” individuals rise to the top and occupy positions of power and authority, do we fall into the trap of mindlessly trusting their views and following their advice? Just like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, they can be very astute, cunning, and capable of convincing us with lies and half-truths, telling us all the while not to pay attention to those who oppose. If we are not conscious, they even have the skill and charisma, like the pied piper, to lead us into a world devoid of good wolf characteristics. If we pause one moment to contemplate the present state of the world, it’s difficult to deny that we need to wake up to the fact that things are not going well for human beings and the planet.
