Perfect World

In a perfect world, all beings would live in harmony, allowing everyone to have their own space, think their own thoughts, pursue their dreams without interference and go where they will.  Surprise of surprises, we don’t live in such a world.  There are members of government who would tell a woman what she can or can’t do with her body.  There are religious factions across the globe that impose regulations upon their members and non-members alike, causing violent acts to enforce their will.  Globally, the freedom to choose our own lifestyle and path is a rare thing.

What, then, is the answer?  How do we get large groups to respect the rights of individuals when they are often taught that to oppose certain beliefs is dangerous?  Their belief is that their own power over the people would dwindle dramatically and cause chaos if they allowed everyone to make their own choices.

The greatest detriment to the harmony between groups that we seek, however, is lack of education.  Much of what we learn about other people does not come from unbiased news, rather from our own social group, whether that is a religious group, the NRA, our political party or just our group of friends.  Our impressions of other groups to which we do not belong, tends to stem from reactions, and generally speaking, emotional ones, to little bits of information that comes from someone else’s beliefs about a particular group.  The emotional reaction that we are encouraged to feel is fear.  If we are fearful of these other groups, these other people, then we become motivated to guard against them, against their beliefs.  The outcome, then, is generally some form of violence.

What if we actually took the time to learn about groups that we oppose, through the study of their own works, not just the opinions of people within our belief system?  If we see them as they see themselves, we might recognize that, although they believe differently from us, they have a wish for a harmonious life, one in which their needs are met, the needs of their people are met, and they can go about their lives in a positive way.  If we truly take the time to understand what others stand for, what they want, and what they have to contribute to the world, I believe that we can grasp greater harmony and the blessings of living in peace.

Educating ourselves about the beliefs and habits of other cultures is tantamount to bringing peace to our world.  Respect of those differences, and accepting that we are not necessarily right just because we believe a certain way, is the glue that will seal this promise for tomorrow.

May you be richly blessed.