I think the more and more homogenized we become as a people, the more we will witness these spurts of violence in a vain attempt to halt progress through bloodshed. But in the end our survival will depend on our similarities, not our differences.
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If we were all the same, there would be no dialogue. Diversity is a learning tool and should be celebrated. Fear begets violence.
ReplyDeleteWell said.
ReplyDeleteWonderful concept and statement. However, I notice that gender separation is not mentioned, and it's perhaps one of the biggest us-them devices, and is certainly an issue worldwide. "Mankind", tradition notwithstanding, is actually humankind.
ReplyDeleteGood point. I've found that treating everyone with respect, including children, almost always results in the same behavior towards me. I can tell by the reaction of others that many are not accustomed to being treated this way, and it shocks their senses at first. But we need to build one another up, not step on one another to try to get one step ahead.
DeleteThanks for the post, Gryph.
Damn! Krishnamurti was hot. I only saw him as a very old man. No wonder he had all those little old ladies in Ojai as groupies.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the book, The Great Sort (out a few years ago)...about how we/people are self-selecting and migrating to others whom we perceive to be most like us.**
ReplyDeleteIt makes what he's saying even more profound.
**also, I'm sorry to admit that I would not want to live in a staunchly republican neighborhood. Namaste.
I saw Tom Shadyak on the Bill Maher show, and thought he truly seemed "in tune." So ordered his book ("Life's Operating Manual")
ReplyDeleteWhat an eye opener! Very much along the lines of this quote, above.
To anyone who is disheartened about how ugly our society appears to be, its message will be a soothing balm.
I love the examples of how the connection of all things and all people, can be seen...like a scientific experiment displaying how inert material actually moves toward a person expressing joy, and shrinks back from one who is consumed with anger.
Separate that material into two parts, remove one half to a distant location...it STILL reacts to what is going on in the vicinity of the person near the first half!
The real failure of mankind, is in not acknowledging that we are all one, and one with the universe.
I will think a lot about that today. Diversity does create dialogue. Diversity is a creative force. I would be so bored if we all agreed on everything! This is why fundamental religion anywhere in the world is a problem! Krishnamurti may be on to something in expressing how our differences make us angry on some level as differences often lead to tribal behavior and the “we against them” mentality. The importance of studying lost languages was once explained to me as a way of looking at the world from different perspectives, sometimes perspectives that are no longer with us. And wouldn’t it be fascinating to find a gem in one of these languages that could unlock philosophical and scientific mysteries? If we were to take Krishnamurti’s advice and become a mono culture human culture we would be losing so much!
ReplyDeleteHuh, yes, "if a man", "he", "mankind". Sure. Females don't exist, apparently.
ReplyDelete