Human Goodness
Lately I have come to doubt something that I have always believed: humans automatically strive to do good, making moral choices. I always presumed, and hopefully not due to my slightly naïve tendency which left me sending letters to Father Christmas as a child, that humans were naturally inclined to do what is deemed as morally acceptable rather than making decisions with malice and causing suffering to others. But with the recent coverage in the media lately, it's undeniable that this isn't always the case. Should we give up this optimistic outlook on humans?
On the news recently are the reports on the Kenyan shopping centre massacre, which resulted in 72 dead and at least 200 hundred victims injured. Seeing the extents of the damage, beyond the statistics, with pictures and videos of the events, I was devastated by how much damage could be done by16 terrorists. The events, although not primarily affecting me, left me wondering how any human could disregard the lives of so many others for their own ‘benefit’. I was disgusted by this capacity in humans.
However, what I keep reassuring myself is that the media, especially the news, have a skew in what they present, the main reportable news focusing on the horrendous, emotive events. The news have to report the horror but I think the coverage on the heroes, formed through being in such a high-pressure, terrorising situation, is lacking. Heroes. There were heroes saving the lives of others, putting themselves- and natural selfish, survival instincts- second in order to protect others. So in complete contrast to what I would label to be 'evil', individuals, there are humans that do good, and that should never be forgotten.
So then is me losing faith in human kind of equal ignorance to those who hold people accountable for events such as these beyond just the individuals? Would I be of equal ignorance to those who wrongly see Islam and these terrible extreme terrorist attacks as synonymous? If so that wouldn't be fair.
There are terrible things that happen in the world, every day, every hour. The unthinkable occurs. And when it does happen I think we are left startled at how anyone could do this, let alone anyone who seems so similar to us. We are naturally more shocked by negatives and seemingly more immune to the more up-lifting events, such as the works of doctors and nurses after terrible crises. And to have this unequal evaluation is normal, if we weren't moved by reports of murder and paedophilia then that would be disturbing. But you should never become blind to the fact that there are good people, every day, every hour, completing good deeds that make our whole lives beneficial. It's also the good that humans do that affect us, and this perspective I think is in the shadow of wrongs. So despite my recent doubts, I urge you never to forget the good that people do. Imagine that humans are characters in a film, there are undoubtedly bad people, acting as the antagonists, but there are always the good people too. And we can't lose hope on them.
So in this new lease of optimism, when I hear people comment that “they're all the same”- even if in the instance they are right, I'd like to think that you will not agree. Don’t let certain bad people ruin your experience with other humans, and focus on yourself and being the best that you can be.
On the news recently are the reports on the Kenyan shopping centre massacre, which resulted in 72 dead and at least 200 hundred victims injured. Seeing the extents of the damage, beyond the statistics, with pictures and videos of the events, I was devastated by how much damage could be done by16 terrorists. The events, although not primarily affecting me, left me wondering how any human could disregard the lives of so many others for their own ‘benefit’. I was disgusted by this capacity in humans.
However, what I keep reassuring myself is that the media, especially the news, have a skew in what they present, the main reportable news focusing on the horrendous, emotive events. The news have to report the horror but I think the coverage on the heroes, formed through being in such a high-pressure, terrorising situation, is lacking. Heroes. There were heroes saving the lives of others, putting themselves- and natural selfish, survival instincts- second in order to protect others. So in complete contrast to what I would label to be 'evil', individuals, there are humans that do good, and that should never be forgotten.
So then is me losing faith in human kind of equal ignorance to those who hold people accountable for events such as these beyond just the individuals? Would I be of equal ignorance to those who wrongly see Islam and these terrible extreme terrorist attacks as synonymous? If so that wouldn't be fair.
There are terrible things that happen in the world, every day, every hour. The unthinkable occurs. And when it does happen I think we are left startled at how anyone could do this, let alone anyone who seems so similar to us. We are naturally more shocked by negatives and seemingly more immune to the more up-lifting events, such as the works of doctors and nurses after terrible crises. And to have this unequal evaluation is normal, if we weren't moved by reports of murder and paedophilia then that would be disturbing. But you should never become blind to the fact that there are good people, every day, every hour, completing good deeds that make our whole lives beneficial. It's also the good that humans do that affect us, and this perspective I think is in the shadow of wrongs. So despite my recent doubts, I urge you never to forget the good that people do. Imagine that humans are characters in a film, there are undoubtedly bad people, acting as the antagonists, but there are always the good people too. And we can't lose hope on them.
So in this new lease of optimism, when I hear people comment that “they're all the same”- even if in the instance they are right, I'd like to think that you will not agree. Don’t let certain bad people ruin your experience with other humans, and focus on yourself and being the best that you can be.