Human Nature

My homepage is CNN. I'm not a news freak, but I like being completely up to date with what is going on in the world. Those who stay wrapped up in their own little suburban soap opera "problems" are blind to what the REAL world is like. I try to stay outside of that, to wake up every morning and see what the other 6 Billion people are doing outside my front door.

People complain that the news is too pessimistic, too dreary. Well I've got "news" for you. You have no idea what humanity is like. Humanity is Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde, two-faced, hypocritical, ignorant. The news simply reflects the Mr. Hyde of humanity that people try to pretend doesn't exist.

There are days when I wonder why I keep reading the news. Days when I wake up, and see things like "Two Girls Slaughtered at Sleepover Party." Things like "Italians Sunbathe As Drowned Girls Lie on Beach." On those days, I sit there in front of my screen, wishing I could do something very painful to humanity as a whole. If humanity were represented by one single being, I would take out my cold brass knuckles and break his nose, and then waterboard the motherfucker until he understood that he needed to STOP. Humanity needs to stop being so careless, hateful, resentful, destructive, ignorant, violent, greedy, and downright, one hundred percent stone cold fucking stupid.

There are reasons why people act in such a manner. They are primitive. They have advanced, yes. They have designed and constructed bridges, dams, towers that pierce the sky. But that is technological advancement, not humanistic. The basic instincts of any animal still remain under the skin of human nature: the instinct to do whatever is necessary to keep oneself alive, the instinct to kill. Many argue that these dispositions have faded as we have "advanced." I disagree. Read the news and my backing evidence will glare coldly into your eyes. History truly does repeat itself, be it over decades, months, or days. That, I'm sure, isn't just another bad cliché. It is the truth.

It won't happen, though, that's as sure as the sun coming up tomorrow morning. Humanity won't change.

But every time I'm on the edge of completely giving up hope on the human race, I see just a little bit of light. A grandma walking with her grandson through the store, both smiling happily as he grasps a toy they picked out. A couple of drivers pulled over to the side of the road, helping someone push their stalled '67 Chevy out of traffic. Those simple random acts of kindness that remind me that there is still, somewhere, just a little bit of innocence, of integrity in mankind. Dr. Jeckell is still alive, alive with understanding of his dark side, and with intent to suffocate that evil with all of the will in him.

You can be the light. You have within you the power to have integrity, to be a decent person. You can be humble, regardless of who you are or what your stature. Every individual of a system must change for the system to change. Start with yourself. And if you want to see what happens when people disregard this, read the news. It's an eye-opening experience.

Current Mood: Exanimate

Listening To: "Gortoz a Ran (J'attends)" by Denez Prigent