War For Peace

“Every single empire in its official discourse has said that it is not like all the others.” — Edward Said

That quote resonates with us even today because it exposes a pattern that repeats across history. Every regime that wages war insists its war is different. It is framed as necessary, defensive, moral, reluctant, and even noble. Again and again, violence, whether in the form of war or abrogation of fundamental rights, is packaged as responsibility. Destruction is sold as a necessity to bring order. War is renamed peace.

But war, by its nature, brings ruin. It destroys infrastructure, uproots families, erases history, and kills innocent civilians who pose no threat to anyone. And even when declared objectives are supposedly achieved, the destruction often continues. The bombingd do not stop even when the justification has run out. The suffering goes on, and somehow it is still defended in the language of strategy, security, and national interest. Even communities and countries that have themselves endured profound inhuman tragedies can later subject others to pain and suffering in the name of peace. What is most difficult to comprehend is how those shaped by such suffering can inflict pain and suffering on others.

That is what makes modern war so grotesque: not only the violence itself, but the lies used to sanitize it.

While the world debates terminology, some of humanity’s oldest civilizations are reduced to rubble. Civilians are buried under collapsed buildings. Schools, hospitals, historical sites, and essential resources are destroyed. The loss is not accidental or collateral in any meaningful moral sense once it becomes repeated, normalized, and excused. At that point, it is no longer a tragedy alone. It is a choice.

We are told that institutions such as the United Nations exist to preserve peace, prevent escalation, and create space for negotiation. Yet when massive destruction unfolds in full public view, these institutions often appear paralyzed. Statements are issued. Concerns are expressed. Meetings are held. But the destruction continues. The world watches without doing anything to stop the deaths of innocent civilians.

Why?

Why, despite diplomacy, international law, and endless channels of negotiation, are wars still allowed to expand across borders and consume countless innocent lives? Why does the violence continue even after its stated objectives have supposedly been achieved? Is it because the attacked refuse to submit? Or because those who unleash war are not seeking security at all, but submission?

History will record the answer. It will also record the silence.

It is easy to speak when nothing is at stake. True courage begins when speaking carries a cost — when careers, alliances, reputations, and material interests are on the line. That is precisely where much of the world is failing now. The destruction itself will be remembered, but so will the calculated quiet of those who had a voice and chose not to use it.

Most wars are dressed up in the language of honor, defense, and necessity. But beneath that language, the real motives are power, money, influence, political survival, and control. Human life becomes secondary. The deaths of ordinary people become statistics, acceptable losses, background noise. This is mainly because the powerful are immune to the destructive effects of the war. All the risks are borne by other people and their children, while the rewards are collected by those who authorized the violence and those close to them. The pattern is painfully simple: let others die so that power may be preserved, expanded, and enriched. This is why the war is sold as necessary, so that no questions are asked, and dead soldiers are celebrated and honored as martyrs without raising questions about who was responsible for their deaths.

But there is nothing necessary or noble about bombing a school full of children. There is no moral sophistication that can justify the slaughter of innocents. There is no avoidance of danger in raping or sexually torturing prisoners or helpless civilians. That is not a strategy. It is not peacekeeping. It is not civilization defending itself. It is cruelty with political cover.

Bombing children is tyranny. Destroying civilian life and calling it peace is tyranny. Replacing one tyrant with another does not end oppression; it merely changes its face. Every war-mongering ruler insists that this war is different. This one is unfortunate but required. This one is for stability. This one is for peace. But peace built on the bodies of children is not peace. It is domination. It is terror.

So what is all this for?

What logic can justify such immense human and material loss? What political objective can outweigh a generation traumatized, cities shattered, and innocent lives erased? Listen carefully to the statements made by those on all sides of these wars. Too often, they reveal no real reverence for human life, only calculation, messaging, and blame management.

Perhaps the deepest moral failure is not only in the decision to wage war, but in the refusal of societies to condemn inhumanity when it is committed by their own side. We have become skilled at selective outrage. We mourn some children and rationalize the deaths of others. We always condemn brutality in enemies and excuse it in allies. We measure the worth of a life by the flag under which that life was born.

And still we call ourselves civilized.

If we cannot hold our own side accountable, then our morality is hollow. If conscience speaks only when convenient, then it is not conscience at all. It is performance. The least we owe the innocent is honesty. Honesty about what war is. Honesty about what is being done in our name. Honesty about the lies leaders tell when they wrap violence in the language of peace.

Any war that brings mass destruction, civilian suffering, and the devastation of entire societies cannot be casually excused as a path to peace. When leaders knowingly unleash such horror, and when others enable or ignore it, what we are witnessing is not peace in the making. It is an assault on humanity.

If we fail to name it honestly, then the loss is not only of lives, homes, and history. It is also the loss of our moral credibility. And if that loss means nothing to us, then perhaps the most frightening question is no longer what war has made of the world, but what silence has made of us.

Thank you for reading, and please share your views on this topic.  

Is honesty subjective?

We hear people often using the phrases "honestly, I believed it was true," or "honestly, I did not think it would hurt anyone," and things like that. Does it mean that honesty is subjective? Does it also mean that just because we honestly think something is okay we are not subject to harsh criticisms that may follow our actions following that honest perception? These are interesting questions to ponder, especially in the current age of social media where almost everyone is either expressing their opinion or getting influenced by someone's opinion.

The concept of honesty is often perceived as a fundamental principle that transcends individual beliefs and cultural norms. It seems that honesty is objective and can be verified or evaluated based on independent criteria. However, upon closer examination, one finds that honesty can be subjective, and influenced by various factors such as personal values, social and cultural norms, and situational contexts. At its core, honesty entails truthfulness, sincerity, and transparency in communication and actions. It involves adhering to verified facts and expressing oneself in a genuine and straightforward manner. While these principles may seem universal and straightforward, the interpretations and applications are not that simple, and they vary from one person to another. While truthfulness is easy, people can believe in wrong things and still claim to be honest, and there is a difference between honesty and accuracy. Whereas truthfulness is easy, sincerity and transparency are two aspects that require some work. Whenever we say or do something based on the information received without verifying that information or fact-checking with independent sources, we are not being completely honest. Just believing something to be true without verifying it and not disclosing the source of it does not make our actions honest as we are not being sincere and transparent. Sincerity is not just a mental state, it also requires some actions on our part, we must critically evaluate and verify all information on which we base our actions. Without sincerity and transparency, every rumor and conspiracy theory spreader will claim that they are being honest.

One reason for the subjectivity of honesty lies in the diversity of human experiences and perspectives. Each one of us carries a unique set of values, beliefs, and life experiences that shape our understanding. They shape our understanding of truth and falsehood. Diversity of human experiences creates a diversity of opinions, which is a healthy sign of any progressive society, at the same time, it also creates situations where what one person considers honest may not necessarily align with another's perspective, leading to differences in interpretation. Similarly, what may be considered acceptable or truthful in one culture or community may be viewed differently in another. Believing in wrong things stems from various factors such as misinformation, personal biases, cognitive distortions, or incomplete understanding of complex issues. However, in today's internet era, most of us who consume and share information have access to resources to verify and fact check, therefore, we are not being honest when we share blatantly false information and claim to be honestly believing it to be true.  

Honesty should reflect our integrity and sincerity in communication, it should reflect our commitment to be genuine and transparent in our communications. Yes, it cannot guarantee factual correctness, but it cannot be an excuse for sloppiness or a method to create alternate facts. In the end, despite the subjectivity surrounding honesty, it still remains a foundational principle in fostering trust, integrity, and meaningful relationships. While interpretations of honesty may vary, the underlying intention to uphold truthfulness, sincerity, and transparency is paramount. Recognizing the subjectivity in honesty allows for a deeper understanding of its complexities, it helps us to be empathetic and kind to each other. Striving to be honest, even in the face of conflicting perspectives or challenging circumstances, can ultimately lead to a greater understanding, respect, and authenticity in our actions with others.  

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic.

© Vinay Thakur, All rights reserved, Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com 

We are always a work in progress

Many of us strive for perfection. From our early childhoods, we are conditioned to be perfect, this is the reason being perfect in everything becomes a dream for many. We want to be perfect in our professional and personal lives, and if we are not, we want to create an illusion of perfectness by blaming everything around us for our imperfections. Cult following or personality worship is a syndrome resulting from the belief that just because someone is good at some of the skills they are the perfect people worthy of blind following. We are taught to hide imperfections, refuse to accept that we all make mistakes and must learn from them, and also hide our vulnerabilities, whereas, in reality, we are always work in progress. 

Humans are dynamic beings, our main characteristics are that we are constantly evolving and adapting to the ever-changing circumstances of life. Therefore, from the moment of birth to the final breath, each individual is a work in progress, shaped by our experiences, relationships, and many other factors. This perpetual state of development reflects the inherent complexity and impossibility of achieving perfection as there is always potential for transformation within any human condition. At every stage of life, humans undergo physical, emotional, and intellectual changes that contribute to their ongoing development. The speed with which these changes occur may differ from one stage of life to another, and from person to person, but one this is for sure, the change is happening, whether we like it or not. 

Childhood is a stage of rapid growth and discovery. We learn many new things and acquire essential skills, values, and beliefs. Adolescence brings the challenges of identity formation and self-discovery, we may question certain values and beliefs that we acquired during childhood, and this journey of self-discovery can be a challenging and rewarding experience as we transition from childhood to adulthood. Even in adulthood, the journey of self-improvement and personal evolution continues. We strive to pursue our passions and aspirations, and we face many obstacles and try to overcome them. Whether through education (this is not just academic learning but overall education), career advancements, or personal relationships, we constantly seek opportunities for learning, growth, and self-realization. This process of growth and development extends beyond the individual to encompass the collective human experience, each one of us is an element of society that drives this world. As societies progress and evolve, our values, norms, and institutions shape our behavior and expectations, they influence our interactions with each other, and our survival and progress depend on this evolution. Cultural, technological, and social changes influence the way individuals perceive themselves and their place in the world, prompting continual innovation and adaptation. This concept of humans as a work in progress emphasizes the potential for positive change and transformation for every individual no matter what age, gender, race, or ethnicity they belong. While each of us may face challenges, moments of uncertainty, failures, and setbacks, we also possess the capacity for resilience, creativity, and sell; improvement. Through introspection, reflection, and intentional action, we can cultivate our strengths, address our weaknesses, and strive to become improved versions of ourselves every day. We are also a work in progress as we are continuously learning the importance of empathy, compassion, and understanding our interactions with others. Recognizing that everyone is on their own journey of personal growth and development encourages patience, tolerance, and support for one another's struggles and successes. 

The notion that we are always a work in progress speaks to the inherent dynamism, resilience, and potential for growth within every individual at every stage of their life. Our improvement and evolution are not limited to any particular stage of our lives, rather they are continuous and end only when the individual life comes to a full stop. Embracing this perspective provides us with a sense of optimism, curiosity, and openness to our ongoing journey of self-discovery and personal evolution. As we navigate the complexities of life, let us embrace the process of growth and change with humility and a commitment to continual learning and improvement. All the very best! 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

© Vinay Thakur, All rights reserved, Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

No one is watching

We all are told that someone is watching us all the time. I was told as a child that god is watching all the time, once that didn't work I was told that some ghost was watching, if that failed it changed to the police are watching, once the effect of this also waned, then some other scary thing was watching. I feel the intent behind making people believe that someone is always watching is to stop them from doing wrong things. Especially, if that someone has the power to control and punish you we are supposed to behave to get the approval of that entity by behaving as per that entity's will. This myth was busted at some point when I witnessed so many wrong things happening in front of my own eyes and that powerful entity who was supposed to watch and take note of things didn't do anything to stop these atrocities. I realized that no one was watching. No one can watch everyone at the same time and monitor what they are doing. We are on our own and there is no virtue in doing something good just because someone is watching us. One should be good irrespective of whether anyone is watching or not, otherwise, it is a forced act not spontaneous or based on our own conscience. 

Religion particularly uses the concept of an omnipresent god who is supposed to be present everywhere and watch everyone all the time. All who believe in religion accept this notion of this omnipresent entity, addressed by different names in different religions. However, after witnessing various atrocities committed in the name of religion one can see that this threat is clearly not working. Communal violence is a glaring problem even today and all religions are guilty of this. People who believe in a real sense of community welfare and peace will behave with compassion and love with or without religion. Any civilized person does not need any threat or lure to behave compassionately towards others. Hatemongers will perpetuate hate and violence by using whatever tool they get, religion, politics, or anything else. Hence, ask yourself how will you behave with others if no one is watching. This will give you an understanding of your moral compass. If you behave nice because of fear or some lure like heaven, try to be nice without fear or lure. If you hate someone because of their religion/race/gender/sexual orientation/nationality/caste, try to ask how will you feel if someone hates you just because of your identity associated with those tags. If you feel inclined to justify hate and violence against certain communities ask yourself what if someone does the same to your community. These questions may make you feel uncomfortable and may challenge your perceptions and beliefs that are the result of years of brainwashing, but they will also help you to see your own hypocrisy and encourage you to get rid of your double standards. These questions did make me feel uncomfortable when I asked them myself, but they helped me to improve and become a better person. I hope you don't harbor feelings of hate and violence against any religion, community, or person just because they are different than you. I hope you are nice to others even when no one is watching.     

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

© Vinay Thakur, All rights reserved, Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com 

Consent must be taught in schools

In one of the web series, a courtroom drama, the lawyer while defending a rape accused says that consent is a great area. This statement is not uncommon, many around us do not understand the importance of consent in a relationship or sexual encounter. Consent is an essential requirement for any sexual encounter, whether that encounter is casual or within any formal relationship like a marriage or civil union, does not eliminate the requirement for consent. Marriage or any other relationship does not give an individual the right to violate or override the consent of another individual, especially for their willingness to engage in a sexual act. So, even after consent is of such great importance, you will be amazed to know that not many are aware of it. For many, it is a gray area because they are ignorant about it. Even though there are many resources available to learn about the meaning of consent under various circumstances, very few people take advantage of it. This is the reason I am advocating that consent should be taught in schools. Like any other good habit like saying sorry, thank you, or excuse me, the importance of having the consent of another person should be part of day to day vocabulary of everyone and schools are a good place to start highlighting it.

Any sexual encounter is a private act, normally, only people involved in the act are the witnesses of that act. Therefore, if there is a dispute, it becomes difficult to decide who is right and who is wrong. Not having a clear understanding of what consent means and how to interpret verbal and non-verbal signals correctly makes things more complicated. It should be clear to everyone that not saying no does not mean yes. This is simple, a person may hesitate to say no for a variety of reasons, there are too many reasons to list, therefore, the absence of no should not be interpreted as yes under any circumstance. There must be some expressed affirmative signal and it is the responsibility of the initiator to obtain that signal to make sure it is a consensual act. 

Also, it is more important to know that consent can be withdrawn at any point for any reason. Given consent, in any sexual act, is a privilege of the person who offers it and it is their right to withdraw anytime they feel they are not ready. This should not be difficult to understand. If the person who is on the receiving end cannot deal with that withdrawal and feels the urge to fulfill their initiated sexual desire, they have other means like masturbation to quench their sexual desire. Violating the rights of another to engage in consensual sex cannot be a reason under any circumstances. Traditional institutions like marriage also do not give license to an individual to violate the rights of his or her partner. Spouses don't have the right to rape each other, if it is wrong to force yourself on another outside marriage then it must be wrong within marriage also. Marriage does not offer up any license to ignore or violate the personal rights of our partner, rather were should respect those rights.

Humans are different compared to other animals, we behave differently socially compared to other animals. The same is true for our sexual acts, they have to be consensual otherwise there is no difference between us and animals if we force each other just to satisfy our sexual urges. Our relationships will become stronger and more fulfilling if we respect each other's choices. If we respect each other's willingness to participate. This is why let's start teaching the meaning and importance of consent as early as possible. 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

Embracing our imperfections and vulnerabilities

Humans are the dominant species on this planet. Our dominance is evident in the way we control things and dictate terms on our planet. Our complex brain and ability to imagine and innovate are a few of the main reasons for our dominance. Despite all this, we have our own imperfections and vulnerabilities. One might ask how our dominance fits with our imperfections and vulnerabilities? How did we survive despite being imperfect and vulnerable? The fact is, our imperfections and vulnerabilities make us human and are the very reason for our success and dominance. However, many of us spend our entire lives worrying about our imperfections and vulnerabilities, feeling bad about them, trying to hide them from others, and assuming that expressing them might make us look weak and timid. Many leaders in various fields also try to project a rough and tough image of a leader, whereas a true leader is also imperfect and vulnerable like all of us they just know how to use them as their strength rather than considering them as a weakness.

Our society has always used difficult feelings like shame and guilt in a negative light. This is why most people hesitate or even worry when they feel these things, they hesitate to ask for any kind of help, and they prefer to keep these things to themselves which makes things worse.  We are taught to disown these feelings rather than embracing them or embracing anyone who displays these feelings. American writer and professor Brene Brown has done splendid research on this subject, her TED talk, The Power of Vulnerability is one of the most viewed TED talks. My own struggles with my vulnerabilities and imperfections have taught me many lessons that I use in my day-to-day life, this is why I don't hesitate to share stories of my own struggles. We are taught imperfect and vulnerable people cannot be good leaders, but these are just incorrect perceptions, and myths without any data to support them. On the contrary, embracing our vulnerabilities is a courageous act, and only a person with good leadership qualities can do this. Also, our struggle with these emotions is a continuous and ongoing process, we discover new vulnerabilities and imperfections as we progress in our lives, our vulnerabilities at the age of five are not the same at the age of forty. This is why embracing our vulnerabilities and imperfections is not a one-time act, but is a process that we learn and relearn every day. 

One of the reasons why people hesitate to display the courage to embrace their vulnerabilities is they lack an empathetic support system; they don't find anyone trustworthy enough to share these feelings. Even in the era of social networks where we are more connected than at any other time in human history, we struggle to find trusted people to whom we can express our difficult emotions and struggles without having a feeling of not being judged or exposed. This is a challenge for all of us, help seekers as well as help offerers, we need to step up to embrace our own vulnerabilities so that we can create an environment where others are encouraged to embrace their own. This is a challenging task, that's why it requires courage and leadership, and this is important for our mental hygiene. Once we learn to deal with fear, shame, or guilt about our imperfections and vulnerabilities many other challenges also become manageable. These feelings come to us regularly as long as we are conscious that is why it's important to learn how to deal with them and the sooner we start the better it is. Let's help each other as much as we can to spread this courage.  

Thanks for reading and please share your opinion about this topic.  

Terrorist do have a religion

The Peshawar school massacre by the Taliban shook many people across the world. It was not the worst massacre by terrorists and it was not the first time schools or children were attacked by terrorists, but even after that, the brutality of this attack is really disturbing. Whenever any such attack happens, we start hearing phrases like "terrorists don't belong to any religion" "terrorists don't have any religion" "these people are not humans," etc. I always wonder how much truth is there in these statements. All these statements are mainly used by people to try to dissociate the religion (especially their own religion) from such barbaric acts but to me, these statements sound too hollow and meaningless. If we look carefully some of these terrorists who kill innocent people and others who spread hatred against certain communities do use religion as a tool to attack and spread fear and hatred. They do claim to represent the true form of some sect or religion. I am not talking about Islam or Hinduism or any other particular religion as most religions have fanatic elements in their teachings which are misused by some people to create fundamentalists some of which manifest themselves in various forms of terrorism. Politicians as well as terrorists use religion as a tool to divide people. One wants to divide and rule while the other wants to spread fear and rule. This has been going on for many years, and no religion has been able to dissociate itself completely either from politics or terrorism, only the intensity and level of involvement differ from time to time.

What is there in religion or some of these ideologies (like communism or Maoism) that people are willing to kill hundreds of innocents in the name of protecting or propagating it? Why these people don't feel the guilt or shame of doing such barbaric acts in the name of religion or their ideology? Why religion is such a powerful force that it makes people go blind and makes them hate others just because others belong to some different religion? Can we really dissociate religion from these barbaric acts? Why there is so much communal violence if all religions teach peace and love? Why scriptures are quoted to justify violence, discrimination, or gender bias? The truth is that terrorists who use religion to kill people do belong to some religion. They all derive their justification from some holy book, they all claim that they are killing to protect the word of their God. Many of these terrorist organizations brainwash young and impressionable minds, misguide them by using some religious teachings, and convert them into lethal terrorists. This has been going on for so long and various religions have not done enough to curb this.

Followers of any religion are not willing to question or object strongly to any content from scriptures that are used to justify violence. Once it is claimed and accepted that that particular book is a word of God very few dare to question it. Most of these books contain something that could be misinterpreted but these things are ignored because it is understood that as these books also teach love and peace so few minor things don't matter. However, some anti-social elements make use of some of these objectionable or outdated messages and propagate hate and violence. As no one dares to condemn these sections of any of the books, these things get taught, and people interpret them to suit their own propaganda. That is why I think now the time has come to ask some serious questions to keepers of all religions. They need to make it clear that there is no place for any violence or hatred under the name of their religion. If there is some outdated or objectionable material in their own holy book they need to make it clear that it is outdated and no more applicable. They need to be very strong about this message and condemn any group that tries to propagate hate in the name of their religion. Religion might be a need for many but communal violence or hatred should not have any place in any civilized society.

Isn't it a time to think about whether there is some inherent flaw in organized religion? The time has come for all of us to unite and stand against such criminals. The time has come to question religion and holy books, whenever they are used to justify any violence and hatred. The time has come for all civilized humans to speak up and ask questions. We can not just wait for our turn to become victims of such violence, it will be too late by that time, so speak up NOW.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:

1. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30507836

How Are Humans Different from Other Animals?

Humans are one of the many animal species that inhabit this planet. Like other animals or living things on this planet, our species (humans) also went through many evolutionary changes and faced many challenges and difficulties to survive on this planet. We did a great job in not becoming an extinct species despite having limited physical powers compared to many other animal species that inhabit our planet. Many species physically much more powerful than ours, very dominant when they existed on this planet (like dinosaurs), are now extinct. We only see their skeletons or models in museums. What makes us so special? We not only survived so long on this planet but are now the most powerful species on this planet. Humans literally rule over this planet.

I am not going to go into too much detail about genetic differences or similarities between humans and other animals; there is a vast amount of information available about this topic. I have listed a few links in the reference section that specifically discuss this topic. To the best of our knowledge, humans are the only source of documented history of this universe. Our civilization started like other animals; we used to live in herds and behaved like most other animals, and we still have many of those characteristics. We also eat to survive, reproduce, and do many things like other animals. We have physical needs like any other animal and also show physical changes like disease, old age, and death like other animals. But, and this 'BUT' is very important, our mental needs or our mental capabilities are totally different than all other animals on this planet. We have more developed brains compared to other animals, and this fact has given us a tremendous advantage over other animals and is the reason for our ability to dominate this planet.

We have unique abilities of thinking and imagination. This ability of imagination adds a unique dimension to our thinking. Many animals can only think about the things that they see right in front of their eyes; they cannot imagine the things that don't exist, and they don't worry about their death. For example, lions don't worry about why they can't fly, but we humans do, and that's the difference. Most animals feed their babies until they are capable of getting food on their own, but we humans not only worry about our kids' future, but also worry about our grandkids' future. This is because we can imagine what can happen to them if they don't have a home to live in and food to eat. This ability to imagine is the reason for most of our progress and also many of our problems. This ability of imagination has helped us to overcome so many of our physical limitations. It helped us to design airplanes to fly, ships to sail, and even space shuttles to visit other planets. There is no limit to our imagination. The same imagination forces us to blow problems out of proportion; we can imagine a space attack by aliens, and our ever-growing desires are also the result of this imagination. If I have to choose one thing that differentiates us from other animals, it will be our ability to 'imagine.' Animals just have needs, but we humans have both need and greed. Our every relationship has an element of some selfishness in it, no matter what the relationship is and with whom it is.


I don't think there is any special purpose for human life; there is no special reason for our existence on this planet, it's just a random event and a biological phenomenon. We came into existence and evolved similarly to any other species. We are not different than any other animal on this planet as far as our origin and evolution are concerned. We all fight in this world for survival, many times we behave in a selfish manner like other animals; we try to protect our possessions, mark our territories, and attack our fellow humans when we perceive them as our enemies. We call all these things our 'animal instinct,' and we all have this. What differentiates our feelings or behavior compared to other animals is our more developed brain. We have formed certain rules and regulations to live life. We have some dos and don'ts. We have developed concepts of morality, justice, equality, and equity. With the help of these things, we train our minds. This training helps us to behave in a civilized manner, show compassion towards our fellow humans, force us to overcome our selfish feelings, and do many things that other animals don't do naturally. Whenever we overcome this animal instinct and do anything, we call it a selfless act, an unconditional love, because we are not thinking only about ourselves or not expecting anything in return. This is a human behavior.


It is our thinking that differentiates us from all other species on this earth; it controls our behavior (good or bad). It gives us strength or makes us weak, makes us kind or cruel. Most of these qualities are present in most animals, but they can not overcome their intrinsic nature or animal instinct totally; we can. A lion cannot stop hunting on their own and become a vegetarian, or a deer can not suddenly start eating meat and start hunting, but humans can change their habits if they want. We can domesticate many animals by giving them proper training and teaching them controlled behavior, but these animals cannot pass on that information as a culture to the next generation because of the limited ability of their brain, we humans can, and that's how we built this civilized society which we see around us. Once again, our developed brain made all the difference. Yes, we are animals, but 'special animals' on this planet. We have learned to control our animal instinct, and that's how we discovered humanity. 


Humans can go beyond themselves and do many acts, but if we look into the core of it we do everything to make ourselves happy. Whether it's a mother's love towards her child, charity, or any other noble act, people do it because they want to feel happy and satisfied. The human brain craves happiness, and most of the acts are centered around generating happiness directly or indirectly.


I feel lucky to be a human. I love my planet and my species. I truly believe that we humans can make this planet a wonderful place where all species can live in harmony. We can do this by using our intelligence; at the same time, we have the power to destroy everything because of our greed and selfishness, so the choice is always ours. With great power comes great responsibility. Be responsible, remember, humans control the fate of this planet.

Thanks for reading, and please share your views.

References:

1. http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/faq/compgen.shtml

2. http://www.actionbioscience.org/genomic/hhmi.html

3. http://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Factsheet_GeneticVariation.htm

4.http://www.eupedia.com/forum/showthread.php?25335-Percentage-of-genetic-similarity-between-humans-and-animals

5. http://realtruth.org/articles/090806-002-science.html

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)  

What Is the Purpose of Human Life?

Many religious texts dwell on this question. Many people also think about this question. After all, what is the purpose of human life? How are we different compared to other animals? Why do humans control most of the things on this planet? How do they get this superiority? Is there some special reason for it? Is there any special reason for the presence of humans on this planet? Different texts take somewhat different approaches to this question, but if we read religious texts, most of them say that the ultimate purpose of human life or birth is to serve the supreme entity, God. Some even go to the extent that we are all born to entertain that superpower! Many offer different rewards or explanations for why one should serve God, some say we have to liberate ourselves from the cycle of life and death, and some say we need to do this to go to some higher planet where life is better than what we get on this planet that is without old age, disease, miseries, and death. Some say to achieve liberation from human suffering. There are many explanations for why we have to indulge in the service of that superpower. There are many ways or methods recommended for that service. We can't see that superpower in person so there are many indirect ways recommended to fulfill our service requirement, some say by serving its creation (humans, we are believed to be created) we can serve God. We can engage in prayers or worship imagining God in some form or in a formless way to achieve that goal and I think this is the most popular way (praying in temples, Churches, Mosques, Synagogues, Gurudwaras or any other place).

So, what is the purpose of human life? We don't see many people following whatever is recommended in those books of various organized religions. Many people who claim or seem to be following that path are also filled with tremendous hatred toward people who are not from their camp, and their only purpose seems to be to bring more and more people into their camp so that it becomes bigger and bigger. Their ultimate aim seems to be to conquer the whole world and make it mono-religious. Are we supposed to be camp followers?  There are so many camps, which camp to follow? If the whole purpose is to serve God, why don't we start doing it since our childhood and leave all other distractions aside (like family, school, job, etc.)? Are we missing something?

Human beings have a more developed brain compared to other animals on this planet; the capabilities of our brain have allowed us to conquer many of our physical limitations. We can do many things easily for which our body is not designed; other animals can't do it because their brain is not developed like ours. Our universe functions based on some laws or principles, some we know, and many we are still trying to understand. We now know more about the origin of life on this planet, the process of evolution, the reasons for many diseases, and their possible treatments. Science and technology have helped us to solve many mysteries. Can it help us to solve this one??

According to me, there is no universal purpose of human life; all of us are different and unique. We are social beings and have some social responsibility and role to play, but apart from that, we are different. Everyone has to find their own purpose in life. Michael Jackson was born to dance, Sachin was born to bat, Lata Mangeshkar was born to sing, Michael Jordan to play basketball, and Pelé to play football (soccer). They were lucky to discover the purpose of their life. Somehow, we have attached a very grand meaning to the phrase 'purpose of life'; most of us think that the purpose of life has to be something grand, big, and spectacular. I think it's not necessary; one can have very simple aims in life and still live a very happy and successful life. Money, fame, or social status cannot be the only criteria to judge a successful or happy person. A housewife who takes care of her family and plays a major role in the upbringing of her kids or teachers who train future citizens of this world, are equally successful people like any other entrepreneur or celebrity. I hope we all can discover our purpose in life and work towards it. We all serve humanity by discovering the purpose of our own lives.

Thanks for reading, and please share your comments.

(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)