Why is the world so cruel?

[Deja Q]

On Thursday, I had a sudden realization about how naive I truly am.

I am kind, I am nice, I am compassionate, I am helpful. Or that's how others describe me. Why am I this way, particularly when I grew up under horrific conditions?

Why am I, and others like me, on this toilet of a world where people are cruel, mean, greedy, selfish, violent, and otherwise despicable? What the hell happened?

If life is what we make of it, what the fuck did we do to make it like "Dubya 2004"?! Even pre-Dubya.

It is a cold, cruel world. And I don't like it one fucking bit. So what can I do? Or any of us? Does it make a difference? Indeed, it is too late?

[Trajan]

1. Human's are animals ...

Barely civilised, at best ...

[Deja Q]

3. Humans are animals with money. We're WORSE.

The "primitive" cultures - the ones rather that didn't practice human sacrifice - seem, in retrospect, a lot more civilized in some ways. No wonder Columbus and Cortez and others destroyed them all and converted the rest to Chrsitianity...

[blindpig]

21. Indeed, animals don't hire lawyers

at least that's what Hunter S Thompson sez.

[JanMichael]

2. Some of the best literature ever written bemoans the inhumanity of Man.

Or irrationality, meaness, ignorance, etcetera. But even with that inhumanity attacking our senses daily, the Humanity of Mankind is a wonderful thing.

The bad stuff makes better reading though...

[Deja Q]

4. Point taken...

In literature and entertainment, displaying violence seems to create a catharsis for the masses.

But in real life?

The world needs order, organization. And kept as far away from corporate america as possible.

[skjpm]

5. Original sin?

While I, as a Christian, believe in grace and love, I also believe in original sin--not in the old Augustinian-sinful-just-because-we're-born way, but more in the Tillich-estranged-from-God-way, but we're still screwed up and need redemption.

[Deja Q]

7. Jesus tried to save us.

But if you ask me, we all need to save ourselves. It's the only way we WILL get redemption. And not from just reading it, but doing it. All of us on this sad planet. I know how I can be better, that's for sure...

It's sad when we start longing for the good ol' days of 1980... and they weren't good either.

[Trajan]

10. I am ex-catholic ...

And I discarded terms like 'Sin', 'Redemption' and 'Grace' long ago ...

I realized that those who proclaimed their own faith AND performed worthy acts of brotherly love, were actually acting of a HUMANE impulse ...

It was Mother Teresa's HUMANITY that led her to India , IMO, NOT grace ....

As long as human's focus on invisible gods beyond the clouds, they ignore the pain underneath those clouds ...

'Grace' without humanity does nothing to alleviate the human condition ... Redemption by theology draws the eye from a human focus, and satiates ego at the cost of decent community ...

A theologically detached, all-inclusive humanism is a better solution to human brutality than well meaning but inward-looking creeds that focus on eschatological 'grace' at the expense of contemporary human suffering ...

[skjpm]

11. I'm an Episcopalian

We also have neat words like vestry and verger. I am perfectly comfortable with the traditional language of Christianity, but some aren't. You would probably discover that you are saying the exact same thing as most modern theologians, but just choosing not to use the language.

[Arianrhod]

20. The Earth has order.

Perfect, infinite, eternal.

It is man's attempt to impose his irrationality on things that has made it seem otherwise.

[whistle]

6. Never too late for good people to do good in the world...

...must learn to shut out the defeatist babble of our brains, trudge forward on the road to happy destiny and get involved to the extent that our good will make a difference. We only fail if we stop trying. :grouphug:

[Deja Q]

8. As I see more evil pillage and ransack and hurt others,

becoming defeatist becomes more predominant.

How can I, one man (or at least a close approximation of), make a significant difference?

I know of one way, but the cost is too high.

Still, with Kerry there's hope. Hopefully.

[Desertrose]

12. My thoughts are this is *crunch time*...

seriously...we have to, more than ever, stay positive...I know I know...this is the hardest its ever been to do that. The news coming out sickens me anew on a daily basis.

The thing I keep reminding myself is that it is always darkest before the dawn...I really feel the darkness/evil/negativity/whatever you want to call it, is being pushed more & more into a corner and is fighting back....and why is it fighting so hard? Because it knows it is "crunch time"...

I call it that but its really mega "choice" time...to choose to fall into despair & hopelessness and feel your fellow beings walking this earth are inherently worthless....or you can choose to focus (& believe) that we are not evil or bad but simply kept in a state of FEAR and ignorance that forces us to make choices that reflect and feed that fear ....

We can still choose to do what we can to help someone we know or meet to lift them up or be cruel. I agree the natures of some are more disposed to being kind than others...but we all have the capacity to rise above this shit the world is working so hard to shove in our faces 24/7(here in the US anyway).

Its about choice...to choose to stay in the fear...to react or act....to hate or love..... Lynndie had that choice but probably never was aware....so sad....

Please don't give up HypnoToad...you are not alone...there are a LOT of loving kind hearted people out in the world and we are quietly doing what we can to turn things about...I know we can do it...I know the world is much better than TPTB want us to believe....please hold on to that and do not let despair wash over your head....we need to wake others up to the fact that things are not always as they seem and we have a choice in whether to take a postive hopeful pov or an attitude of despair and hopelessness.

I will always choose hope...no matter how small...there is ALWAYS hope....
:grouphug:

Peace, my friend....DR


edit to add...if the news is too much...turn it off...listen to some sweet music or read an uplifting book...go out in nature...I plant flowers...this year I have more than ever LOL

[salinen]

9. I gave up long ago

Man is a vicious paranoid primate. But I enjoy life emmensely. Nature is the answer for me. She's perfect and beautiful, and fun to be with, and she couldn't care less if I have a zit.

[Nay]

15. I'm with you, Salinen. My most wonderful and peaceful times

have always been without other human beings -- out in nature. As I go through my workday, I always feel the tug to go outside, go outside, get away from these people! and I often spend lunchtime outside in the park. Curiously, my coworkers would consider me to be a very friendly and helpful person, and I am, but in the end, people exhaust and bewilder me. They always will.

[Aunt Anti-bush]

13. When my son was 3 years old...

He asked me about monsters. "Are there really monsters, Mommy?" I told him that there are no ghosts, no monsters and no space men that will ever come to get him. I told him that the only true "monsters" in the world are human beings. Apparently, at the age of 11 he's intelligent enough to have come to me and told me that I was right about that. I don't discuss too much news with him and don't put it on the tv when he's around, but he's keeping up with news on his own and he sees now who the real monsters are.

[lucidmadman]

14. I came upon this the other day and snagged it for my personal file ...

“I find modern societies repellent on two accounts. On the one hand, they have taken the human race---a species in which each individual, according to all the philosophies and religions, is a unique being---and turned it into a homogeneous mass: modern humans seem to have all come out of a factory, not a womb. On the other hand, they have made every one of those beings a hermit. Capitalist democracies have created uniformity, not equality, and they have replaced fraternity with a perpetual struggle among individuals. We are scandalized by the cynicism of the Roman Emperors who gave the people "bread and circuses," but is that any different from what we are given today by television and the so-called Ministries of Culture? It was once believed that, with the growth of the private sphere, the individual would have more leisure time and would devote it to the arts, reading, and self-reflection. We now know that people don't know what to do with their time. They have become slaves of entertainments that are generally idiotic, and the hours that are not devoted to cash are spent in facile hedonism. I do not condemn the cult of pleasure; I lament the general vulgarity.”--Octavio Paz

I don't know, Hypno, what happened. Something it seems. I admire 'traditional' societies. Paleolithic gatherer/hunters. I sometimes think that having a yearly festival/carnival/Mardi Gras/ritual sacrifice/saturnalia might not be a bad idea. A week where we segregate our anti-social impulses and then, after-wards, get back to living with one another.
What disturbs me more than anything is the fact that all the technology and knowledge we need to live successfully on Earth is in place. But still the Malthusian have and have-not crap continues. Capitalism and 'life denying' religion have been disastrous for humanity.
But I don't know. I'm just that lone individual you speak of in your post.

[Karenina]

24. Octavio Paz RAAAAWWWWKS!!!

So does Octavia Nasr.

[DemExpat]

16. Nature, pets, secular humanism, close friends and family....

are the only things which keep me feeling positive - but not all the time......:-(

Plus great words/deeds from great men and women that inspire me too.

Just knowing others feel about the same as I do helps.
DU :loveya:

These are the things I need to focus on and fill my life with to remain sane and hopeful!

:hug:

DemEx

[Kipper58]

17. I've often wondered ,HypnoToad,

what the world would be like if all the selfish, greedy, warmongering right-wing maniacs were put in a boat and sent off to the South Pole to carry on their self -absorbed existences so that the overwhelming majority of us who are not determined to ruin this planet could make the world how it should be. It'll never happen, of course, but think what it would be like to be rid of the nutcases who are rushing all of us to the edge of the cliff.

[Arianrhod]

22. The Fletcher Memorial Home for Incurable Tyrants and Kings.

(Pink Floyd)

[camero]

18. Because everyone thinks they themselves are good

and others are evil and can't or won't look at their own capacity for evil. We are all capable of it unfortunately.

You are a good, compassionate person, but always be on the lookout for your dark side so that it does not take over.

[scarletlib]

19. Paternalism

Too much rampant paternalism with its emphasis on the male love and glorification of war and dominance over women and animals.

Right wing fundamentalism be it Christian, Muslim or Jewish all have strong elements of male dominance over female (read: subjugation) and war.

Until we can restore some balance in our societies to emphasize the "softer" or more feminine elements such as cooperation, community sharing etc. this madness will continue.

The male war gods will destroy the human species. My only hope is that the beautiful planet Earth will survive our rampages.

[bain_sidhe]

27. Earth will survive.

We may not.

[Oddman]

23. Organized religion and religious ideology

share a lot of the blame. People are in spiritual bondage and the frustration of the shame, guilt and suppression explodes with violence. It has caused thousands of wars and millions of deaths.

Religion shouldn't define morality.

[Karenina]

25. Racism

is the continuos thread that is the underpinning and foundation of this FUBAR circle shoot. I and "other."

[LibertyorDeath]

26. Goodbye Cruel World

PINK FLOYD - Goodbye Cruel World

Goodbye, cruel world,
I'm leaving you today.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
Goodbye all you people,
There's nothing you can say,
To make me change my mind.
Goodbye.

www.lyrics-4u.net/Goodbye_Cruel_World_Lyrics.html

Why is the World so Cruel, Human nature good vs evil right vs wrong
Greed vs Sharing. Love vs Hate, Caring Vs Uncaring.

Human Nature IMO

Only takes a small number of people to Phuque things up for everyone else.