Thursday, July 12, 2018

A collective conscience

I am using this old blog of mine to pen my thoughts. I will post when I have something to share.

During my recent visit to Vancouver, I met a person who currently lives in Texas. We immediately got along and ended up eating brunch together at a nearby cafe. Our conversation drifted from technology to oil industry and African politics. It was evident that we had different perspectives and opinions. Based on our chat, he seemed like a conservative black kid living in the South. We listened and respected each others opinions. It was easier to do that with a stranger than someone close to you.

There is one sentence he mentioned that has me reflecting upon regularly since. Disclaimer: I don't agree with his statement. "I have seen many people who work at non profit organizations or as community organizers, whatever that means. It is not just the motivation to do good that drives them. They could be donating large amounts of money and time but when they see a homeless person on the street, they don't feel obligated to help or even acknowledge their presence. They just look down or away and walk away. Which makes me believe that they do it for power and influence."

I don't agree with his statement and I have met many caring individuals at non-profits who find various ways to help in whatever capacity they can to whosoever in need. But it leads me to something more fundamental which I now believe, needs to be striven. We get caught in endless debates on the correctness of different political ideologies, different economic principles, individual and societal morality. But when we fail acknowledge feelings and emotions of another human being, what is the purpose of that economic development, political stability or social justice. And I stress on acknowledging rather than empathize. We don't need to empathize with every hurdle or pain that others face, since there are many "snowflakes". Nor do we need to necessarily act every time someone is in pain. But if we started acknowledging and recognizing the reality and harshness of life others face, their shared experiences will collectively motivate our values and our purpose in life. And a collective conscience could be built. Even better when we extend this beyond humans to all emotional and intelligent beings.