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[kvnchrist]

http://t.imgbox.com/acdxEN8C.jpg

 

I found this on another site and thought it so profound that I needed to share it here.

 

I know from history that human beings social and politically have evolved from Hunter gathers, to trible, to kingdoms, to nations and I was wondering why we have always sought a way to divide us as human beings, mostly according to the most superficial of reasons, other than to unite us for the betterment of the species.

 

I could surmise that it related to times when food a reasources were sparse and required great effort to obtain. It stood to reason that groups remained small so that they could more easily feed, cloth and shelter them. I was wondering in today's world with global economies would it not be more efficient to remove the barriers of an older, more exclusive world. Would it not benefit mankind not to have individuals be refereed to by a geographic area, skin pigmentation or religious affiliation?

 

Would it not expedite the spread of prosperity and understanding of the small differences of those in the human family so we can finally come to terms with our fears and anxieties over the unknown?

[juderodney]

In short: NO!! It is from those differences that such a great variety of good ideas came from. Removing such differences would severely limit the scope those ideas would have.

Being different does not cause war. It's thinking that others' differences are inferior or a threat that does so.

 

Btw that first sentence of his seems rather judgemental.

[Sync182]

Like any label, its result is defined by its usage.

 

Differences can be used to bring together - we are more than the sum of our parts. By drawing on the differences, and the resultant experiences, the whole can be improved. This is the way mankind should head.

 

Differences can be used to divide and destroy - united we stand, divided we fall. Highlighting differences in a negative way leads to angst and anger, which in turn ends up in violence. This is the way mankind is slowly heading.

[kvnchrist]

In short: NO!! It is from those differences that such a great variety of good ideas came from. Removing such differences would severely limit the scope those ideas would have.

Being different does not cause war. It's thinking that others' differences are inferior or a threat that does so.

 

Btw that first sentence of his seems rather judgemental.

What part of the following statement did I get it wrong. In my opinion the word Judgmental is a politically correct phrase which has no value.

I know from history that human beings social and politically have

evolved from Hunter gathers, to tribal, to kingdoms, to nations and I

was wondering why we have always sought a way to divide us as human

beings, mostly according to the most superficial of reasons, other than

to unite us for the betterment of the species.

 

You are claiming that without using labels which exclude human beings from other human beings that good ideas would not be exchanged. How is this then that there are 1000's of anonymous users, some on this very site who doesn't define themselves by any label other than their user name. How then can we exchange so many ideas without knowing who calls who what?

 

I think you are getting Geography mixed up in topic which has nothing to do with where you were brought up. A black man, raised in Spain , who migrates to America. Is he a black man? Is he a Spaniard? Is he an American? Is he an African-American? A person may have a different perspective based on where he grew up, but does his origin define him as a person or does his character?

[kvnchrist]

Like any label, its result is defined by its usage.

 

Differences can be used to bring together - we are more than the sum of our parts. By drawing on the differences, and the resultant experiences, the whole can be improved. This is the way mankind should head.

 

Differences can be used to divide and destroy - united we stand, divided we fall. Highlighting differences in a negative way leads to angst and anger, which in turn ends up in violence. This is the way mankind is slowly heading.

Differences is another topic altogether. If two people are from a region, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are alike or even speak the same language. Look at the Tribal confrontations that have happened among people in Africa. Look at the Bosnian conflict. Look at the Arabs in Iran.

 

Labels are only given to define groups of people from other groups , not individuals. They are blanket statements that dehumanize the individual and promote an Us against them attitude. Point in fact the use of the term Gay in marriage, used to separate two people's wish to legally consecrate their lives together from other groups who have always had that right.

[JimboUK]

It's intolerance and fear that causes the violence, labels don't exclude people, people exclude people, the label is just a description.

[kvnchrist]

jim_uk, on 18 Feb 2013 - 06:23, said:

It's intolerance and fear that causes the violence, labels don't exclude people, people exclude people, the label is just a description.

And how do those people being intolerant cast those in their cross hairs? They do that by Labeling them as something other than the caster is. Just because people exclude other people doesn't mean they don't use labels to do so. Wither it is exclusion or inclusion, the effect is the same. Someone is left out for being a cast that way by the use of a label.

 

Violence need not produce a visual scar. Those scars almost always go away. It is the scars left on the soul that last the longest and hurt the most.

[Lisnpuppy]

Humans categorize things. Its part of our social behavior that is at its basic level, genetic. Though how we perceive these categories is cultural, humans have used this tool in order to learn and survive. Its not going to change. Basic social behavior has humans seeking to be in social relationships with those that they perceive to be "like" them. Humans WANT to belong to more than just "the human race."

 

So we define ourselves....by looks, by religion, by language and nationality and race. We define ourselves by things easily viewed empirically and by things only in our own minds.

 

You have less chance of changing this than you do changing that some people will never stop seeing things as an "us" verses "them". However in my mind the better choice is to teach tolerance and to celebrate the things that make us the same and make us different and not try to paint everyone with the same, broad stroke.

[kvnchrist]

I've never advocated painting anyone with broad strokes. This is the initial problem I see is that broad strokes are the preferred method of many human beings. What's truly bothersome is that most of the lines are meant to exclude others not include them. How can we bury our differences in understanding, if we define ourselves primarily by what we are and what others aren't? This is where the labels come in.

[Lisnpuppy]

Because we are intelligent creatures and SHOULD be able to look beyond simple definitions. We are, after all, having a conversation about it....if we can recognize that we do it we should be able to think beyond it without necessarily having to stop the act itself.

 

The issue isn't the categorizing (as this helps humans understand the world around them) but the perception of the "other" being a bad thing.