What makes us humans is, undoubtedly, living, sharing, listening to other humans. And our humanity is not perfect. Far from it!!! When we label people, we tend to forget that, still, they are people, no matter what they've done. I know that this is particularly difficult when we think of thieves, murderers, rapists and the like... they don't seem human since they don't treat their victims as humans...
Have we ever stopped to think that the reason why these people don't care about others is probably that nobody cares or has cared about them? I'm not just talking about their own families: most of the times, if a child is brought up in neglection, violence and hate, he/she is prone to bring up their own children in a similar way! I'm also thinking about the prejudices we have... There is a song by Bersuit Vergarabat called "La Ribera": if you're familiar with it, it tells us the story of people who live next to Riachuelo (a much polluted river in Argentina), what is like to live there and how they've been isolated from society. There are two verses that are quite touching (at least for me!)
Parece ser que envenenarlos no es violencia (referring to people governing our country, who
neglect them and let them die!)
y es violencia su desesperación (referring to most of the people who live there and who, as a
result of this neglection, have no choice but to steal so as to live!)
We are truly human when we can put ourselves in somebody else's shoes... more technically speaking, when we can emphatise, when we can see things (and understand them!!) from somebody else's perspective... when we can be objective in our judgements...
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Towards the development of ethical thinking
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2 comments:
Once again, you've got me thinking, Andrea... If it's hard to me to see violent criminals as human, precisely because they're not treating their victims (that is, me or my kins)humanly... then, to get them to treat me/us in a more human manner, what is needed is that I give the first step in that way! 8-!
Why is it, I wonder, that so many around us seem never to have pondered such a possibility, and instead react with more violence, as if all they wanted was to crush their opponents down? Can't they see that's not the way to get rid of violence and suffering? In that sense, I do much like that idea suuported by the Jainists about non-violence in thought, deed and action...
Warmly,
Gladys
PS: I didn't know about the song yo u mentioned, but I've just enjoyed it.. Most interesting (especially as I live just about 1 km from the olace!). Anyone else interested in this song? You can find the video here
Crushing people down is always cheaper, Gladys... Treating people non-violently implies investing in education, and that's something that is not taken into account in our society. In order to have an upper-class, a lower-class is needed, right? It's always easier to find flaws in others than to strive for equality...
Love,
Andrea
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