One Compassion ― One World

July 18, 2023 Empathy - Compassion, Philanthropically, Sociocultural Issues No Comments

America first ― China first ― Europe first ― Russia first ― all nonsense at first sight.

‘Compassion first’ is central to the only humane future. How do we get there from the present-day worldwide divides that seem to increase?

Please note: Compassion is SO much more than pity. It is also much more than empathy and different from altruism.

Culture is not straightforwardly neutral.

Especially if one starts by putting an immense value on the total human being, cultures are qualitatively different in taking this into account. This is definitely an AURELIS standpoint and a clear responsibility of humanism generally, worldwide.

A culture to be proud of is tolerant to the core. To be tolerant, one needs to be Compassionate, basically, including toward oneself. Compassion knows national/cultural borders only in order to be even more Compassionate within them and toward outside.

Cultural chauvinism is OK.

But not the kind, of course, that puts the own people against the enemy in any way possible: economically, culturally, militarily…

Unfortunately, we are witnessing more than ever the negative effect of cultural silo-building. The cause of this may be precisely the fact that “the world is getting smaller, almost a global village.” As usual, people are scared of the unknown, especially when it knocks at the own front door.

The tension thus provoked may become more prominent, leading either to disaster or a profound opening toward a better world. Not the chauvinism but the anxiety can play a directly detrimental role.

From (and with) cultural chauvinism to worldwide Compassion

One cannot change the nature of the human being ― if that would be desirable. On the other hand, nature must be nurtured to become really itself. This is of prime importance in regard to a complex organism – such as the human being. In the mental sphere, it’s called mental personal growth.

This growth concerns the total person, not some part of it. ‘Total’ is body, mind, and environment ― not as separate elements but in profound overlap. This is the opposite of egotism which starts from mere ego in a state of inner dissociation.

In my view, one can start from any individual culture and deepen that towards Compassion. Any worthwhile culture is open to this and, therefore, doesn’t need to change, basically. Here too, one can speak of a growth process.

Crucially, nothing culturally essential needs to be lost.

The challenge is to delve into this, seeing what is essential and how it can remain valid and validated so that people from different cultures can understand each other and themselves more in-depth than ever.

This way, people from different cultures can be profoundly united. Eventually, Compassion can connect East and West and everything else.

No more war

If people see other peoples as ‘us’ on a global scale, there is no cause or need anymore to wage war or even think about it.Instead, differences may be seen as interesting challenges to surmount, and occasions for growth. In due time, the other – including the differences – will be seen as ‘us.’Wars are the silliest things imaginable — except maybe armaments at the global scale.

It all starts in the brain/mind of each individual.

Simply put, there is no culture, no humanity even without many individuals. The world as we know it is mainly made – or destroyed – by these.

The good thing is that there is already much science available. Even better would be that this gets translated appropriately.

There is a lot of Compassionate work to be done, globally and urgently.