Two Hungry Wolves
Every day we live through part of the story of our lives. Every day that passes accumulates emotions that may be good or bad. Sometimes we ask, “Was that me? I can do better.” Or, “Is that my Country? We can do better.” Do we want to?
Like the wolf depicted in the fable, “Little Red Riding Hood,” which tries to instill in children the idea that strangers can be harmful, we learn to be guarded with strangers.
When dealing with people, depending on the situation, our brain can make us run away if something within us allows it to happen. We act or react to what is in front of us, often instinctively, other times with forethought. What dictates our action or reaction?
As we grow, we learn we have a choice if we think about it. We weigh situations in our minds very quickly, with the pros and cons of the decision to make, and react accordingly. With different degrees of reaction, people try to use reason. This is called, in today’s era, “mindfulness.”
The Curve
The shape of the curve of mindfulness is like a bell. Some people have none, like sociopaths; some have so much mindfulness they radiate peace and serenity. Most of us fall in a band in the middle of the bell curve.
Mindfulness is about how much we are in the “now” moment. The past is gone and it cannot be changed. The future has not come and it’s unknown. Meanwhile, what we “do” now is important for the way we see reality as it is unveiled. Improving Mindfulness, not only improves who we are, but it also improves what are we about. Another way to look at it is, that the more mindful we are, the more prepared we are to live “this moment.”
Soon we learn, that “it” is not about us, it is about what we can do for others. As we move to the right on the bell curve, we improve ourselves, society, the Nation, and the World.
An Example
I was struck to see Sean Pen at Hannity on FOX (April 5, 2022), two people that could not be further apart in the political bell curve talking to each other. Sean Pen had traveled to Ukraine to film a documentary and got back with valuable observations. Close to the first-minute mark and forward, Sean Pen got to the heart of what he saw (too bad Hannity, as usual, cut him off to get to where he wanted to go).
Sean Pen said: “A lot of people don’t trust their spouse, but yet, we have to get on with life (referring to the political mistrust he has with Hannity). I never felt this way about where our country is, and what I experienced emotionally in Ukraine. I had not — We all talk about how divisive things are, how divisive things are here. When you step into a country with incredible unity, you realize what we’ve been missing. I don’t think I have time to indulge my lack of trust, which becomes a petty thing as pets and babies are being vaporized. These people are fighting for the dreams and aspirations of all of us Americans.” …(Cut-off by a question from Hannity)
What Is the Problem?
What does it take to wake us up? and reunite ourselves for the sake of HUMANKIND? We are missing in the WORLD right now. Our COUNTRY, because of the moral rock-throwing of our petty likes and dislikes division is useless to the world right now. It is time we RETHINK our approach and become a Nation again.
Being mindful of each other on the right side of the bell curve will help us become a Nation again.
What Do We Have to Do? The Background
It starts with each one of us!
Definitions:
Morality — the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.
Principles — A chain of reasoning that is the foundation of fundamental truths we believe. The chain is fundamental, meaning it cannot be changed or broken.
Mindfulness – There are many explanations for mindfulness. In its basic terms, it is thinking about thinking. It is about taking leadership of yourself by understanding “what you think presently”; being in the moment (this is where life is happening). It is not what we think that counts, it is what we DO at this moment with what we think that counts. Life happens now, not a moment ago, yesterday, or tomorrow. It is about being present in the present without fear of the future.
Descartes, “I think therefore I am,” is significant here because it defines us as “Human-sentient beings.” Not only do we exist, but we also have a sense, “perception, senses, and feelings” we are aware of — We Think.
Without going into the realm of God, we have the moral sense of right or wrong. We fit somewhere in the bell curve.
We have had this sense through the evolution of our reasoning since before we kept track of time or history. From intuition (the animal brain to fight or flee) to thinking, learning, and teaching. If not right then, as we grow up.
As perfect as we think we are, we are human at best, defined as a “rational animal,” thus not perfect; because, when we stop being “rational,” we are just “animals.”
As “rational animals” we get our values through the absorption of our environment. In a normal society, we get it from our families. Most families have a little bit of everything, read “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. We start formulating our values as early as reasoning starts in our brains and we have memories. Each memory is attached to an emotion. That emotion is the IP Address of that memory. No emotion, no memory with value (sociopaths learn no values for this reason). The stronger the emotion, the stronger the memory.
This thing, “being human,” is a sword of two edges. I am a true believer in two things:
- As humans, we know people have two brains, the animal brain “to flee or fight.” Keeps us alive, the rest is dedicated to “reason.”
- With “reasoning” we know people are not perfect. How do we engage then?
We Are Talking About “People” Not the Concept of Humanity
Charles Schultz provided us the best distinction when one of his characters exclaimed as Lucy tripped him up, and I paraphrase: “I love Humanity, It’s People I hate!” There is a great difference. We think of the Human Race, above all others and think we are good. “Humanity” is as high in evolution as we can get. Philosophy tells us that. In a macro-sense, we have grown beyond anything this world has known and our character has the highest moral values known. In a sense, those who believe in God believe, we are as close to perfect as it gets, while we are in this world, and if we are good here we become Angels in Heaven as a reward for our goodness.
The evolution of Intelligence
Do not confuse evolution with intelligence. Evolution brought us a bigger brain from our use of it. This growing organ brought us cunning at the beginning. We learned to make tools once we realized by accident or purpose, that things lying around could be used to our advantage. Cunning later brought other observations which added to our inventory of “tools” to be used for survival. Early generations probably first learned by watching, later by both instructions from elders and watching others on their use. This allowed us to choose which tool worked best for “me.”
Intelligence grew as different “people” acquire knowledge faster and were able to improve the tools used. We grew our cognitive ability and capacity from being crafty to an ability to think and communicate. To have a sense of “me” with wisdom. We have been intelligent from before recorded history. Intelligence allowed us to create “knowledge.” Knowledge has evolved ever since writing was invented and continues today.
As Intelligent as We Are, Individually We Are Still People
At the end of the day, all we have is two wolfs inside us, one is good and the other is bad. Every day there is a struggle. This idea I have found, originated in “Peace Begins With Me” By Ted Kuntz. The essence of the story paraphrased:
People have two hungry wolfs;
One wolf is always angry.
He is resentful, greedy,
full of false pride, pity, and arrogant.The other one is a Pack Leader.
He is full of love, hope, kindness, joy,
compassion, serenity, and generosity.Every day, they tear each other apart
but, It is not the better wolf that wins.
It’s the one you feed.
Is Humanity “Correctable?”
As individuals though, we live in a Micro sense of our “human” brain, the decisions we make, make us “people.” Some decisions are consequential, others not. in a Macro sense what we ALL do, the sum-total of humanity has a consequence on our “environment.” Not just necessarily because of the current argument about carbon emissions. Also because we are multiplying at a rate that eventually “Mother Earth” cannot support. So, people will affect “humanity.”
Where do we start?
If you understand the difference, the problems “Humanity” is creating on “Earth” has to be addressed, NOT locally (to me or you), but worldwide, to us.
I knew about “Zero Population Growth” back in the 1960s. Though not believable at the time, people coming into the school to preach the mantra of the future, did make me rethink what my parents had done with the large family they grew and decided on a small family. Meanwhile, I know, the population in the US is growing smaller based on historical records. So we as a whole are doing a good job. So where are we worldwide? It is in decline.
I know about the potential effect of pollution on the air, so locally I support the reduction of carbon emissions and choose ways to “do my part.” However, I also look first at my whole country and see how we are doing on emissions; then, look at the whole world to find out what other countries are doing in comparison. Today, I know, the problem is not here. The problem is in China and they have 20% of the population on Earth.
Meanwhile, the governments we are choosing are using OUR pocketbook (borrowing money) to give us what we want — NO ENERGY. It is like solving a headache by shooting ourselves in the head. Does that solve the problem for humanity? Maybe locally it does. But it is radical and does not solve the World problem.
What Can We Do Instead?
The world has shrunk tremendously with the insertion of computerized social media. Now we know what is going on around the world at near the speed of light, if it is on social media, people are informed immediately.
So, as a WORLD, do we work together (as people) to conserve the spaceship called earth? We ought to. Governments talk too much and do very little. However, to be able to talk to each other “freely,” the BIG we, have to be free to speak about what we see and what we need to do.
On God and Religion
The existence of God is an individual choice: “cogito ergo sum — I think, therefore I am.” I believe in God, an Omnipotent being, the wonder of the universe alone is enough. However, I definitely do not believe in religion. Why? Because religion and the Bible were invented by God’s Sales-people. Of those, I choose the Bible as “The Good Book.” Religion can exist, like meditation exists, to help people improve their Moral Compass.
Why do I believe in God? Because I am NOT perfect like HE is. All I can do is strive to that vision while I am alive. It is a good vision to have. However, I cannot sell my morality to anyone else. As we are unique, everyone has their own. Just be as mindful as you can be.
