All in a day of our
humanity
The past 24 hours
have been filled with rather unfortunate circumstances that, as observers
reflecting on the truly life-changing issues, we need to be mindful of the
opinions we hold and express, so we do not fall into the irony of becoming
victims of our own views. More pertinently, we must also be mindful of the
company we keep.
In both cases, the
unfortunate and the unintentional have come to the forefront, with consequences including loss of life and loss of position, status, and prestige. We
must wonder how parts of our past can have the power to haunt us into the
present, shaping our future.
We are limited by our
humanity
While we, as humans,
can have anticipation or foreboding, we sometimes lack the foresight to
consider the consequences of our current relationships. Yet, we can be judged
harshly when situations and circumstances obscure any indication or premonition
of worse outcomes.
Then again, what
would be the thrill of living if we knew everything beforehand? Insight, ideas,
and inspiration are useful, as some guiding principles can distinguish the wise
from the foolish. Accepting our past foolishness and follies while seeking to
learn from them, through personal experience and reflection on others' stories,
is an important part of education in life.
What we exploit can
also exploit us
What I cannot shake
from my mind is how some have capitalised on resentment or exploited the basest
instincts of human nature to gain advantage, often at our expense. We find
ourselves acting against our better interests, persuaded by lies or obfuscations
that have become the accepted truth.
The standard of
conversation is now measured by groupthink, with risks of ostracism; everything
is polarised, leaving no middle ground or room for disagreement without
becoming disagreeable. Entrenchment is preferred over engagement; everyone is
talking, but few are listening, unless they are only hearing what they want to
hear. Confirmation bias is trending, rather than the challenging of assumptions.
The cost of such
polarisation and the othering of differing viewpoints is often dismissed as
irrelevant, inconsequential, or even evil. Victims are often not the purveyors
of doom themselves but those who perpetuate a narrative that rarely presents
the full truth, who also fall into the same doom. Occasionally, even the hunter falls into their own snare.
Victims are not just
others.
Oh! The handwringing
and the condemnation of consequences that would have created other victims long
before it touched them, usually those safe and insulated within their
privileged cocoon, are rarely naïve and often malevolent without any sense of
hypocrisy.
They delude
themselves into thinking they are safe. Yet, tragedy is often dispassionate,
selecting its victims indiscriminately, to include those who have been the
prophets of everything that ails us with their populist oratory.
If there is anything
to ponder, it is to be mindful, watchful, considerate, and humane. The past
holds us, the present is a gift, and the future remains unknown. May we, in the
present, create a past that paves the way for a future filled with contented happiness
rather than rueful regret. So, help us, God. Amen!