It’s amazing that there is enough of everything on our planet.
The thing is that we create the scarcity situation with our own
behavior. There is enough food to feed every hungry person
and give each one a shelter, and even provide basic health care
and education for everyone. These are the basic requirements
for human life and they are doable every year. We just choose
not to do these—collectively. We opt not to do anything and
therefore we are also responsible of our actions.
Our lifestyle is based on individualism and egoistic self-
fulfilment. We live by consuming and trying to satisfy our
needs by material means. Our well-being is dependent on
how much we can consume and drive after our whatever
desires. Or that’s at least the way we live. Are we happier and
more satisfied? Are we ever satisfied and feeling content with
our lives? In postindustrial society, we should already be more
than happy with all the possessions around us.
Unfortunately, the reality is the opposite. We are more
lonely and lost than ever. We have fulfilled our lives with cold
values and individualistic lifestyles that isolate us from other
people and make us lonely and unhappy people without much
purpose and meaning in our lives. Isn’t this strange because
we now have more time off than ever? A few hundred years
ago, almost all people were in one way or another tied up to
agricultural work in order to support themselves. Now we do
not have to exert so much effort to feed ourselves and get a
roof over our heads. The problem seems to be more a mental
one nowadays. We have time to think and worry—physical
labor is not keeping us occupied anymore.
Almost everyone lives in isolation, even when we are sur-
rounded by lots of people. Our lifestyle is very self-orientated.
We have learned to live without taking into consideration
other people’s circumstances. How else could we explain that
every day we see people who are more in need and lost in their
lives than we are, but we pretend not to see them? We cross
the street or at least turn our eyes away. Out of sight, out of
mind. Secretly we hope that we could be so fortunate that
nothing like that would ever happen to us. How coldhearted
is our way of living? And for what? How happy and content
are we really because we do not care about other people? Isn’t
this a clear indication of an opposite state of matters?
Sharing is an amazing thing. The joy and happiness inside
of us is universal for all of us, that idea of being able to give
something without expecting something in return. When was
the last time you gave of yourself? It does not have to be a big
thing. Just a smile or unexpected nice words to start.
Everybody wants to feel accepted and respected as human
beings. After all, we are all humans and what we have does
not define who we are. How many of us are human in our
actions as well?
Do we really need all the material things and wealth we
have for ourselves? Isn’t there anything we could share with
those who are in greater need than us? Big changes happen
with small actions. We are the society and the nations; there is
no government or institutions without us, the people.
Therefore, it is our responsibility to define who we are. Doing
nothing and accepting things the way they are is as big a
statement as anything else. By letting people starve to death
and die because of poor health care demonstrate more than
anything else who we really are. We are ignorant and selfish.
How else can we explain these things? The technology is well
developed and proven to prevent these things from happening
if there is a will to accomplish it. It’s done already in Western
societies. No excuses—let’s face who we really are.
The important question is, are we going to change?
Personally each and every one of us has to look into the mirror
and answer the question for ourselves—have I done enough
today, really? If not, then there is still a chance that there is
something human left in us, which we could try to make big-
ger in time. Maybe we would feel a bit more content and hap-
pier about our lives as well? It’s give-and-take—sharing.
This is the original text, and an edited version can be found in the Fragments of Reality -book.
