Tag Archive: truth
I'm feeling rather philosophical again. I like to reduce this life to simple terms. A simple truth to which I can relate, and not the ravings of some megalomaniac more concerned with his own ego than anything else. So, what is that simple truth? It is that we are humans on planet Earth. We have evolved with different bodily and cultural characteristics, but essentially, we are humans. We share common aspirations. We all want to live. We all want to provide physical and cultural nourishment to our families. That is the simple truth.
For much of our history on planet Earth, we held to the view that in order for our tribe to survive, some other tribe must perish. Despite the progress of civilisation, many of us still hold to this view. That is why we close our eyes to the death and destruction wrought in our name by our tribe. That is why we grieve for the body count of our own tribe, but ignore the body count of the other tribe. Yet, they are our fellow humans. They share our common aspirations. To deny this is to deny the simple truth. I wonder when we will ever listen to the lovely words of John Donne that spell out the simple truth so eloquently.
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
Day by Day 
