Can lack of compassion be the test?

LIFE is like that. It is repetitious and we need constant reminders of things we already know.

I am talking about our presence on this earth and how we have lived it so far. More importantly, in the process of living life and trying to survive, are we proud of the things that we have done?

Without a doubt, life is a challenge and humans have been trying to make sense of it using religion, logic, science and even nonsense. While you are trying to make sense of life, you have to live it as it simply flows and does not pause for your understanding.

This is where the norms and the respective culture we are in allow us to live an “auto mode” life. These are the “habits of thought and behaviour” which we inherit from our parents and respective communities.

We come to accept the way we live and think as the correct way to live only because it allows us to survive. The very fact that our community has lived and is living that way seems to provide validation and endorsement of itself.

We tend to overlook some of the minor side effects of our way of life and even become blind to the adverse side effects, probably because we do not want to disturb our comfort zone for many reasons – we do not know how to or we fear the reprisal of other members of the communities.

I suppose each one of us has an inherent right to live as we wish, so long as our choice of behaviour does not visit any form of physical harm on others. For example, if you want to live a luxurious life and amass your wealth by selling poison, you shouldn’t be allowed to do so. You cannot be allowed to be rich by deliberately and knowingly harming others physically.

Likewise, our choice of behavior also should not lead to reasonably foreseeable regressive consequences on the communities’ collective level of happiness and prosperity.

For example, you may have a certain idea or interpretation of religion. However, if this idea of religion leads to violence, extremism or division between human beings or even simply a lower quality of life, then you should not be allowed to impose it on others. You may live it yourself if that’s what you want, but you should never be allowed to compel others to accept or live that idea.

We must be able to use what I call the “compassion test” – are they compassionate in their behaviour? Whether they are seeking income or in a quest for political power or spreading an idea of religion, the bottom line is: are they being compassionate?

To me, it is obvious that when a person wants to harm or “indignify” another human being, he is

not being compassionate. Is it not obvious that compassion means

to understand the sufferings of others with the desire to alleviate them?

A person with compassion will not deliberately cause human beings to be disunited or harm them. How can you trust someone to lead you or accept his ideas of God or buy his products when you know he is not compassionate? You should be the first to cast them aside.

Any society that allows compulsion of harmful ideas and selling of poisons to amass wealth invites collective sufferings for the community. It is in such scenarios that an economic activity to create income or a religious behavior

creates sufferings and misery for the community.

There are many more scenarios if you think deeply and observe society. It is insanity and recklessness for the more informed and responsible members of the community to remain silent when they see such behaviours.

The more informed and responsible members of the society will have to remind, educate and point out the consequences of allowing behaviour that harms others physically and causes suffering.

The danger remains that when wild dogs becomes big in numbers, they become rabid and bite everyone else in their way. They also subdue others with their loud barks and their threatening fangs. Hence, the reasonable members of the society cannot wait until they become too big in number. It may even become the law of the jungle if not averted early.

As I said, life is repetitious and people allow themselves to forget who they were as they grow older. From cute, harmless babies, some of us mutate into adults who should never have existed. We know who they are – the narcissistic, the egoistic, the manipulative.

So what can we lesser mortals who care for our society and humanity do?

Firstly, resolve to never become like them. We ourselves have to learn to be compassionate to our fellow human beings and teach the same to our family.

Secondly, even if you are the last one standing, never acknowledge their existence. You do not have to be rude, but they should know that they can never command your respect. This is very important because in the process, you also embarrass the “flies” around him who are only feigning respect to gain his favour anyway.

Thirdly, keep reminding and educating society that being humane, compassionate, sharing and caring will not impoverish us but enrich us a community.

We have to keep remembering that we are always human beings first and that the boxes of social construct come later.