Despite the mythology of "Universal
Truth", the world we live in is not a homogenous universe.
People live different lives in different places and have
different levels of opportunities for both survival and
enjoyment.
Some people are poor
while some are rich; some are settled in jobs while others are
restless and nomadic from nature. Some people live in cold
climates that need special effort in order to survive while
others live in warm climates with completely different
problems. Some people like chaos and adventure while others
like a well organised and predictable existence. Some people
like to be in charge and control others -while some people
prefer to be more responsive to their environment in less
egocentric terms.
Fitting all
these differences together on the same planet is bound to
cause problems -especially if no attempt is made to resolve
the resulting tensions. Exploiting these differences in a
deliberate policy of "Divide and Hearse" only makes
matters worse.
Understanding Ourselves and Understanding Others:
It
we can understand ourselves then it is often easier to
understand others -because we can see more clearly the
similarities and differences.
The differences are often used
to divide us -so we become even more separated and less likely
to understand each other. However,, the differences can also
be used in positive ways -to provide us with alternative ways
of thinking, feeling and doing -and to help us define better
our own preferences.
In this section, I try to
explore, define and understand the world in which I live in
-in the hope that it will help and encourage others to explore
and understand their world better (in their own terms) -and to help myself too.