Life

We all experience life. It is almost absurdly obvious to even state it, but sometimes simpler truths make paths that seemingly higher truths can not. We go through our days and lives, striving for this ideal or that, measuring ourselves versus systems, principles, and assets; and all about us, we see the turmoil, ugliness, and suffering of the world. And no matter how hard we try to look away, or reinterpret the difficulties we see as boons, the problems of human life, ours and those about us, are still evident. Even if we find our own enlightenment, salvation, or some other windy mountain top, still those about us suffer. We rack our minds and bodies, bending those same systems and principles, ideals and assets, trying to make sense of it and undo the great woes we witness. Yet for all our trying, for all our cleverness, conflict and misery arises again and again. It is in all that trying, all that effort and activity, that simpler truths have a way of leveling seemingly complex obstacles.

We live. We all experience this thing called life. Whether we find ourselves in the great cities, the remote towns and villages, a far away island or other remote place, we are all experiencing very similar things. We feel, we wonder, we hope, we fear, we think, we plan. We live in the constant change of time where all things about us and within us are in a state of flux. We live knowing our lives are fragile, that at any moment the very thing that allows us to be might be snuffed out. We live wanting to experience happiness, joy, peace and love. We are all frustrated by things. We all have beliefs, we all have opinions.

"So what" cries out our small mindedness, "how does that solve anything".

"Whatever our different beliefs, feelings, and actions are, we are fundamentally having the same experience"

"Bullshit" it responds, "I'm nothing like them, and they are nothing like me; this is all some sort of namby-pamby we-are-all-one fantasy"

"No, they might not be like you, but that isn't what we're discussing; we discussing experience"

Finally, our resistance shouts, "this is all stupid"

The commonality of our experience as human beings is for many of us a dangerous thing because of its simple power. It erases our individual merits and misdeeds; it does away with distinctions that we raise ourselves up on or lean upon as crutch. The fundamental sameness of our experience equalizes us. And left in society of equals, all sorts of things become imperative: courtesy, compassion, dignity, tenderness, justice, discipline, wisdom, etc. Holding the idea that we all experience the same sorts of things as a lens with which to view the world, solutions begin to arise--simple solutions. Though these solutions may be simple in nature, they are often radical in implementation. Our sameness demands actions that challenge the established order of things. We avoid these obvious truths for just that reason: they call to us for revolutions against the norm. They call to us to care for others when we will be mocked for it. They call for us to bring powers to task when we will outcast for it.

Again, this all may sound ridiculously simple, but examine it closely in your views of people--of people you think selfish, or negative, or even monsters. Examine this truth with those who vex you and with those who you hold above reproach.