John Lennon Was Right
But it was never going to happen. Still...
When I was in my teens, I attended boarding school.
That meant we boys had hours and hours to sit around and do whatever we wanted. For me, that included playing sports, spending time down by the Hutt River, and listening to and playing music. The Beatles were big then and I remember hearing John Lennon’s song Imagine along with their many other hits.
Interestingly, it wasn’t until I was about 55 years old that I finally got it. (I know, I’m a bit slow at times…)
As I pondered why things were as they were in the World, the message of the song became more profound.
When the student is ready….
“Imagine there’s no country, it isn’t hard to do. Nothing to live or die for. And no religion too. Imagine all the people, living life so free…..I hope some day you’ll join us. And the world will be as one.” ~ John Lennon
I finally understood that so many of the problems in our world are the result of made-up ideas that we created as a result of our evolutionary development over time in the interests of self-protection, identity, and belonging.
Ideas like nationhood, races, allegiances, religions, classes, economies, institutions and so on.
These ideas are all made up (i.e. none of them exist apart from the presence of humankind) and, in the worst cases, people are willing to die for them or kill others in their defence.
I finally understood that so many of the problems in our world are the result of made-up ideas
I also saw clearly, that I am just as likely to believe in these made-up ideas as anyone.
Scary.
What’s going on?
Every day, when we turn on the news, we’re presented with a continual stream of our World in conflict. Countries are at war with other countries, countries are at war with themselves through civil strife (such as at the time of writing, Syria, Libya and Burma), people are attacking others for no sensible reason, greed is bringing down the economic system that has prevailed for a century, corrupt elections are being held, and children are still dying from starvation and preventable disease.
What’s driving all this?
Is it just the human condition? Pretty much.
That, and the conditions and environments we’ve now created.
Deep down inside me, I wish it was possible to have a different reality. Where peace prevailed. Where everyone was treated fairly. Where we didn’t create difference and separation as ways to survive, belong and believe.
Unfortunately, it will never happen on a global scale. History shows us it never has. Even though many will argue that with their particular paradigm (usually a religious one) it is possible, in reality, it’s a goal too hard to attain. Why? Simply because for it to be possible everyone would have to be equally aware of the situation, be willing to work towards a better world, and then put in the effort to achieve it.
History shows us it will never happen on a global scale.
There is simply too much stacked against us.
But, should we give up the idea of trying?
And if not on a global scale, can we make our communities better? Can we at least try to make ourselves better?
What is something realistic we can try?
Well, what if we worked hard to avoid categories, labels and differences?
Let me explain.
We tend to demarcate people into categories such as male/female, black/white/yellow, Muslim/Christian/Atheist, French/Australian/Nigerian, older/younger, richer/poorer, skilled/unskilled etc This is understandable because we seem to be hardwired to feel more comfortable with those who are like us. It’s an evolutionary thing driven by the need for familiarity and therefore comfort and protection. You and I do this all the time without realising it.
But the problem with seeing people in this way is that we then label people with those categories. For example, “Oh they’re black and we’re white.” Or, “Those poor people living in Nigeria. They’re so poor and desperate.” Or, “Look at those young people! They just don’t care, do they.”
These labels are full of the meanings that we give them. Meanings like good, bad, capable, incapable, lazy, committed, weirdos, normal, and so on.
Underneath all of that is the most central meaning of all. They are not like us.
In many ways, this then permits us to not accept their viewpoint, lifestyle, condition, contribution, or conversation. Apart from creating separation, it tends to leave us focusing on differences. Partly, I suspect, as a psychological justification.
What if, instead, we chose not to do that?
What if we chose to focus on similarities instead?
To see everyone simply as people.
As fellow humans.
And that’s it.
If we did this, imagine the possibilities. (Yes, this may sound naïve - perhaps because it’s so far removed from current reality - but don’t let that erase the potential in the basic concept.)
Big Examples
Instead of Muslim extremists spending their whole existence living, breathing and planning for war with “the West,” which is an obvious example of us versus them philosophy, they just….stopped. They began to see “the West” as people. And that’s all. Not others who need to be judged, fought against, and separated from their world. But just….people.
Fellow people.
We can, of course, swap the parties around so that instead of the USA spending billions on war, risking thousands of lives every year, waging war on terrorism or questionable weapons of mass destruction, they just stopped.
Think of the energy, time, money, lives, and heartache that would save. And what that energy could then be put into. [I realise that much of this American activity is probably driven by business opportunities for the American war machine, or for the control of access to oil resources, but let’s just park that for now.]
Much of the angst in our World is driven by both evolutionary and economic drivers that are insatiable and unstoppable. It’s a seriously complicated issue with multiple factors feeding in and out of the various scenarios constantly playing out across the World.
Closer to Home
What about instead of seeing an Asian man driving tentatively down the road, creating anxiety around him because he just cut off someone in another lane, and I go, “Tsk tsk tsk,” I see him simply as another person. Someone who, quite possibly, has gone through the immense struggles of leaving his homeland and relocating here and is finding it hard to adjust to our style. Who, like me, has a family he loves, who has things he likes to do, and like me will be going home for dinner soon.
If I saw him simply as another person, would I cut him more slack? Would I see him as really any different to me?
[God, as I write this, I immediately feel guilty of so easily slipping into judgementalism so often.]
The Big Challenge for us all
What if we saw others as not:
black or white
old or young
rich or poor
male or female
senior or junior
Hindu or Buddhist
Chinese or African
Liberal or Conservative
but just as….people. How would that make a difference this week?
I’m going to try harder to counteract this natural tendency. Because it isn’t going to help us be better people or make the world a better place if I don’t.
I invite you to do the same.
BTW, here’s a wonderful rendition of that song by various artists under the arrangement of Herbie Hancock. I love it!