This is the final post in the embody compassion series.

A Meditation on Being Human

This is an updated version of a blog post that I wrote back in 2018. It captures the sentiment behind all of the principles within the framework with an emphasis on developing compassion:

Who Are we?

How we choose to identify ourselves underpins our whole perception and understanding of how the world fits together, and where we fit in to it.

I’m called Ramsey. I’m male. I’m 38 (I was 35 when I wrote this!). I’m a Yorkshireman. One of my parents is from Iraq and one is from England, I was born in England, so I suppose that makes me British, not English. I’m European. I’m human.

We are all unique individuals, but at the same time, some individuals choose to hide under the blanket of a collective mass. A mass that we associate ourselves with because we feel that defines “us” and separates “us” from “them”. Being part of a collective mass makes us feel both safe and unique at the same time.

I almost said “categorised” instead of safe. The point I am trying to make is that when someone looks to a group to give them an identity (even if it serves as a perceived extension of their own individuality), the reason why is because it makes them feel safe. If all else fails, they can always rely on connecting with someone from their chosen “category”.

Troops and Groups

The more we categorise ourselves, the more atomised we become as individuals and as a society.

While the previous statement has negative undertones, I think this is a natural tendency that is hardwired in to us as homo sapiens. We are basically just fancy ass primates and the troop mentality is here to stay (during this evolutionary step at least!).

The key that separates us from primates is our propensity for logical and analytical thinking. It is this capacity or “consciousness” that means that we have a choice over when we use and apply our troop thinking.

Consciousness

The state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings.
A person’s awareness or perception of something.

Perception

The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.
The way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.

Understanding

The ability to understand something; comprehension.

The fact we are conscious, logically leads us to the position where our understanding of ourselves and the world around us is significantly influenced by our perceived place in the world.

I am part of many troops… in other words, I have many associations with many groups.

Diversity

I think it is healthy for people to have a wide range of associations. It helps you have an appreciation for the diversity in this world. The more associations you have, the more diverse you are as an individual.

It could be perceived as being fickle, but I do think that fluidity in association is essential.

It serves us well to know when it is appropriate to apply each level of association.

I use the word level specifically. You could perceive level in terms of dominance hierarchy (that is a whole separate debate!), the context I am using it in is simply in terms of numbers. i.e. the more people that exist within that association, the higher the level.

The highest level of association possible is connecting with others on the base level that we are human. We are all human.

When it comes to matters of morality and societal cohesion; frankly, nothing else matters.

Born of the Same Earth

Grounding ourselves in this association allows us to view everyone else with compassion and understanding. At a base level we are all humans. We may look a bit different and have different cultural traditions, but fundamentally, we all have the same primitive drives inside us and we want the same basic things.

Keeping this in focus while applying logical pragmatism to situations creates a healthy social landscape where we can all work together to further the survival of our species.

I’m Ramsey, I’m a human.

The time is now and I am here.

Imagine…