It’s the Human Condition
*...the human condition refers to anything unique about being human, no matter the gender, race or religion of the person. Humans, unlike other beings have a sense of curiosity, try to understand the meaning of life, search for acceptance and gratification and understand and accept the inevitability of death. The human condition also refers to the fact that humans, unlike any other known species, are self-aware and reflective of the past.* https://www.reference.com/world-view/human-condition-458d7afdc8982b9a
It surprises me often that we humans are such paradoxes. On the one hand, we crave authenticity. We yearn for real heroes and those not conceived by Hollywood. We seem to cherish our humanity - as long as it is sanitized and vetted by social media.
We seem to love it when we see puff piece videos about cats rescued from trees or long lost puppies who find their way home. Even more, we love redemption stories. Whenever an addict comes clean, or a hard bitten and gruff guy softens and gets the girl, we just swoon, right?
My wife believes that leading men in TV shows or movies always need a backstory. Their wife, or their child or their dog suffered and died in some tragic fashion. And this, supposedly, is meant to explain and possibly excuse their being a jerk or even worse. It is all so sanitized and so plastic. And yet, we continue to buy it. Because, deep down, we want it to be true. We want life to be that easy. That predictable.
It isn’t.
When we think of Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani woman who survived a Taliban assassination attempt, we are appropriately moved. And, even though she has become a worldwide sensation and advocate for women’s rights, it is easy to forget the intense suffering she endured to become that sensation. https://www.biography.com/people/malala-yousafzai-21362253
I understand that it might be uncomfortable to ponder how difficult it must have been for her, her family, and her friends. As they prayed and cried, there was no guarantee of her survival. There was no knowledge of her eventual triumph. The thing that makes happy endings so special is that we do not always expect them. If we do, or if the happy ending is assured, the power of the experience is lessened.
One essential tenet of our concept of humanity is the idea of freedom. We believe that we have free will to choose the path of our journey. Hopefully, we choose well. But we know that so many of us choose poorly. Whether we choose to numb ourselves with drugs or alcohol - or whether we choose the more socially acceptable drugs of work or sports - the truth seems to be that we are terrified by our freedom.
Take the word amusement. *Muse* means to think. And the ending *ment* means the associated process. And preceding a word with *a* - as in *atypical* - means *not*. So, in my mind, the word *amusement* simply means the ongoing process of not thinking. And if Descartes was right in saying *I think therefore I am*, it seems to reason that a large segment of modern American society does not think and, therefore, is not really human in Descartes’ opinion.
Why is this so? As Nike once noted, *No Pain, No Gain.* The things that made our forbears legendary was not only their achievements, but also the obstacles and hardships they overcame and endured to achieve those great things.
Those Americans preceding the baby boomers are often referred to as *The Greatest Generation*. Tom Brokaw wrote a book detailing the stories of these great individuals. What made them great? Was it that they defeated the Nazis and instituted a new world order that - in part - still exists today?
Of course it was this. But it was also the tragedies they suffered. The horrors of Auschwitz and Dachau that they uncovered. It was those who - even though broken physically and emotionally - did not cower or retreat from the hard work of rebuilding a world devastated by war, by atrocity, and by destruction.
There are many days where my heart aches. There are days when - considering the current condition of these United States - it is easy to shrink back and drink myself into a better state of mind.
But, to do so lessens me. When we as a people believe ridiculous conspiracy theories to justify our own bigotry, we as a people are lessened, as well. The human condition is rarely portrayed with any accuracy in popular culture. Whether in Disney movies or People Magazine, the human condition has been sanitized and filtered to such a degree that all the things that make us human have been smoothed over.
It seems entirely consistent that Botox has become as common as plastic surgery. We seem to no longer aspire to be the Greatest Generation. We, instead, want to fast forward to the last chapter, the pinnacle of life without making the required sacrifice to deserve such a blessing.
All of this, I believe, is the best reason to believe in the idea of redemption. So many times we fall short of the better angels of our natures. Whether it is Hitler or Bull Connor, we see examples of the evil we humans can inflict upon one another.
But, at the same time, there are the examples of Martin Luther King and his namesake, Martin Luther. Both men risked death and disapprobation to be true to their inner calling. And, ironically, both men claimed to be followers of Jesus - who also risked death and rejection to call out the hypocrisy of the religious institutions.
It is very sad that the message of Jesus has been subverted by the descendants of those hypocrites. This is nothing new. There have been a long line of hypocrites and murderers that can trace back till the beginning of recorded history.
Jesus knew as much when He said in the Gospel of Matthew:
*Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.*
There is ample evidence that we never learn as examples of hypocrisy and hatred span the ages. And yet...
There has been progress. In the state where Bull Connor served as the Commissioner of Public Safety in its largest city, Birmingham, there is now a memorial to the victims of lynching in the capital city, Montgomery. https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/04/look_inside_the_new_lynching_m.html
How does this happen? There are many answers and explanations as to why mankind has seemed to better itself throughout history. The founding fathers of the United States wrote eloquently about human rights and freedom - all the while owning other humans as property and denying the right to vote or own property to their wives and daughters. And yet, today, most Americans accept that those inconsistencies are morally wrong.
One answer is that somehow “all of us” are better than just a few of us. Nazi Germany would seem to contradict this answer. Others might say that religions can call us to higher things than we might otherwise aspire. Again, let’s not forget that many Nazis were good Lutherans, just as many Baptist ministers opposed the efforts of Dr. King and his supporters.
I would suggest that institutions - like humans - tend to align with the *law of entropy* and tend towards chaos and dissolution. There must be some other force outside of us and outside history, itself, that would explain the favorable arc of history.
*I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight, I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.*
― Theodore Parker, The present aspect of slavery in America and the immediate duty of the North: a speech delivered in the hall of the State house, before the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Convention, on Friday night, January 29, 1858
There have been so many opportunities for the human condition to destroy us. The development of nuclear weapons by arrogant and power hungry nations could have destroyed us all. We came so very close during the Cuban Missile Crisis - and yet we did not. Why not?
Some might say there are angels above who look down on our condition with both kindness and mercy. Some people even believe that God came down and experienced the human condition first hand to become a better advocate for we weak and timid souls.
Some of the older and wiser believers considered that sacrifice to be a good faith deposit on what humans can become. Gods instead of demons.
Only time will tell...
*...the human condition refers to anything unique about being human, no matter the gender, race or religion of the person. Humans, unlike other beings have a sense of curiosity, try to understand the meaning of life, search for acceptance and gratification and understand and accept the inevitability of death. The human condition also refers to the fact that humans, unlike any other known species, are self-aware and reflective of the past.* https://www.reference.com/world-view/human-condition-458d7afdc8982b9a
It surprises me often that we humans are such paradoxes. On the one hand, we crave authenticity. We yearn for real heroes and those not conceived by Hollywood. We seem to cherish our humanity - as long as it is sanitized and vetted by social media.
We seem to love it when we see puff piece videos about cats rescued from trees or long lost puppies who find their way home. Even more, we love redemption stories. Whenever an addict comes clean, or a hard bitten and gruff guy softens and gets the girl, we just swoon, right?
My wife believes that leading men in TV shows or movies always need a backstory. Their wife, or their child or their dog suffered and died in some tragic fashion. And this, supposedly, is meant to explain and possibly excuse their being a jerk or even worse. It is all so sanitized and so plastic. And yet, we continue to buy it. Because, deep down, we want it to be true. We want life to be that easy. That predictable.
It isn’t.
When we think of Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani woman who survived a Taliban assassination attempt, we are appropriately moved. And, even though she has become a worldwide sensation and advocate for women’s rights, it is easy to forget the intense suffering she endured to become that sensation. https://www.biography.com/people/malala-yousafzai-21362253
I understand that it might be uncomfortable to ponder how difficult it must have been for her, her family, and her friends. As they prayed and cried, there was no guarantee of her survival. There was no knowledge of her eventual triumph. The thing that makes happy endings so special is that we do not always expect them. If we do, or if the happy ending is assured, the power of the experience is lessened.
One essential tenet of our concept of humanity is the idea of freedom. We believe that we have free will to choose the path of our journey. Hopefully, we choose well. But we know that so many of us choose poorly. Whether we choose to numb ourselves with drugs or alcohol - or whether we choose the more socially acceptable drugs of work or sports - the truth seems to be that we are terrified by our freedom.
Take the word amusement. *Muse* means to think. And the ending *ment* means the associated process. And preceding a word with *a* - as in *atypical* - means *not*. So, in my mind, the word *amusement* simply means the ongoing process of not thinking. And if Descartes was right in saying *I think therefore I am*, it seems to reason that a large segment of modern American society does not think and, therefore, is not really human in Descartes’ opinion.
Why is this so? As Nike once noted, *No Pain, No Gain.* The things that made our forbears legendary was not only their achievements, but also the obstacles and hardships they overcame and endured to achieve those great things.
Those Americans preceding the baby boomers are often referred to as *The Greatest Generation*. Tom Brokaw wrote a book detailing the stories of these great individuals. What made them great? Was it that they defeated the Nazis and instituted a new world order that - in part - still exists today?
Of course it was this. But it was also the tragedies they suffered. The horrors of Auschwitz and Dachau that they uncovered. It was those who - even though broken physically and emotionally - did not cower or retreat from the hard work of rebuilding a world devastated by war, by atrocity, and by destruction.
There are many days where my heart aches. There are days when - considering the current condition of these United States - it is easy to shrink back and drink myself into a better state of mind.
But, to do so lessens me. When we as a people believe ridiculous conspiracy theories to justify our own bigotry, we as a people are lessened, as well. The human condition is rarely portrayed with any accuracy in popular culture. Whether in Disney movies or People Magazine, the human condition has been sanitized and filtered to such a degree that all the things that make us human have been smoothed over.
It seems entirely consistent that Botox has become as common as plastic surgery. We seem to no longer aspire to be the Greatest Generation. We, instead, want to fast forward to the last chapter, the pinnacle of life without making the required sacrifice to deserve such a blessing.
All of this, I believe, is the best reason to believe in the idea of redemption. So many times we fall short of the better angels of our natures. Whether it is Hitler or Bull Connor, we see examples of the evil we humans can inflict upon one another.
But, at the same time, there are the examples of Martin Luther King and his namesake, Martin Luther. Both men risked death and disapprobation to be true to their inner calling. And, ironically, both men claimed to be followers of Jesus - who also risked death and rejection to call out the hypocrisy of the religious institutions.
It is very sad that the message of Jesus has been subverted by the descendants of those hypocrites. This is nothing new. There have been a long line of hypocrites and murderers that can trace back till the beginning of recorded history.
Jesus knew as much when He said in the Gospel of Matthew:
*Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.*
There is ample evidence that we never learn as examples of hypocrisy and hatred span the ages. And yet...
There has been progress. In the state where Bull Connor served as the Commissioner of Public Safety in its largest city, Birmingham, there is now a memorial to the victims of lynching in the capital city, Montgomery. https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/04/look_inside_the_new_lynching_m.html
How does this happen? There are many answers and explanations as to why mankind has seemed to better itself throughout history. The founding fathers of the United States wrote eloquently about human rights and freedom - all the while owning other humans as property and denying the right to vote or own property to their wives and daughters. And yet, today, most Americans accept that those inconsistencies are morally wrong.
One answer is that somehow “all of us” are better than just a few of us. Nazi Germany would seem to contradict this answer. Others might say that religions can call us to higher things than we might otherwise aspire. Again, let’s not forget that many Nazis were good Lutherans, just as many Baptist ministers opposed the efforts of Dr. King and his supporters.
I would suggest that institutions - like humans - tend to align with the *law of entropy* and tend towards chaos and dissolution. There must be some other force outside of us and outside history, itself, that would explain the favorable arc of history.
*I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight, I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.*
― Theodore Parker, The present aspect of slavery in America and the immediate duty of the North: a speech delivered in the hall of the State house, before the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Convention, on Friday night, January 29, 1858
There have been so many opportunities for the human condition to destroy us. The development of nuclear weapons by arrogant and power hungry nations could have destroyed us all. We came so very close during the Cuban Missile Crisis - and yet we did not. Why not?
Some might say there are angels above who look down on our condition with both kindness and mercy. Some people even believe that God came down and experienced the human condition first hand to become a better advocate for we weak and timid souls.
Some of the older and wiser believers considered that sacrifice to be a good faith deposit on what humans can become. Gods instead of demons.
Only time will tell...
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