by will sprout

Created on: February 21, 2010   Last Updated: February 23, 2010

Improving our love of self.

Love of self appears somewhat out of place, in that we are putting ourselves befrore others, yet in the context of which it is written, the statement becomes an indication of how we should treat others and our consideration for them.

The human existence has always been based on survival, our survival, and in order to survive we need to follow certain rules and regulations. These rules and regulations can be based on our national laws, our religious laws or our ethical laws, because they are all in place to ensure our survival.

But problems arise with these rules and regulations when we seek to impose them on those of other nations, nations who have their own rules and regulations.

Because of the differences between nations various divisions arise, one is dislike. We may inadvertantly dislike a particular people or nation; this may be based, for example, on an instance in history when this nation or religious organisation sought to impose their laws on another. The  dislike, which arises, is soley based on the actions of the past and have no real meaning in present time. Yet through history we are taught to ‘dislike,’ someone or some nation. A great deal of dislike arose from the Crusade wars between the Christians and Muslims, and the telling of history, by both religious organisations keeps the dislike alive; more so today.

 Because of this dislike prejudices arise which only add to the divisions between men. The colour of skin, for example, could and has caused segregation between peoples. The colour we are is evident, automatically identifiable; it is an instant recognition of a difference between us. This difference creates its own barriers.

What normally follows, after the initial identification of a difference, results in the instigation of discrimination. ‘They’ are different from us, and we show them the differences by treating them in a different way than we treat others. Our reaction towards them gives birth to an equal and opposite reaction from them; where we become the cause and the reason for the difference.

The reaction resulting from this response from them promotes other barriers; one becomes an hatered for the ‘difference between us,’ and anything akin to what they believe or practice becomes abhorent to us and we use these differences to keep us apart. The second reaction is one of fear; the defence of their belief or colour, or whatever,  becomes a theat to our

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>