As an individual, in trying times, our initial instinct is to turn inward. Our personal survival has been genetically and behaviorally engrained. Just as a man entering a social contract, just as a toddler entering the second plane of development in Montessori philosophy, just as our equally-ancient drive for personal survival, the existence of humans as social creatures with social needs must sacrifice…compromise…barter...share…must relinquish the singular aim of individual safety and prosperity for that of group safety and prosperity. Yes, there have existed, since that first band of early humans who decided they could be more successful working together in harmony toward a common goal, distinct groups, tribes, cultures, and bonds. These relationships were created by proximity, shared interests, shared beliefs, and shared resources. Conflict arose with different communities because one, or many, or all of these relationship-creating qualities were not shared and/or could not be communicated effectively between groups, thus inspiring relationship-destroying qualities. It all hinged upon communication. This isn’t simply communication by means of sharing a language, but by sharing an overarching Philosophy of Humanity that allows for differing opinions, acceptance without agreement, and understanding and appreciation of differences and subtle nuances that, for us today, weave the fabric of richness under which our entire world is blanketed, under which we all breathe the same air. Early-man was still too entrenched in his survival and the survival of his immediate relations to understand this. We should not be.
I am a skeptic. I am often prepared for the obscure, the irrational, the worst in people, yet just as prepared as I am for the common, the rational, and the best in people. “People gunna people” has become a bit of a motto as I put aside judgement until I gather sufficient information. I am not very good at “emotional response”, which, I am ok with. This includes, however, the complete counter-apex of the pendulum of human social existence in regards to communication. As early man was working with little-to-no communication with his counterparts, especially those outside of his social circle, we are inundated with, a supersaturation of, often pared, manipulated, and inconsistent communication, especially from those outside of our social circles, (even if we tend to focus on that only coming from within ours). “People gunna people”, so I withhold any emotional analysis, avoid any intellectual judgement, until I am able to process. However, one thing that does not change is that we are all each others’ people now, breathing that same air.
The following quote is from George Washington’s Farewell Address, September 17, 1796:
However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.
Washington’s understanding of man may be one of the few things to outshine his career in the public eye. This statement obviously does not only apply to political office, but any office or position of power. He does not say it always happens, and we should be sure to celebrate those leaders in our lives who do not fall victim to this vice, but that it is likely. The pool of candidates for positions of power, esteem, influence, fame are often filled with those not out to wield this resource for the good of many, but simple for the good of one, or the few that fall within that one’s “early man” circle. Those smart enough, those pure enough, those good enough for the most demanding of positions of service to humanity are often smart enough, pure enough, and good enough to realize that those positions will require complete self-sacrifice and self-abandonment in addition to entering a world dominated by those willing to sacrifice only their morals…or others. A daunting ask of any man or woman, especially without an invigorating breathe of confidence from those willing to breathe that same, rarified air.
“Checks-and-balances” is the key teaching point when presenting on our system of government. Checks-and-balances so that one branch is not able to…fully…abuse its power. Checks-and-balances that work best…if not only…when those individuals who make up the groups who make up the branches who make up the checks-and-balances are in it for the right reasons. Among the three branches there are sects, within the sects there are cliques, within the cliques there are individuals, and, “people gunna people”. Across the branches there are sects, across the sects are cliques, across the cliques there are individuals, and, “people gunna people”. One does not need to understand advanced mathematics to have a feeling of how many combinations and/or permutations of individuals, deals, decisions, and events there are that would lead to an outcome that serves the few over the whole. Especially considering the majority that Washington predicted, there is strength in numbers, and the pure-of-intention can quickly find themselves outside looking in. Who then checks the checks, who balances the balances? When the few protect the few, who protects the rest? When tradition, when privilege, when duty defines the line between “us” and “them” it pollutes the air that we all breathe.
In our world, those who stand up to abuse of power successfully most frequently are wearing capes and masks. Those that did so not in a book or on the big screen often find themselves there. They are inspirations, ideals, untouched by the sway of public opinion, sentiment, corruption…in other words, they are often alien to some extent. What does this look like for our real, tangible, suffering world? Does there need to be a privatized “hero force”…a 9-1-1 to call on 9-1-1? Does there need to be a precedence for a civilian heroism act? Or does there simply need to be more…better…communication?
A riot is communication. A protest is communication. A march is communication. We live in a time where we are all able to both say and do with greater ease than any time in the history of man. This is both a blessing and a curse, because, “people gunna people”. There is a tremendous difference between “Look At Us” and “Look at me”; there is a tremendous difference between “See Us” and “See me”. Even in opposition to a broken system, a corrupted status quo, a distressed society, we find “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men” who “subvert the power of the people” and “usurp for themselves the reins of (protest), destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion”. Washington didn’t just know politics, he knew people.
A sheriff in Genesee County (Flint, Michigan) communicated. He “took off the helmet and laid the baton down” and joined the walk, saying he wanted to “make it a parade, not a protest”. There have been countless other snippets of true humanity and cooperation littered throughout the snippets of true selfish isolation from humanity. There is a difference between Change and Revolution. Revolution exists within a society assuming that there is no common language, there is no understanding enough for communication or a relationship has reached a point where communication is impossible. We have seen, we have shown, that there is a great deal of common language, there is a great deal of shared sentiment. There may be as many “good people who are good at being part of a global community”, combined with those “good people who have yet to be awakened, to be inspired, to be shown they are allowed to be part of a global community” to outflank those “who have not yet matured to the ideal of a global community” or “have been scarred, molded, or influenced to abandon their part in a global community”.
I know that I write from a position of privilege; I know that writing is my strength of communication within my immediate community. I am typically pro-authority. I am a rule-follower. I am a skeptic. “People gunna people” is not an excuse not to be moved to action, but an understanding of this moment in the development of our global society. This is where we are. This is why I teach. This is why I coach. This is what Maria Montessori taught in looking to the children to save the world. This is what George Washington warned of. But as we have explored just about the entirety of our planet, and we know of all the people that exist upon, that share this earth, there is no confusion, or fear, or unknown that we must fear as a threat to “our people”. We are all “our people” We breathe the same air. So knowing that truth, breathe that air deeply. Breathe each other so deeply that we have nothing but to acknowledge our connectedness. Breathe deeply for each other. Some may have their breathe restrained, even taken, and for them we must breathe more deeply.
Breathing is simple. So is your job.
“What is your vocation? To be a good person” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 11.5
Own Your I
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