Thought Provoked...

My friend June posted a note about the "worth" of people that really got me thinking.

Here's a bit of what she said... "I was thinking this afternoon about the value of people. How I strongly believe or would like to think that I believe that every persons story, every persons voice, experiences, thoughts, and beliefs are of some value. That everyone is precious and worth nurturing and loving. This got me thinking more and more. Is everyone on earth worthwhile whether a person believes that or not? If so why? Why do I believe that people and every persons life is of value."

And here is my reply...not all of it really follows what she was going with, but tangents are always fun...

I personally believe that everyone has value. But I do believe that too many people are so self absorbed and busy going about their own lives to hear the thoughts, stories and beliefs of others. Too much of it just gets lost in the static. I guess I think of it in different terms that death or suicide, I think of it more as an issue with the human condition, and how we've learned to live our lives.

I see it as 99% of the people I know would rather buy a new 52' Plasma HDTV than send it to Africa to help people who live in huts made out of mud and dig through trash for food. If people and businesses stopped to think about the fact that not everything is about making money, and it's not about driving that 85 thousand dollar car, or living in that multi-million dollar home... and I understand that everyone falls victim to the need to accumulate useless shit, it's just how we are "trained" how to behave. Too many times we forget the value of the people around us, and the information, beliefs and stories that they have.

I know my younger siblings would rather stay inside and watch cartoons than interact with another human being outside in the sun. Many people would rather sit on a comfy couch and surf the net than go outside and socialize face to face with the people who live only 10 feet away. THAT'S the point when the worth is lost. People are stuck in their own stories and beliefs, and they miss everyone else's.

People would rather ignore the problems that we as a WORLD face. It's become too much of a "why should I care" mentality. I think people should care because that person barely making it day to day halfway across the world should have the basic right to be heard and respected, and taken care of...just as much as someone who makes millions a year should have the same rights. I just think it should be the obvious choice to want to help people, but it's the competitive nature of humans mixed with greed that makes it so hard.

For instance...would people really need an iPod that holds 20,000 songs if everyone came together to talk and listen to each other and all of the stories that go on in each person's life? No. Would you really need to be inside watching re-runs of Everybody Loves Raymond if people got together as a community to socialize every day? No. Technology has decreased the wealth of the individual. By connecting us all, it has separated us from each other far more than we could have imagined.