An interesting trend showing up in the study.
What do you make of this?
Responding to the study question below:
Do you have one or more people in your life that you consciously and actively practice peace-building with on a regular basis?
Peace Buddy definition: A Peace Buddy is someone with whom you currently have an ongoing, conscious relationship that has as its intent a striving for the highest levels of integrity, clarity, mutuality and even synergy (beyond cooperation and consensus).
Better than half of the people interviewed so far, prefer to interact, primarily, with like-minded others. Of course, that runs true to human nature. Most of us are most comfortable with people that are like us. The challenge here, however, is that this proclivity suggests, by interpretation, that most of us might have some work we could do in this area. That is, if we are truly seeking to build unity amidst the diversity of this country; folks being increasingly tolerant of others and really at-home-comfortable with differences. We can help community unity building along by purposefully expanding the number of people we are willing to invest in as “peace buddies.”
Particularly, by making an effort to interact with at least one or more people who are markedly distinct* from ourselves in terms of ethnicity or culture, religion, value systems or viewpoints including political perspectives in ongoing, conscious relationships. A few years back, I set myself to this task and it was challenging! So much so, in fact, that I got discouraged and gave it up for awhile. But practice what you preach, Anastasia, right? Now I am reminded that for the good of the whole, I need to purposefully get back to that intention.
 |
| Thought For The Day "Diary Of Anne Frank" |
Thought For The Day
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
Diary of Anne Frank
* "markedly distinct" doesn't refer to someone, for example, who goes to your same church but is from another country or a different race. Or someone you talk with at an event or so. I mean someone who might be different enough to really push your hot buttons that you have to stretch yourself to befriend.
One person I sought out was Muslim and I am of Jewish heritage. I heard a voice inside of me telling me (the idealist me -- the "Why can't we all just get along with each other ME?") -- "Be careful here this man might want to kill you." Fears and judgements lurk, often unconsciously, in almost everyone. So the "markedly distinct peace buddy" challenge I am speaking of here is the one that you might avoid that would, thus, be a stretch for you. Just because that is how it always has been up until now when you purposely take on the challenge
* "markedly distinct" doesn't refer to someone, for example, who goes to your same church but is from another country or a different race. Or someone you talk with at an event or so. I mean someone who might be different enough to really push your hot buttons that you have to stretch yourself to befriend.
One person I sought out was Muslim and I am of Jewish heritage. I heard a voice inside of me telling me (the idealist me -- the "Why can't we all just get along with each other ME?") -- "Be careful here this man might want to kill you." Fears and judgements lurk, often unconsciously, in almost everyone. So the "markedly distinct peace buddy" challenge I am speaking of here is the one that you might avoid that would, thus, be a stretch for you. Just because that is how it always has been up until now when you purposely take on the challenge
Hi: My experience with people in cultures that live simply, is that they are not afraid of people who are different, and that they welcome humans to interact with. And, in fact, are shocked at our insanity. If humans were fearful and unforgiving of other humans for the millions of years we have been on this planet, there would be no humans left by now. This seeing ourselves as unconnected with all of nature, including our fellow humans, is what is the cause, if you will, of our fears. We don't see ourselves as a part of the whole and that we are one, not to be afraid of any more than a finger on our hand. We have lost the knowledge that there is a creative source that has created all of us to support and love it all, no matter of the outward, man made trappings. like religion, which was your example. Man has used these institutions to separate us from each other. And done a pretty good job. That is why we fight and kill. We don't see that we are all leaves on a tree. Whether the leaf has turned brown, yellow, fallen off, or just appeared, they are still from the same tree, and all of nature knows that except for man. Within the last thousand years, many places on the planet were visited for the first time, through colonialism, and in every case, the first reports by the intruders concerning the natives were that they were welcoming, loving, happy, completely healthy people, where everyone in society mattered as much as everyone else, who shared everything with the folks who were markedly different in their outward appearances from themselves. Not just their clothing was different, but they were different sizes, usually smaller, and definitely less graceful, and able to survive
ReplyDeletein nature, and they had hostile mannerisms. But, not until the intruders began taking advantage of the people whose homeland they were on, did fear and separation come into the native's thinking and actions.
Many e-mails are going around these days, of species of animals who we think are
"enemies", but who seem to get along, if not love each other. ie, cats and dogs, deer and dogs, etc. I rest my case. We are out of sync and don't know it. True human civilization is from before what we call civilization. True civility existed all over the planet when people lived completely as nature intended them to live. They lived in a manner that supported each other; they had to or would perish.
I believe that it is fear that keeps us apart. Not reality. Not to worry. You are in the process of getting through it.
Love and hugs.