People have been through troubled times recently. Racial tensions are at an all-time high amidst one of the most severe pandemics humans have faced. You would think that as the human race, we would band together to overcome our common danger, but this situation has served to show us how selfish we can be.
The racial divide is an issue that has stood the test of time, probably since the dawn of man. Seeing all the violence against human beings has really left me feeling down and helpless. I wanted to share a quote by a person who inspired me as a young child to enter the world of Martial Arts.
“Under the sky, under the heavens there is but one family. It just so happens that people are different.”
~ Bruce Lee
This is my favourite Bruce Lee quote and one of the most important things that he had to say in his short but highly eventful life. As a spiritual person, this really resonates with me.
As people, it is natural for us to see differences, to categorise and place things into different classes based on common traits. My question is – Why can’t it end there? Why can’t we simply use this as a basis of understanding each other as do scientists who regularly employ these methods to understand the flora and fauna of this world? As humans, we take this a step further and attempt to use these differences to hate and claim our own superiority over those that we deem inferior.
By whose standards is one person inferior to another? All these ideas are contrived with little or no basis, using gross generalisations and serving only to harm both the victims and perpetrators. In the natural order of life, each human being is unique, consisting of their own strengths and weaknesses. We should celebrate our uniqueness and leverage our strengths to build a better world for future generations.
There is much wisdom that is crammed into this impactful statement and if we bring this into our personal philosophy, we will be able to connect with and learn from individuals from all walks of life. We will be more tolerant towards others, respect their points of view and enhance ourselves.
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