302 - Unity in Diversity

 

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of civilization.” Mahatma Gandhi

Unity in Diversity is an old axiom, yet it still seems to escape the common sense of our politics, policies, businesses, communities and indeed our own lives. We know that first-past-the-post voting does not account for an actual majority when many people have opted for parties that end up having no say in our democracies. We know that policies are sold to the highest bidder. We know that the almighty bottom-line has become the focus and the main reason for enterprise and commerce. We see the clutching of cultures holding no space for the benefits of other cultures. We see monocultures ravaging our lands. We see racism decimating lives...

What a horrible mess - this rampant and fragmented way of humanity. People thrive on disunity because people need common enemies and some sort of allegiance, but why? Perhaps because it's easier to blame something outside of oneself for the disharmony we feel. Perhaps some sense of control feels better than the alternative - admitting we are not actually in control of anything, including our own fleeting lifetimes. The whole 'existential dread' that some philosophize about, others fall into unbearable depressions about, and many more ignore altogether. And that ignorance is where we fall short on understanding the universal similarities we actually have - being too wrapped up in our differences to notice.

However, a sense of control can be felt by taking steps to manage our own behaviours. A sense of control can be felt by helping others. We can form allegiances to groups with values we share without having to villainize other groups. We can use the natural world to learn how to grow together in ways that not only includes diversity, but values it.

We know that a diverse ecosystem is much stronger than one lacking in diversity. The same goes for us - We are nature, a huge conscious part of it. It's time to start listening to each other and valuing the things that make us different, learning from the various ways people have found to live, to work, to rest... 

Unity is not uniformity. When one group talks about a certain way of doing things, it should not suggest that it is the only way of doing things - it means that we have choices. The more choices we have, the better. We can become stronger, open, resilient and happier. We can disassemble the mess we've gotten ourselves into. The clues are all around us in the way that nature conducts itself. We may not get to some utopia here, but by appreciating our differences instead of fearing them, there's a chance we may survive.

 

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