Thursday, April 10, 2014

Human

This quote, since I first heard it, changed the way I thought about people, things and life, and has resonated with me for years.

"I am a human being. Nothing human can be alien to me."
Terence 

A16 year old stabbed some people in a school in Pennsylvania the other day and while the story played silently on the tv at the gym I was at, one girl said they were reporting he had bad acne and was taking an acne medication and it can cause psychosis. 

A few moments of silence passed, and debunking the group-think that could have ensued from the tone and manner in which the comment was proposed, another girl said, "I was wondering what excuse they were going to come up with for this one."

I laughed, knowing that's how it goes. 

But then the quote floated back to my mind and I remarked, "that means that if you trace back enough, every one of us has some factors that can be identified that would cause us to stab, shoot or go all Michael Douglas in Falling Down on people." 

I could be viewed as questionable for saying that, or stripped down insightful.

We've all got the ingredients to do the abhorrent, we as humans have the potential or capacity to do all things human- good and bad. Voluntary or involuntary. Psychologically, physically. 

How can that quote not foster empathy for others?? 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-eREiQhBDIk

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