There's Simply Biotic and Abiotic
The better angels of our nature
The picture above is that of my fiancé Anna, sitting down with a child at a park to teach him math. She didn't know this little boy, it was a random Saturday afternoon encounter, but it was in her heart and in her DNA to sit and teach this child for 30 minutes or more. It was from a place of love. Humanity at its finest.
Both the title and subtitle of this short blogpost are borrowed from others. The title is lifted from my uncle who invokes it to say: "I don't differentiate between the value of living beings, there's simply biotic and abiotic." The subtitle lifted from scientist Steven Pinker's book, in which he argues that the long arc of humanity moves us towards less conflict and violence, towards greater cooperation and altruism. I find calm and centeredness in holding both of these ideas at the forefront of my awareness.
Humanity is living through another very difficult and dark period. As a secular humanist, I have reflected on what my role is and what my role should be. I don't know that I yet have the answer to this. All I know is that, just as Anna had an instinct to teach, I have had an instinct to reach out to spread calm, reason and love. To my Russian friends, to my Ukranian friends, to my Jewish, Arab and Palestinian friends. All of whom I love and who I see as part of the biotic terrestrial family.
Studies have shown that small gestures and random acts of kindness have an unexpected power and matter far more than we think. Researchers have found that people who perform a random act of kindness tend to underestimate how much the recipient appreciated their act of kindness. And furthermore, that these acts of kindness are passed forward and have a multiplying effect. They believe that this miscalculation in the power of our kindness may be holding many of us back from doing nice things for others more often.
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I believe we must put the power of kindness to work right now. Humanity is in desperate need of healing. We need to take time to reach out and use tender language to express our love. To do kind, benevolent things for each other, for total strangers and people "different" from us.
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1yBeautiful and true! Thank you for sharing
Founder & Principal Operating Director
1yEziah - this aligned with how my immediate family and I live. It’s so ingrained in our 7,9 and 11 year olds that if I haven’t seized the moment to perform DRAKE (Doing Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere) and they see it, they’ll ask ‘aren’t we going to do something’ - to your point we all have an instantaneous opportunity to perform random acts of kindness. If you’ll recall my annual LinkedIn and Facebook birthday request is that people perform a random act of kindness anywhere in their life. I have stories from all of the world world where this gentle nudge has resulted in acts of kindness that have changed people and their families. The most rewarding experience I know of in life, is to contribute to those around around us. As part of society I see it as our obligation to help those around us, without judgement of prejudice. We never know the extent that one act, one moment in time will have on others. Great piece Eziah!!!