We Have Become Drunk In Our Own Power

What kind of a people have we become? One where social acceptance and status matter more to us than values, virtues, and morals. Have we become so vile and vain that we would push someone else into a bullet to save our own skins, smother our own babies to save our own lives? As we have advanced in technology and power, our morality has dramatically decrease. If you were waling on a crosswalk today and a car were coming, you would know from experience that the car wouldn’t even slow down. The man believes himself superior to everyone else and thinks they should get out of his way or else. This mentality is reflected in mankind today. We believe ourselves superior and more important than everyone else. Be it differences in nationality, skin color, ancestry, or religion, we bicker and argue over who is the best, who is right.

Once man had a code of chivalry, a certain set of rules or expectations society had for man. To be gentlemen was considered a duty and was done without question. Their desire was not for personal gain, self preservation or anything that would promote their social status. It was merely a desire to put others before themselves, and value others the same or more than they would value themselves. Nowadays, society has become corrupt, drunk in its own power. Now attaining the highest social acceptance and status is the most important aspect of life. One today would not help someone out of the kindness of their hearts but for personal gain. We have become a selfish society that is so distracted by image and others opinions of that image that we forget what comes before ourselves. Once we die all of our material belongings, reputations, images, status and life will be taken away and discarded like trash.

We have spoken of equality among men and how we desire to attain that equality no matter our race or religion or social class might be. But the truth is, friends, that we don’t really want those things. The world isn’t fair or equal and we may never be able to treat each other as equals. Before we can have equality we must humble ourselves. If we do so we will realize the value of another person in this world. They might not mean much to you at that time but they may be everything to someone else. We need to let go of the material and precious items that really are worthless and put others before ourselves.

Confucius mentions in the Analects the joy, simplicity, and humility that comes with letting go. He would rather eat bread and drink water and have only an arm as a pillow than live as though he needed the material. The truth is, we don’t. We depend so much on these things that we lose sight of the other, more important aspects of life. If we lost our things, we would mourn for a while. Some would act as though their lives had just gone down the drain but we will come to realize that what was really important was not lost and life was worth much more than unnecessary objects.