The Invisible Enemy
We live in interesting times indeed, don’t we? Lots of questions running through my head. Allow me (or not) to share some here.
Today, one thought popped up in my mind, that triggered a whole stream of thoughts: “Who is the Enemy?”
Is it still a matter of human beings versus each other? Filipinos against other Filipinos? Nations against nations? Self against the Other. Yes, we see wars and violence day in and day out through TV, radio, newspapers, and social media sites such as Facebook – from violent news to violent reactions. (I am definitely guilty of violent reactions and thoughts.)
But, why is there fighting anyway? Why are we so keen on being right to make another person wrong? Why are we so keen on making the other suffer? Why do we allow ourselves to suffer inside and vent it out on everyone else? Why should our ‘fist pump’ be better than a handshake or a hug?
More importantly, why has LOVE become such a distant dream for us? Or maybe why have we become selective with love? Why has it become difficult to see the humanity in each person?
Here are some ideas, or maybe we can put it this way – for me these are my “enemies”:
1. Judgment: Every time we think, “we are better” than everyone else out there because we voted or not voted for such politician, we support or not support a certain issue, our lives are ‘spotless’ compared to ‘criminals’, we have perfect jobs/families/relationships…and so on.
2. Disconnection: I bet (no money involved) that none of us (well, maybe with some exception) would be able to say the things we are able to express online upfront – literally in each other’s faces. Anonymity gives us some virtual power – yes, virtual. We might feel that we’re connected to everybody but if we really are – we wouldn’t be so callous with our expressions of rage, anger, contempt and indignation. Instead, we will be talking as friends do, trying to understand the other, being with the other.
3. Stress: We not only live in interesting times – we live in ever stressful ones. The more stressed we are, the more we are not in control of our emotions and the outpourings of these emotions. I find it best to connect with people when I’m not stressed – after all, who wants to spread toxic energy around?
How about You? Who is your Enemy?
[as posted on author’s FB page]