Threat of extinction makes us better

Human beliefs and values determine the quality of our life, but most of what we believe is imposed on us through the socializing process of growing up. When young adults come of age, they generally reflect the beliefs and values of their parents, teachers and peers — which is mostly a good thing. However, if they are to become a real person in their own right, newly independent young adults must use their own minds to decide which of their beliefs are really their own and what values are truly worthy of their personal pursuit.

Our lives are complicated because survival is the primary goal of all species of life, but in addition to survival, we humans are also compelled to seek prosperity because we are born self-centered and have a natural inclination to pursue ever higher levels of joy, pleasure and safety, as well as to avoid pain and sorrow. In the pursuit of ease and comfort, some of us discover there is a difference between the general social values we share and the more specific personal values that are meaningful in our own life. However, many people blindly accept the status quo and they remain largely unaware of the different roles our values play, which is somewhat of a dubious “blessing” that allows them to remain on “automatic pilot” throughout much of their life.

The two kinds of value that influence our quality of life are the cultural values that underlie our economy, education, politics, etc., and the personal values that shape our hopes and our aspirations. Our cultural values are embodied in the social institutions that enable the human race to survive, while personal values are what give individuals a reason to live. Cultural values are necessary for the survival of the species, and personal values make our survival worthwhile.

Conflicts arise because our rational mind compels individuals to use common sense, whereas some cultural values are based on ideas and expectations that require religious faith rather than the use of reason. But even so, our collective will-to-live is reinforced by religion’s “answers” to the mysteries of life, and by the social functions of religion that give us comfort, fellowship, and a sense of belonging. The challenge of human life is finding ways to pursue our personal wants and needs, while adhering to the cultural beliefs that unite us as a group. Sometimes they are at odds with each other.

Fortunately, both our cultural and personal beliefs and values tend to progress toward a higher level of mental and emotional maturity, which will eventually alleviate some of our inner conflict. However, the process of cultural change is only achieved over long periods of time by mankind’s accumulation of knowledge and experience. Now and then an awareness of our acquired human progress is revealed by a world leader — such as Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, or Gandhi — who help large numbers of people apply their higher level of consciousness toward the good of society.

Gandhi’s concept of “non-violent protest through civil disobedience” was used to gain India’s independence, however, the “new idea” was not Gandhi’s alone, but was a combination of religious beliefs and a few logical ideas that originated during the Enlightenment. The people of India only needed a leader to guide them in their struggle, as did a similar movement in America during the 1960s. The Enlightenment was a period of human cultural progress that established modern science and many religious and political reforms that continue to be incorporated into a new world order.

As long as modern civilization survives the constant threat of extinction, the future is hopeful — in spite of the religious beliefs that compete with our need for rationality. But even so, the greater good of society must always take precedence over the wants and needs of individuals because the survival of humanity depends on the stability of our cultural institutions, which include religion. Cultural institutions, as opposed to individual concerns, will sustain our civilization for as long as individual people are willing to vote, pay taxes and actively contribute toward the good of their community. Through community participation, we actually modify the ever present Law of the Jungle — the fittest among us express a rational concern for the well-being of all.

Art Carney lives in Wasilla and is an occasional contributor to the Frontiersman opinion pages.