Because it’s easier for me…

Recently I went to an event called The Hindu Experience. The event was split into seven sections, throughout the day I visited the majority of them, but I came out of one of them questioning human nature – questioning what makes us tick, as human beings. This was the earth zone. I watched a video on the importance of buying organic and “cruelty-free” milk, and I wondered why up until now, have I and many others been buying the standard conventional milk? Is it because of ignorance? Is it due to my own self-interests? I know one thing for sure; the reason why I’m attracted to the conventional milk is because it’s cheaper.

Yes I know, it may be a poor excuse but it’s symptomatic of the world we live in. But this is more than just ignorance, or wanting to spend less at the supermarket. It’s because people tend to blindly follow what they think gives them the biggest advantage. (Actually, buying organic milk is at a bigger advantage to the consumer, than saving 40 odd pence.)

So, this human nature that I speak of, what is it really? Human nature dictates similarities in the character of all people, which mean that we act a certain way in a given situation. Human nature can be best explained by gang mentality. If one person does something, others feel inclined to follow. This is how groups and followings are formed and one voice becomes the echo of a thousand voices. Gandhi’s fight for freedom was successful because he managed to spread his word of peace across India and others felt inclined to join him. However it is not always used for ‘good’. People do what they see others do, or what may be best for them. Big companies choose not to share business with smaller companies because they know that they will lose out as a result. Therefore we are led into situations where monopolies exist, with the majority of the wealth in the hands of the minority.

Another example is our efforts to “do our bit for reducing climate change”. A lot of people talk of reducing waste, and recycling. However those same people still drive the car for 10 minutes to get on the treadmill at the gym. Do many of us actually consider the effects of climate change before any of our actions? Not really, I understand that it is just a nuisance sometimes control everything that you do. Except that is just it. We like to do things that are easy for us, like throwing our paper-based waste in one bin, and plastic in another, and then some then proclaim “We are green people!” But do we do things other than that, which matter just as much. Like using less petrol and walking/cycling.

We sometimes are naturally inclined to doing things that give immediate personal benefit, but never stop to think about long-term benefits to themselves and society. We must try to do things that don’t immediately give us pleasure, especially when it is or will be detrimental to other living beings. It is important that we take a calm and collected look at reality and the truth before we make our decisions, because too often equality and a better tomorrow are sacrificed for an easier today. It is the actions that we take now, rather than tomorrow that will reap in the future.