One would need to be blind and deaf to ignore the fact that our world is sinking deeper into moral oblivion. With every decade that goes by, the clever observers will see that cultures across the globe are quickly abandoning their moral heritage, which could be called “the universal human value system”. That’s right, we have a universal, intercultural value system that has been in place in most nations across the world that allows our species to survive. Please take note that the purpose of this book is not to pinpoint elements of moral decay among different cultures, but rather, to point out where we are headed on a global scale.
In the last century, the Western mindset has greatly influenced the diverse civilizations across the planet. As a matter of fact, even the most foreign nations have been colonized culturally by the Western lifestyle. From Asia to South America, from Australia to Africa, and from Northern Europe to Russia. The occidental music, its lifestyle, and its moral ethics have permeated through some of the most foreign countries across the world. Most developed countries were already under the influence of the Europeans, but most recently, the American lifestyle has been perceived as an ideal of modernism and successful living. In the name of progress, our so called modern societies have decided to question our most intrinsic values and moral ethics in a quest to evolve as a society. Who are we to put into question cultures and civilizations from thousands of years ago? Who knows, let’s leave it to science and psychology to figure that out.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled by progress based on peaceful living and the self-worth of every human being, but, the idea of eliminating the moral ethics inherited by our predecessors in the name of social progress, makes me sick to my stomach because I can see the destructive outcome. In our day an age, science and technology are perceived in the western world as the heralds of truth. A non-written law has crept into the minds of many, stating that science is somehow linked to absolute truth and thus, is a voice of authority.
We often forget that both science and psychology are the results of observations, and therefore, should be treated as such instead of an absolute. Men will continually adjust their scientific theories in order to accommodate their world view. This is like a hypocritical historian who tries to adapt history in order to make it fit with his-story and his cultural worldview. The decision of brushing aside moral values in the name of science (observations) and social progress have a price tag attached. There is a high cost to putting aside our “common sense” in order to follow the popular thinking of the elite. Now, before I go any further, let me make clear that my goal here is not to try to build a case against a group of any kind, but rather, I am shedding light on why our world is headed towards a chaotic fate.
People who have managed to live over the age of 80, witnessed how this last century has seen it all: Wars, famines, the effects of global warming, ecological and natural disasters, and the spread of diseases. Can this generation, or at best, the generation of our children expect a better outcome than that of our parents and grandparents? Based only on hindsight, the future looks grim. The idea of building a utopian world full of technological advancements with the entire human race cooperating, soon starts to dissipate as we see that men have not gotten any wiser, especially, within this last century.
One does not have to look very far, the COVID pandemic is just a reminder that:
1- Our society reacts under fear
2- We are a people who resist change, even when it’s for our own safety
3- We are a people who are selfish by nature
4- We are a stubborn race
For as long as history has been recorded, humans have been keen to ignore the warnings of imminent danger in order to remain in their comfort zone. Denial or ignorance are by far the easiest option when drastic change seems necessary. Even at the brink of a catastrophic outcome our human nature will often prefer to wait until being confronted with a calamity, rather than acting beforehand. The sad truth is, that even if a time traveler managed to come back from the future to warn us, he would most likely be dismissed as psychotic, or at best, he would be labelled as a sensationalist.
Generally speaking, we have a tendency to rely on our five senses in order to discern, decide, and design our way trough the realm of biological existence. Anything that goes beyond our five senses however, is given very little attention or is quickly interpreted as spiritual deliria. Thus is the general tendency of the animalistic mind or the bio-logical species of this world. We are practically incapable of objectivity and analysis without having to rely mainly on information conveyed through our five senses. Animals are known to react instinctively to outward stimulus, but oppositely, humans are endowed with the capacity for so much more. We are gifted with the ability to reflect prior to reacting to any given scenario. Not only are we equipped with the superior capability to prepare for what lies ahead, but, we are also intelligent enough to transform our environment in anticipation for a better tomorrow.