What Is Wrong People and Society?

Lately I’ve been chasing a thought around to answer a question. What is wrong with people?

I have an answer. Ready?

We don’t value life anymore.

We use each other for our own benefits, objectifying others, using and dehumanizing them. People steal, lie, and kill each other. From one-on-one to country-against-country.

We step on people, using them as a way to rise to the top, treating them as stepping stones rather than people.

That clerk behind the counter, you could care less about the name on their tag. Only that they don’t take to long too check you out, or else you’ll vent your rage. Less than human, easily replaced by a self-checkout.

The person whose kindness you take advantage of, getting all you can from them. A benefits machine, an object, not someone with their own struggles and issues.

What about the person you’re attracted to. The one you laughingly tell your friends that, “you’re going to get some of that.”

“Some?” Note the word use.

Not all. Just some. Just what you want for your jollies. They’re not a person to you, just a piece of meat for your pleasure.

Look at how you view anyone who disagrees with you. Do you see them as your equal, or lesser?

It’s called ‘othering’. It makes it easier to attack someone or something different from you. They’re not human after all, but something sub-human.

Look at the crimes on the news. What are people using each other for in those cases?

Robbery? A human ATM. Rape? Sex and control. Abuse? More dehumanization. Prostitution? Just another service, no need for life story, I don’t care.

There’s more. It’s simple as looking and asking, is that person being valued for who they are, or what someone can get from them?

Why Is It This Way?

It’s part of our fallen world. It’s about what you can get rather than what can you do. Think about this over the next few days, how would the world look if we loved each other rather than used each other?

That’s part of the beauty of Christ saying to love your neighbor as yourself and to do for others as you would have them do for you. He’s probably onto something.