Tag: politics

Cover image © The Economist. Shared here under fair use, in the context of personal reflection.

A lot has been happening in the world of politics these days. And it is always us – ordinary people, citizens, commoners, whatever name you give it – who end up carrying the burden of it all.

Although the name of my blog is Between Everywhere and Nowhere, my country currently feels stuck in the Middle of a Politically Charged Everywhere. So, I didn’t want to scroll past current affairs this week.

You’ve probably heard the saying: ‘Hard times create stronger people.‘

I’d rather see this time as an opportunity for us to become truer humans. Not just stronger, not just survivors, but simply and fully human.

But what is a human being, anyway? The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines us as ‘culture-bearing primates.’ I like that definition. I’d also add: a culture-bearing primate with free will.

These days, we’re constantly bombarded with negativity. And no, I’m not saying it’s exaggerated. 

Especially for us young adults, this ‘new world’ feels like a place where we work endlessly just to make it through another month. The future looks blurry. Sometimes, just having one meal a day feels like a blessing. And this harsh reality is what those in power expect us to normalize.

Yet, through our virtual screens, we continue to witness each other’s lives, no matter where we’re from.

One way or another, we’re all human, and we’re all in the same boat, even if the journey is different for each of us.

But it’s easy to forget that. When you have no face, voice or name – when you’re just an anonymous user – it becomes easier for others to hate and judge you.

Still, I don’t recommend hatred. It’s a very heavy, invasive feeling. It sits in your chest and grows like a weed. And it poisons the way we think. It disconnects us.

These times offer us rare opportunities to prove our humanity, not through grand acts of philanthropy, but simply by staying close to our nature.

This doesn’t mean acting on our instincts blindly. It means remembering that we’re primates with free will and that we can choose: not to join the noise, not to dehumanize others, and not to give up.

While we shouldn’t forget our instincts – our need for safety, connection and survival – we must also not switch off the part that makes us truly human: the ability to pause, to reflect, and to act with intention.

As Schopenhauer quotes from Voltaire in The Wisdom of Life: 

‘We have only two days to live; it is not worth our while to spend them in cringing to contemptible rascals.’

They say hard times create strong people. I believe hard times also reveal real people, those who choose dignity over indifference.

Pause before judging. Evaluate before embracing. Question before believing. Be determined not to become a prey to manipulative propaganda. Nurture logical tolerance and water the roots of your human side.

We don’t need to save the world to stay human. But we can refuse to let it take our humanity away.

And that, I truly believe, is what really matters.

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