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Things that make you love humanity

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westofhere

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In these stressful times, with anger rising re: vaccine refusal, what’s something you’ve seen or read lately that makes you remember the good or even the greatness in humanity, or makes you glad to be human?

Today I’m in love with the Instagram feed of Tom Daley, the British gold medalist who crocheted (knit?) a holder for his medal (and who’s married to Dustin Black, who won an Oscar for screenwriting the movie Milk). His feed is @madewithlovebytomdaley.
 

missy

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Good thread idea!

Spending time with loved ones including my furbabies. Personal connections. All very rewarding. Caring about others.

Being able to donate my time and energy and money towards worthy causes. Actions speak louder than words.

Enjoying the arts. Museums, ballet, The Philharmonic, Broadway and Broadway shows etc.

Cycling down the shore. Being out in nature.

And much more.
 

mrs-b

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@missy's nature photos from her cycle rides with her lovely husband. Foxes, deer, sea life, bunnies, the sea and sky... They always make me SO happy.

But she understands that along with our love of nature, we all also have a shallow side. Consequently, she posts, daily, photos of the ice creams she and her DH buy each time they cycle. Those photos, in combination, never fail to lift my spirits. Ever.
 

missy

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@missy's nature photos from her cycle rides with her lovely husband. Foxes, deer, sea life, bunnies, the sea and sky... They always make me SO happy.

But she understands that along with our love of nature, we all also have a shallow side. Consequently, she posts, daily, photos of the ice creams she and her DH buy each time they cycle. Those photos, in combination, never fail to lift my spirits. Ever.

Aww that makes me happy ❤️
Here’s today’s contribution for you @mrs-b

8448871F-F617-4957-B138-E87229B01FB0.jpeg

And for good measure one of our furry nephews.

C382F197-1236-4476-857A-7B1FAE1690EC.jpeg
 
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westofhere

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@missy’s ice cream posts are dangerous! They inspired me to take out our ice cream maker. So far I’ve made strawberry, peach, and coffee, splurging on Whole Foods’ spendiest cream to do so (it makes a big difference!)
 

missy

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maryjane04

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Aww I love this. I was just thinking this the other day. I went to buy a rocking chair by myself. I went to lift it into my car and random passers-by offered to help. I didn't need their help because I'm a strong determined woman lol but it was really nice that people offered instead of seeing someone struggle.

When it didn't fit I had to take it out of the box and a kind man offered to take my rubbish away.

The other thing is.. I've been buying a lot of baby stuff (second-hand) and a lot of mums are throwing in lots of freebies.

I think the main point of my reply is humanity and helping each other out. Sometimes this is forgotten when we're so busy and only care about ourselves. Covid hasn't helped either because we are all keeping our distance but I believe there is still lots of goodness that happens.
 
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westofhere

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@missy - is there such a career as a pet and ice cream photographer?? Because I'm pretty sure it's your calling! And who knew dogs could drive boats?? Such an awesome photo!

@westofhere - is that peach ice cream?? >siiiiiiiiigh<

Yes! Though late August’s batch will be better, because those are grocery store peaches—the farmer’s market doesn’t have them yet.
 

Matata

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I don't love humanity. For me, the things that compensate for the most noxious members of our species are the arts and small random acts of kindness -- in essence anything that reminds me of our capacity to create beauty in thoughtful myriad ways.

Having been disenchanted with humanity in general for a long time, I've thought a lot about what would restore my faith in my species. I'd come to love all of humanity only if our species was faced with extinction in my lifetime. Then I would be able to overlook all the bad in us, learn to love even our grossest imperfections, and mourn what could have been.
 

MissGotRocks

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So in the grocery store with only two checkers and lines backing up and another checker comes on and takes another customer waiting in line and tells him she is opening her register. Instead of following her, he tapped a woman in another line on the shoulder who had a small order and told her to go in front of him. There was almost an audible gasp from the crowd and the woman was the most shocked of all. It was a good moment for all - sad that these kind things only happen every so often.
 

missy

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The definition of humanity is important to consider when answering this question.
There is a good side and a not so good side.

The word humanity is from the Latin humanitas for "human nature, kindness.” Humanity includes all the humans, but it can also refer to the kind feelings humans often have for each other.

If only most humans exhibited this kind of behavior. For those who exhibit true kindness towards others= that is the best of humanity.

Sadly, I see people often referring to being kind etc but I also know that those who speak the loudest about kindness etc are often the least kind people. Sort of like those who preach how devoutly religious they are often are not the nicest individuals. But I digress. I just get a chuckle (and twinge) when I see some (who I had personal experience with) talking about how important being kind is when I see just how unkind they have been. :/

Then there is the (very) dark side of humanity that cannot/should not be ignored. After all, it is part of being human and the human experience. Our all too negative but human side.

Those who ignore the suffering we see everywhere around us. Those that cause the suffering. The psychological nature of some people to prey upon others. All of humanity has this potential to victimize other humans & living creatures.

Then of course being human includes being selfish. It's an undeniable fact that all humans have a selfish side whether they accept it or not. No one culture, country, race, religion, gender owns the exclusive rights to being selfish. We are all guilty to some extent. That's why it annoys me when a few others paint a country with a broad paintbrush. Let him/her who is without sin cast the first stone.


To answer your question (again if I may) "what do I love about humanity?"

I love genuine people who say what they are thinking without being fake.
I love true kindess where people show it in their actions and not just their (meaningless) words.
I loathe deliberate virtue signaling.

I love humanity at its best which is oft too rare these days.
I love the humans I surround myself with and I tolerate others as I have little choice.

I also appreciate the underbelly of humanity because we are all imperfect.
And that makes us who we are.
But I draw the line at liars and those who treat others meanly and are nasty individuals.
We all know some.

We are not merely the most intelligent of animals. We have a perplexing combination of moral tendencies. We can be the nastiest of species and also the nicest.

Let's not forget the evil we have caused and tolerated/allowed over the centuries. Because to do nothing (or worse yet go along with it) is evil in and of itself.

The many Holocausts; the witch hunting; the torturing; the massacres; the intolerance we have seen through the centuries and continuing today (despite some improvements that cannot be denied but we have a long way to go).

The worst of human behaviour over the centuries cannot be denied.

And yet often we do wonderful things that are the very opposite based on reason, kindness, and cooperation. I would love to see more of that. How can we get there? Or is it impossible as being human inevitably combines the best with the worst. Is it unavoidable that human nature must combine evil with good?
 

Matata

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Is it unavoidable that human nature must combine evil with good?
That's an interesting question that I've pondered for a long time. I've often heard the refrain that we can't know good without evil, love without hate, happiness without sorrow etc. That it is the synergy of those things that keeps us in balance. I wonder what humanity would be like if our lives were free from anything negative. Would we still be inspired to do anything if all we knew were positives. How much perfection could we endure before entropy destroyed us.
 
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westofhere

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THIS. This is the best in us as a species. The article I link to after the video is also great.

(And my baser human instincts say: what heterosexual woman doesn’t love a dreamy Italian Olympian who can also write well?)


 

Daisys and Diamonds

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So in the grocery store with only two checkers and lines backing up and another checker comes on and takes another customer waiting in line and tells him she is opening her register. Instead of following her, he tapped a woman in another line on the shoulder who had a small order and told her to go in front of him. There was almost an audible gasp from the crowd and the woman was the most shocked of all. It was a good moment for all - sad that these kind things only happen every so often.

I can't explain why but for some reason i have a fly in my eye reading this
 

Daisys and Diamonds

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I usually prefer animals but we have some trully lovelly people here on PS

i remember years ago after Gary had had a heart attack and it looked like he was going to need mayor surgery (luckerly stents did the trick) but we came home from a day of hospital tests so despondent
For a long time Tinky and Gary had a rocky relationship - they both had no patients with the other and they couldn't coordinate making an effort for each other at the same time
-anyway that night in bed - the only time - Tinky curled up with Gary - he just knew

Anyway lucky this guy really likes
people
 

Daisys and Diamonds

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On the Wellington trains lots of really good people especiallu my line - the Kapati line
people who would pay fares for people who had forgotten their wallet
 

Austina

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It restores my faith in humanity when I read/hear about people saving abused and neglected animals, and doing things for other people.
 

missy

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That's an interesting question that I've pondered for a long time. I've often heard the refrain that we can't know good without evil, love without hate, happiness without sorrow etc. That it is the synergy of those things that keeps us in balance. I wonder what humanity would be like if our lives were free from anything negative. Would we still be inspired to do anything if all we knew were positives. How much perfection could we endure before entropy destroyed us.

I am not saying we could ever be (or should ever be) free from anything negative.
But to be free of genuine evil would be sufficient (IMO).

I think we need sadness to appreciate true joy and we need life to end in death or we would never really appreciate being truly alive. It is unique to man to be evil and take pleasure in being cruel and that is what I lament over.

If we could try working together during crises (or even mildly) challenging times would be nice.
Think how much further we would be now during this pandemic if people/politicians put aside their agendas and we all worked together.

But perhaps that is too much to wish for.

As for negative characteristics I was not stating I wish we would be free of those because that is what makes us human. The good with the bad. But it is the genuine evil in this world (a far cry from negative characteristics of selfishness etc) I wish we could be free from but that is a wish that will never come true.

And FWIW, IMO, the opposite of good is indifference. Not evil.

"The opposite of good is not evil; the opposite of good is indifference. In a free society where terrible wrongs exist, some are guilty, but all are responsible."
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
 

MissGotRocks

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I can't explain why but for some reason i have a fly in my eye reading this

It was a small gesture but so touching Daisy - particularly I guess because people have been walking around in the grocery store trying to avoid each other for a year. I think we were all kind of shocked to hear him offer her his place in line but everyone seemed genuinely pleased and grateful for his random act of kindness.
 

luv2sparkle

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I love my little town. We have a Facebook page and someone is always posting a good deed that someone did for them, from buying the car behind them Starbucks, or getting back to school stuff for struggling families or finding money and turning it in. It is not people bragging about what they did, but someone posting what someone did for them. Sometimes, people will post a need for a job or help of some kind and there is always people willing to step up.
 

caf

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In these stressful times, with anger rising re: vaccine refusal, what’s something you’ve seen or read lately that makes you remember the good or even the greatness in humanity, or makes you glad to be human?

Today I’m in love with the Instagram feed of Tom Daley, the British gold medalist who crocheted (knit?) a holder for his medal (and who’s married to Dustin Black, who won an Oscar for screenwriting the movie Milk). His feed is @madewithlovebytomdaley.
Tom Daly rocks!
 

Calliecake

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So in the grocery store with only two checkers and lines backing up and another checker comes on and takes another customer waiting in line and tells him she is opening her register. Instead of following her, he tapped a woman in another line on the shoulder who had a small order and told her to go in front of him. There was almost an audible gasp from the crowd and the woman was the most shocked of all. It was a good moment for all - sad that these kind things only happen every so often.

@MissGotRock, Please move to the Midwest. This happens all the time here. Many of us do that if we have many items and someone else in line only has a few items.
 
W

westofhere

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It restores my faith in humanity when I read/hear about people saving abused and neglected animals, and doing things for other people.
Austina, do you follow Hope for Paws on YouTube? If not, grab some tissues. They save stray abandoned animals. Warning, though: some of them are in really bad shape. But then they’re saved.

I love my little town. We have a Facebook page and someone is always posting a good deed that someone did for them, from buying the car behind them Starbucks, or getting back to school stuff for struggling families or finding money and turning it in. It is not people bragging about what they did, but someone posting what someone did for them. Sometimes, people will post a need for a job or help of some kind and there is always people willing to step up.

Luv2, that’s great.

Today’s joy was watching Simone Biles be her brilliant brave self.
 
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