Contradictions
Inherent to Human Existence
Summary: Contradictions are inherent to human
existence because of inbuilt contradictions among human needs. Contradictions
give rise to conflicts and in order to keep existence, conflicts demand
amicable intellectual resolution. One should not be unduly worried about
contradictions and conflicts one faces in the due course of life.
We have been generally taught that food,
clothing and shelter are basic human needs. It is generally assumed that
satisfaction of these needs is all that is required for peaceful and happy
life. This may generally be true among have nots in resource deficient
environments. But among people with sufficient material resources satisfaction
of these needs is insufficient to meet their ends.
All human beings besides having material and
biological needs have other needs in the form of interests, sentiments and
relationships.
Interests
generally refer to material goals and objectives of human living and may be
rooted in other human needs for example a man in need of food is interested in
getting food. Interests may also be contextual or culturally determined as
generally accepted material entitlements. Interests may be protected by law and
then interests are known as rights. Interests may be short term interests such
as need for entertainment or long term interests such as the need to conserve
relationships, carrier, business establishment, capital etc. Quite often there
may be a conflict between short term interests and long term interests.
Sentiments or emotions are
protective reflexes that direct action at a distance and thus have a directive
influence on human needs. For example sight of the food you relish shall have a
directive influence on your appetite and shall make you act to grab the food.
The best case on this point is probably parental instinct leading to parental
care and survival of species. Sentiments often influence our decisions
regarding situations we want to get into or get away from and thus have a
directive influence on our wants and desires. Sentiments are ephemeral in
character, changing with changing mood, time, place etc. Sentiments may often
be in conflict with long term interests.
Relationships are incidental to
human need to live in groups such as family, society, work organizations etc.
We have a vast variety of relationships such as father, mother, son, daughter,
husband etc. Each and every relationship is unique in being governed by
particular rules of relationship. In any relationship rules of the particular
relationship prevail over self-interest and therefore a relationship demands
commitment to rules governing the particular relationship. Relationships are
long term phenomena and rules governing particular relationships generally do
not vary with time and place.
Emotionally wholesome environment (entertainment) facilitates easy
compliance with rules of relationship but any relationship can be satisfied
only by commitment to rules of relationship. Therefore in a relationship,
commitment prevails over sentiments and self-interests.
It is self-evident that human needs are diverse;
therefore conflicts and contradictions are liable to arise at any point in time
and space within an individual or between individuals. Short term pleasures can
often be in conflict with long term prudence and pragmatism. Short term
sentiments and self-interests can often run contrary to long term
relationships. The opposite can also happen that for the sake of long term
interests, short term needs are sacrificed. But one thing is certain that
conflicts and contradictions are inherent to human existence and an individual
has to relentlessly negotiate through.
Conflicts and contradictions being inherent to
human condition demands provision for efficient conflict resolution mechanisms
with sufficient resilience. We can’t sleep over conflicts or indulge in
self-denial or self-deprivation. Conflicts often demand intellectual resolution
to the greatest satisfaction of various concerns. Bullying, hegemony,
self-denial, authoritarianism, self-deprivation, etc. should be avoided for the
sake of mentally healthy individuals and healthy societies. Suppression of
normal needs, wants and desires is not good for long term health of a society. Conflict
resolution is a perpetual balancing act and we have to constantly act to keep
the dynamic equilibrium, individually as well as collectively.
It demands that people adopt a life style
(system of living) so that it is generally capable of meeting their short term
as well as long term needs, interests, sentiments, relationships etc. Life
style should be stable, progressive, well adapted to living conditions as well
as adaptable to changing facts and circumstances. The life style should be
capable of meeting any destabilizing influences i.e. conflicts and contradictions
of diverse origin. This would also demand sufficient resilience within the
system of living. So the life style is not only well adapted to living
conditions but is also adaptable to future conditions. In any well organized
system of living, an individual conflict or contradiction is a tiny fraction of
the whole and therefore should not a cause to worry about.
There is also need to design a
self-perpetuating sustainable culture which can naturally and organically take
care of various human needs. It should have efficient conflict resolution
mechanisms to ensure its adaptability to various challenges in the face of
perpetual struggle for survival. Authoritarianism, egocentricity, will to dominate;
hegemony can’t have a place in a sustainable culture.
Lastly individuals as well as societies should
not only be adapted to conditions of their existence but should also be
adaptable to ever changing conditions of their existence. The issue is not
existence of inherent conflicts; rather the issue is how effectively we deal
with them. It demands a perpetual balancing act to sustain the dynamic
equilibrium incidental to existence of an individual as well as any human
society.
Author: Dr Mahesh C. Jain is a practicing medical doctor and has
written the book “Encounter of Science with Philosophy – A synthetic view”. The
book begins with first chapter devoted to scientifically valid concept of God
and then explains cosmic phenomena right from origin of nature and universe up
to origin of life and evolution of man. The book includes several chapters
devoted to auxiliary concepts and social sciences as corollaries to the concept
of God. This is the only book which deals with origin of nature and universe
from null or Zero or nothing. 37th chapter of the book deals
with Philosophy of Living.
http://curatio.in
No comments:
Post a Comment