Dear
Readers, on the eve of the next Person of the Year Contest 2020/2021, where the
primary criterion for nominations is selfless service to one's people and
community, I will continue the theme of freedom of choice of life position that
I introduced in the previous issue: "Happy is the one who has chosen a
goal and a path, and sees this as the essence of life." I frequently
discuss the importance of helping others and giving back to the community as
two of the most humane things to do in my writing. After all, according to our
modern concept of what it is to be kind and compassionate, it is a noble act to
assist other people. But just recently, I came across some extremely intriguing
(at least to me) historical information that not only discussed this human
quality but also provided scientific explanations for it, viewing it as an
example of a socially civilized way of life. I wish to share this information with you, my
readers.
Is
assisting one's neighbor a cliché of spiritual practice, a moral obligation, or
a critical necessity. Many scientists, like the famous naturalist Charles
Darwin, have tried to answer this question. And the evidence from our own lives
demonstrates that they were correct.
Why
is it essential for us to assist others? We remember Darwin's theory because it
has two basic ideas: natural selection favors the fittest, and primates
eventually gave rise to humans through the process of evolution. We will not
even attempt to prove or disprove the theory that "We share a common
ancestor with apes.” However, it is not always the case that the most toothy,
muscular, and aggressive species prevails in the struggle for survival. Even
the sick and the weak were able to survive, but only if they learned to work
together for the sake of the entire community. In his writing, he referred to
those societies as, "which will contain the biggest number of individuals
who are most empathetic and helpful to each other, as well as the greatest
number of members who will leave the greatest number of descendants, will be
the most successful. Nature has built in a way for us to understand how others
are feeling and help them when they need it.
Years
ago, Margaret Mead, an anthropologist, once asked a group of students what they
thought was the first sign of civilization. The students thought Mead was going
to lecture them on how to make fishing hooks, clay pots, or polished stones.
But no. Mead claimed that the fusion of a shattered hip bone was an early
indicator of civilization in prehistoric societies. According to Mead, when a
live creature in the animal kingdom breaks a leg, it dies. It can't run away
from danger, go to the river to drink, or hunt for food with a damaged leg.
Because the bone takes a long time to repair, it becomes prey to predators.
When a person's femur bone breaks and then heals, it shows that someone took
the time to stay with them, treat their wounds, move them somewhere safe, and
watch over them until they got better. According to Mead, the act of assisting
another person in need is the beginning of civilization.
Many more reasons are made by psychologists and sociologists that humans are social beings living in a civilized society. And the reality is that we all need to be a part of a community in order to maintain our mental and physical well-being, and no community can prosper without acts of compassion. It influences all aspect of our existence, from the positive to the negative, from the material to the spiritual, from the political to the scientific. By assisting someone, we not only benefit them but also ourselves. It's very important for us to feel like we're part of something bigger than ourselves. Scientists say that most people do want to do good. To be good, no matter what. According to neuroscientists, regardless of how selfish we can be at times, it is our belief in our own "goodness" that boosts our self-esteem.And many scientists say that people actually want to do good.
Editor-in-chief Doctor Zoya Maksumova
(May 2022, "Ladies’ World" №251)
