Before this revelation, I considered fear to be the primary
driver of human behavior and belief.
Fear is why we over-consume in one country while people starve in
another one. As a matter of fact, fear
is why we have bothered to divide ourselves up into countries which emerge as a defense mechanism
against oppression. Fear is also why most major world religions
believe in some sort of metaphysical cure for what ails us. I
could go on, for example why we have: currency
and systems to accumulate wealth; pharmaceuticals that help people to live “normal”
lives; even right down to why we have last names – all come from an urge to
define - an urge which comes from a latent, a priori fear of “the other” who is
presumed to be intent on doing us harm for their own benefit. [Of course, this is often a reflection of our
own intent, which is a separate topic altogether.]
My revelation is about the source of fear. I became aware that the primary emotion
driving human behavior is still fear, but underlying the fear is love – two kinds
of love, love of and love for.
Love for others and love of stuff [which can include other people]. We love stuff, so we presume that others also
love stuff and will probably try to take it, and in the process or as a result,
harm those we love. So, we build
walls that start with definition to protect our loved ones from suffering harm.
So, on this St. Valentine’s Day, a day to celebrate love, I
hope to be more mindful of whether I am celebrating love of, or love for. Most things - emotions included - can’t cause
themselves to exist. They need an agent
and for me, I am that agent. I think that’s
what the great religious leaders are calling for when they call for love.
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