24 June 2007:
"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him that you have a plan."
-OLD ADAGE
There can be no such thing as an ideal world. Ideals vary from individual to individual. Can any two individuals truly envision an ideal world that is completely identical in every aspect? If we are all truly unique beings, then what we perceive as a perfect world must also be unique to some to degree. An ideal world can only be attained through the destruction of individuality. The homogeneous population that results has been the goal of fanatics for millennia. It's true that such a world would never know conflict of any kind since everyone's goals and views would be completely aligned. But the cost of such a peace would be no less than the sacrifice of our humanity. As long as any aspect of our respective personalities is not completely identical to one another there will be some degree of conflict, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Larger conflicts, involving murder and war, inevitably grow from smaller conflicts. Who knows how many thousands died at Troy because of one man's jealousy? How many millions have been killed because of differing religious beliefs? In the face of such conflicts, one cannot help but hope for an existence devoid of war. But there must be some appreciation for the fact that some things are worth fighting for. More terrible than the death of flesh is the death of dreams and the death of hope. Against this terror the soul of the warrior shines brightly, like a star against the dark night sky. Against a sky of homogenous light, the star has no beauty - it cannot even be seen. We are just like those stars: we are most beautiful when we shine in the dark. Our individuality is the source of our greatest power. It could very well be the greatest power in all the universe because it is the source of perception of the universe. It is the power to change the world - the power to create or destroy. Although this power can be abused, it must not be abandoned. History shows that movements that espouse fanatical views of conformity, like communism and fascism, are ultimately defeated by their own stagnation and stifling homogeny. People will not tolerate an order that represses their individuality and demands conformity for very long.Humanity must never sacrifice our identities as unique individuals for one narrow vision of what the world ought to be. We must never abandon the power of our potential for the security of stasis. And we must never surrender all that we are and all that we could be for all that we have.
