A while back, I read about a study conducted on fans of the Italian soccer team during a match against France. Researchers tested the fans’ testosterone levels before the match and found that when the Italian team scored, their testosterone levels noticeably increased. Conversely, when France scored, the hormone levels dropped.
Interestingly, these changes weren’t observed in the players but in the regular fans. This demonstrates how profoundly a sports match can affect us as human beings. Another example that comes to mind is from a documentary about wolves. It mentioned that when wolf pups were born, protective hormones surged not only in the parents but also throughout the entire pack. These are powerful and intriguing phenomena, highlighting the interconnectedness of creatures.
As creatures of nature, this behavior is present everywhere, yet we often fail to examine it critically to understand our own behavior. I intend to explore this further to understand evolution-related issues better. These hormone fluctuations are not just archaic occurrences; they happen today as well.
While hormone production related to wolf pups is understandable, as humans, we should already know more about our emotions and their causes. I feel like a child repeatedly asking, “Are we there yet?” in our quest for self-understanding.
In Western nations, children are often taken away from individuals who act out emotionally or under the influence of hormones. Most, if not all, justice systems aim to control emotions. Are we evolving too quickly, unable to balance our evolving social rules with our out-of-control emotions during these changes? It’s a clear fact of being human that, when forced, we adapt to changes. It is time to learn about the realities of our hormones and their connections to our behavior so we can understand the consequences of our actions. We can’t hide behind emotions, regardless of their powerful nature. We need to understand the importance of evolving and changing gradually, with acknowledgment as the first step.
Growing up, I heard a sermon by Maulana Ajmal in Pakistan. He said, and I quote, “If I give you a piece of paper and ask you to put your finger through without ripping it, what would you do? If you take a pin and make several holes in the paper, it will allow you to put your finger through without ripping it.” He explained that human knowledge must be given gradually; otherwise, it confuses rather than enlightens. End quote.
Adaptation to knowledge has its own rhythm, and everyone has their unique pace. Sometimes, knowledge brought to light by an individual might not be understood by the masses and can be misinterpreted.
Our grading system in schools is a great example: knowledge of any kind should be given gradually because knowledge is meaningless if not understood. Just like muscles are built with steady stress, not sudden heavy weights, the same applies to learning. If someone doesn’t understand, they might need more time and explanation. Religious knowledge often lacks a solid foundation; digging into it can lead to losing faith. It’s not about God’s existence but about our understanding. Believing extremely without understanding is ignorance. Killing someone over incomplete knowledge is like giving a death penalty and later discovering the person was innocent. This is a spiritual crime, common on both sides of any conflict.
Drug companies claim their drugs are scientifically proven, yet people die from these drugs. Religious extremists commit acts of violence in the name of a God they don’t fully understand. We use only a fraction of our brain’s potential. If you doubt this, look around: in every field, we are evolving and still learning, showing we have much more room to grow.
Ask yourself in the dead of night: How much of a wolf are you? How much of an evolved human being are you? This personal question can only be answered individually. If you feel influenced by your sense of belonging to a group, you won’t be honest with yourself.
Overcoming the sense of belonging requires becoming the CEO of your life. If you don’t believe you are the CEO of your life, become one first before claiming to be an individual beyond the boundaries of your group.
As humans, we are not fully evolved yet, despite our progress in all areas, including religion. Claiming to be a perfect, evolved human is a reflection of social and political influences from our groups.
Unfortunately, we still need to protect ourselves, our families, communities, nations, and religious beliefs from our kind due to differences. Some want to change everything, and some resist change. Our civilization hasn’t reached the point where we can live harmoniously despite our differences.
We may or may not reach that point, depending on how we use our weaponry. We could destroy ourselves before reaching our potential or recognize and understand the emotional beast within.
Each situation is unique, but the politics of belonging is a powerful force. We need to evolve individually to become CEOs of our lives, understanding the balance between belonging and freedom, not just one or the other.
Would that be chaotic? Maybe, but we already have chaos. Conservatives and authoritarian systems resist giving CEO powers to individuals, especially in religious politics, which won’t accept that God exists without humans.
Personally, I believe if you only follow knowledge from ancestors or old books, you’ll just continue the past. Innovation requires forward-thinking individuals questioning and improving existing knowledge. In all fields, including religion, knowledge must evolve to meet humanity’s needs.
If you’ve adopted your group’s political knowledge, it’s your choice. But if you can’t step outside those boundaries and think like a CEO of your life, you are using your free will to stay within limits. As a CEO, you owe it to yourself to understand why you are the way you are.
Remember, potentially you are created by God, whether you believe in God or not. You are above any data you possess. Use your free will to make choices; you are a CEO created or not. If you can’t step outside your boundaries, you undermine your potential, not following God’s order to evolve continuously.
Look around at human evolution: we can predict and track weather and natural disasters. Without forward-thinking individuals, we’d still be throwing virgins off cliffs to please God.
God and religion are still part of our lives, but human progress shows we are not to be contained within boundaries. It’s mind-boggling that individuals today can still be radicalized into extremists. Fundamental problems are related to basic issues. Prejudice, whether racial, national, or religious, stems from the politics of belonging.
If all groups teach prejudice, humanity will never unite. We will always identify as Muslim, Christian, black, white, Pakistani, Canadian before recognizing our shared humanity.
In reality, we are all human beings first, beyond our assumed identities. Scientifically, we are made of the same material. Genetically, we can intermix and reproduce perfectly, share blood and organs, and save lives. Differences come from data, not carbon or genetics. This data must be overhauled and re-evaluated by all groups and individuals because we are not just data.
Your religious knowledge, nationalism, racism, traditional clothing, symbols, and cultural traditions are all data. You are an entity beyond this data. If taught otherwise, you need to re-evaluate yourself.
Strip away everything and dig deeper to find a human being with five bucks. You hold the key; you run the computer. You are above the computer, beyond the data. Find yourself beneath cultural traditions and take charge of who you are. Discover your potential and make God proud, or remain stuck in the politics of belonging, committing spiritual crimes under a false sense of pleasing God.
A black person remains black regardless of their beliefs. We have white Muslims, black Jews, brown Christians, and olive Hindus. Differences stem from education.
These differences are rooted in fears of love loss, power, and security, making them entirely political. We fear members of our group straying to others, weakening our group. Politics, security, and upbringing teach us to belong to our groups, despite abuse within them. We think that’s just life, but it doesn’t have to be.
Differences of opinion are common, but the problem is when society, parents, teachers, nations, or religions enforce their views as the truth. We use the politics of God, heaven, and hell to control and mold our offspring, even if we’re wrong. Belonging to one group is spiritually wrong; we must let humanity or God function as a whole. If your holy knowledge preaches for a particular group and not humanity, it is political, not holy.
Imagine if no one killed over beliefs. Humanity would be much further along today. Human knowledge is like a light switch; it comes on instantly. Humanity needs to take a leap of faith, addressing current issues as they arise. Stopping killings over beliefs is the first step to self-understanding, belonging, and God.
Understanding the balance between belonging and freedom and the reason for free will is crucial for individuals today. Knowledge of self-worth and connection to the source is foundational. Humanity must understand that God’s body can’t function if its cells are at each other’s throats.
Belief in a single mosque or church brick must evolve with the times. Individual responsibility for adapting to a changing world is essential for peace. The rhythm of adaptation should suit everyone to evolve. Those slowing down evolution may have wisdom for gradual adaptation instead of sudden destruction.
The idea that war creates peace is false. War creates emotionally charged, cunning creatures, hindering our journey to peace.