DON’T GIVE UP

“However difficult life is, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”  

            These words of advice were given in 1983 by Professor Stephen Hawking, the great British quantum physicist whose theories on the universe have revolutionized our understanding of the world we all share. This advice in fact has resonated from generation after generation of aspiring students in search of their own success for as long as man has faced obstacles. It is certainly one of the truly fundamental platforms that success stories are built on and is the natural driving force that ensures survival of the species.

In respect of Hawking, the comment was most certainly based on his own personal experiences and life history. For even after he was diagnosed with the life-threatening debilitating disease of ALS in 1953 and was not expected to survive beyond age 21, he never gave up his hopes and his dreams. For more than 50 years after, his failing body and progressive paralysis was never able to hold back his brilliant mind and his ceaseless determination to open up the universe to a better understanding. He persisted to drive relentlessly on to achieve so much more out of life, even as he became a crumpled piece of humanity confined to a wheelchair and able to communicate only by the use of a single facial muscle and a sophisticated computer system. His story is a tribute not only to a brilliant mind whose work has catapulted human knowledge to unimaginable heights, but equally to an indomitable spirit that never gave up, despite enormous and unrelenting obstacles.

But such amazing examples in Perseverance are neither unique nor limited to a few specially endowed individuals. In fact the history of the world, for as long as man has kept records, overflows with names of people and incidences that illustrate conclusively that all the successful events that have occurred and have benefited mankind have taken place following determined perseverance, often in the face of recurring failures. The following are but a few of the endless examples of these people:

Sir Winston Churchill, Nobel laureate and British Prime Minister during WWII, was a poor student, defeated in every election he contested but became one of the greatest leaders of all- time.

Mahatma Gandhi, shy and introspective, was afraid to go to court but became a great leader who secured freedom of India from British rule. 

Thomas Edison, The great inventor who was said to h8ave tried and failed 1000 times before perfecting the electric bulb.

Albert Einstein, was a slow developer, considered to be a poor learner but ended up a Nobel laureate and the most famous physicist.

Henry Ford, founder of the highly successful FORD MOTOR COMPANY, failed and was bankrupt at least 5 times before succeeding.

Walt Disney, failed in several endeavors before succeeding in creating the world’s greatest entertainment company bearing his name.

Michael Jordan, was not good enough to be on the school team but persisted to become one of the greatest basketball player, ever.

Psychologists describe perseverance or not giving up, as an intentional continuation or determined reapplication of effort toward a goal despite the urge to stop. It is reflection of the intent and commitment by the individual and a major source of the energy needed to provide the focus and strength to succeed. Most of these systems are deeply embedded in the subconscious psyche and only a small degree is subject to conscious awareness. This explains why any successful attempt to institute motivation is less a factor of the prevailing conditions and more of deep-seated belief. It also explains why it is exceedingly difficult to successfully motivate anyone to copy the actions of others, without first getting them to look into their own minds to find the tools needed. This factor is considered to be the prime reason for nearly all the progress made in human civilization, since any change required having to cope with and overcome repeated failures or resistance before succeeding.

Contrary to the general belief, the examples of exceptional persistence are not limited only to a relatively few stories of  outstanding successes and achievements, but in fact, translates to every single aspect of life and living where an individual is challenged to overcome obstacles and is called upon to go beyond his comfort zone. In so many instances the single most important factor ensuring successful outcome is due, much less to inherent ability or inherited intelligence, but rather to strength of character and depth of determination. Benjamin Disraeli, one of Britain’s great statesmen, founder of the British Conservative party and Prime Minister of the UK during the period 1874-1880, and himself no stranger to overcoming adversities and obstacles in his professional lifetime, acknowledged this in the following observation:

“Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.”

We are all endowed to some extent with this inbred desire to succeed. It is deeply embedded in the psyche of the individual and is the lynch pin of survival and growth.  But even though it is essentially an inherited component passed on from generation to generation, yet it is subject to great modification by subsequent exposure to learning and experience. It is seen as early as infancy when, for example, the baby is learning to stand up and walk. The baby will only succeed after repeated attempts of standing and falling have occurred and the rate of success depends as much on its innate instincts as to the influence of the environment. The more encouragement it receives, the quicker the response. This option is available throughout the life of the individual and progress depends overwhelmingly on the effort expended. But whether he chooses to make use of it or not, is a very personal decision that depends on a multitude of factors related to learning, past experiences and personality make-up. For, in order to be effective, it requires not only suppression of subconscious fear and inadequacy, but equally, the application of strength and confidence to the task. Without this, there will be no success as Thomas Carlyle, one of Scotland’s greatest philosophers, more than 200 years ago noted in the following observation:

 “Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all the obstacles, discouragement and impossibilities; It is this that in all things distinguish the strong soul from the weak.”

          
        But the urge to persevering is not only dependent on the attitude and the state of mind of the individual, but also on an effective biological function related to the body’s chemistry. There is well documented evidence that the production of one of the body’s most essential neurotransmitters, Dopamine, operating on certain specific centers in the brain, can also play a major role in determining the ultimate action taken. Scientists have consistently identified higher levels of dopamine being linked to good performance and to be a prime factor in ensuring the discipline needed as a motivating force to help push through and achieve the goal. It appears to act in several key ways; as a fuel that assists in harnessing the individual’s resources to continue forward, as a standard in the formation of good habits and as a catalyst to resist the urge to give up. Dopamine is often categorized in the popular culture as the chemical of desire and motivation and in recent years has received much scientific interest.

          

           Even a cursory review of the thoughts expressed and the reasons offered by some of the most successful people who have contributed to the improvement of the quality of life over the years will reveal a constant stream of unrelenting determination:

Thomas Edison, unquestionably one of America’s greatest and most prolific inventors and entrepreneurs, in offering an explanation in respect of the many unsuccessful attempts he made before succeeding said:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 1,000 ways that won’t work”

Robert Kyosaki, celebrated Japanese-American author, lecturer and business financial adviser was even more direct when he advised:

“Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning.”

Jim Rohn, a very successful American entrepreneur, author and public speaker recognized the difference between success and failure when he recommended:

“Successful people do what unsuccessful are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.”

Wayne Dyer, a well respected American philosopher, author and motivational speaker whose lectures were very highly regarded, took pain to draw attention to the need to be proactive when he said:

         “Be miserable or motivate yourself.

          Whatever has to be done is always your choice.”

Anatole France, one of France’s most respected authors and a Nobel laureate, in describing his own experiences, wrote:

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act but also dream. Not only plan but also believe.”

In all of these, as in the countless number of quotations by other people who have succeeded in fulfilling their dreams and changing the world they lived in, the overriding theme is one of persistence, of not willing to give up in the face of resistance or of failure, but driving on in search of success. It does not mean that success is assured, nor does it mean that it protects from recurrent failure, but it insists that giving up not only robs one of the joy of completion, but even worse, reinforces an attitude of doing so again. Thomas Edison, one of America’s greatest inventors, innovators and industrialists, speaking from very personal experience, confirmed the truth of this when he observed:

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success, when they gave up.”

      

        But to cultivate an attitude of not giving up must be a lifelong pursuit and must form an integral part of a person’s life and living. There is no doubt that as long as we are alive we will inevitably be faced with situations where life seems too hard and no matter how we try, we are never able to reach our goals or fulfill our dreams. In such instances it is easy and tempting to just give up and delude ourselves into feeling that the “next one will be easier.” But experience has shown that this is not true nor is it ever guaranteed. Life itself is a roller coaster of ups and downs and the sooner we recognize we do have the power to modify these changes and increase our chances of improving its quality the better it will be. This will come only from the promise of not giving up, of persevering, in the face of failure. Calvin Coolidge, the 30^th President of the US, credited as one of the most successful of the presidents in bringing the country together, openly acknowledged the power of not giving up when he said:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.”

Indeed, experience has repeatedly confirmed that no human response can be as effective and as successful as that of Not Giving Up!

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LIVING IN THE PRESENT

“Remember that man lives only in the present, in this fleeting instant. All the rest of his life is either past and gone, or not yet revealed.”

The above quotation by Marcus Aurelius, the great Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher who ruled in the 2^nd century B.C. is considered to be one of the fundamental principles of the Stoic philosophy. In this brief but decisive statement he endorsed his primary belief that everything must be seen as they are in the present, and that anything which has already happened, is now beyond our control. And further, since the future is yet to be, it therefore does not exist and should have no influence on the present. This principle of human behavior has survived unchallenged, and has grown with the passing centuries. It remains today the very foundation of a happy and successful life in most societies of the world.

Life can only be lived in the present and any attempt to do otherwise leads to confusion and disappointment. As I have noted in a previous essay; Life itself takes place only in the present. It may include past experience, but it is not of the past. The future has not yet arrived and therefore cannot be included in the present. But every moment we spend in the present is always preceded by the past and will always be followed by the future. Life as we experience it can only be meaningful in this moment and can only be lived for this moment. When we choose instead to tie the present with the events of the past, we only succeed in confusing the picture and create conflict and uncertainty.

Dr. Deepak Chopra, the well respected, Indian-born American physician, author, public speaker and staunch advocate of alternative medicine, in one of his many very well received public lectures, described his view of life in the following terms:

 “Life is a story we weave together from the thoughts, feelings, and emotions we experience each moment. Yet we live the majority of our life in the memories of our past and the expectations of the future. Rarely do we live in the purity of the present.”

 Dr. Chopra lamented the fact that we spend the great majority of our time looking back at our past experiences, and focusing more on what we had done, or should have done, and even worrying how others are viewing our actions. This results in our wasting a lot of time trying to learn lessons that are neither learnable, nor even relevant for the present, and projecting them into the future which is impossible to predict with any certainty.  He stressed that both of these approaches invariably prove futile to our welfare, but even worse, they actually prevent us from enjoying ‘the beauty and the purity of the present’.

 In an interview with Oprah Winfrey a few years ago, Dr.Chopra suggested further that society, with its preoccupation with achieving goals, is much more concerned with looking to the future, and has little interest in the events of this present moment except as it impinges on the future. It should be no surprise to anyone therefore, he reasoned, that we all find ourselves living in a state of regret for the past, and anxiety for the future and spend little time living in the now! He insisted that we will only be at our best and highest levels when we accept to live in the present moment dealing with our present desires, and even went further to suggest that; Living in the present creates the experience of eternity.

        

This view is in fact by no means unique or unconventional and in fact has been shared by many authorities throughout the ages. These are led by the great ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, Lao Tzu, who lived in the 4^th century BC. In trying to explain this dilemma, he correctly recorded, many centuries ago, the following observation:

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past.

If you are anxious, you are living in the future.

If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

He elaborated this by explaining that if one spends one’s life reliving the past, enacting over and over past experiences, especially if they had resulted in feelings of pain and regret, he will naturally end up allowing the past to capture his life and influence his behavior. Then life loses its meaning, and depression is inevitable. And even further, by continuing to relive the negativity of past experiences and feeling the pains of regret, we become conditioned to believing that the future will hold more of the same. This only leads us to look to the future with further anxiety.

But by living in the present moment, being aware of life around you, what you are doing, thinking and feeling, you will be able look at your life as it actually is, and not colored or distorted by the memories of past experiences. This will result in life being viewed from its right perspective, uncomplicated by the past emotions or memories. In this setting, clearly any interpretations made or decisions arrived at, being free of the fear, insecurity or disappointments, are less likely to complicate decisions made or action taken for the future. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the well known American psychologist, professor-emeritus in medicine and founder of the Mindfulness Stress Reduction Clinics, explained this in perceptive and elaborate details when he wrote:

“The only time you have in which to learn anything, or see anything, or feel anything, or express any feeling or emotion, or respond to an event, or grow, or heal is this moment. Because this is the only moment any of us gets. You are only here now; you are only alive in this moment.”

        

Sometime ago Marianne Williamson, the respected American author and lecturer, in a discussion of the topic, very appropriately made the following observation:

“We do not heal the past by dwelling there,

We heal the past by living in the present.”

She explained that as human beings we have a tendency to relive the past, to enact past events in our mind and to question ourselves over and over again. If they were happy events, we try to search out reasons for their occurring and try to apply them in other situations, in the hope of continuing our happiness. If they were disappointing, then we spend our time re-enacting them and trying to look for any lessons to be applied in the future. Even worse, we often try to use these experiences as excuses to avoid any further actions altogether in the hope that they may help us to avoiding more pain. But all of these actions will serve no real purpose in the present moment, except to waste time, squander emotional energy and increase insecurities.

        

By living in the present, by living with the full and complete awareness of this moment rather than allowing your mind to dwell on the past or into the future, we are able to concentrate our attention on the task at hand. By seizing each moment in life, allows us to prolong its true value to us and renders it more meaningful and more rewarding to our living. We are able to focus our energies better, be more productive in our efforts, more able to learn the right lessons and be more confident with our decisions. This is the only genuine formula that inevitably leads to the much happier relationships we are all searching for; No one ever forgets those moments in their lives when they successfully savored the joys and the rewards of thinking and living and achieving, without having the burdens of the past or the apprehensions of the future bearing down on them!

        

But to be successful and continue to stay successful in this endeavor is not an easy task. We must first overcome the very human tendency of continuing to live in the past, of holding on to the painful experiences or perceived faults and weaknesses. Equally, we must be able to overcome our constant urge of recalling difficult times in the past that have condemned us to believing that the present and the future will the same. We must be able to recognize that although we cannot change the past, we can accept and come to terms with it. For only then can we truly set it aside and move on. Without any doubt we must learn the truth in the fact that to live in the moment demands releasing the past and trusting that the future will be better. The more we are successful in removing the shackles of the past and ignoring the dark clouds of the future, the more positive and optimistic we become in the present, and the more confident and promising will our life become.

        

Perhaps the world renowned Vietnamese Buddhist monk, prolific author and dedicated peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, made the most accurate assessment of all, when he offered the following advice:

.

The past is gone. The future is not yet here.

And if we do not go back to ourselves in the present,

We cannot hope to be in touch with life.”

It will do us all a great good, to take heed of these profound words of wisdom. Life will only have meaning when we are able to live it in the present.

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LIVING WITH ANGER

“The intoxication of anger, like that of the grape, shows us to others, but hides us from ourselves.”

These words, written by John Dryden, the great English 16^th century poet and literary critic, crystallize in stark reality, the true impact that anger can create on the mind of the individual. Nothing we can ever do will render us as vulnerable, nor will succeed in exposing the worst characteristics in us as the expression of uncontrolled anger. Robert G. Ingersoll, a noted American lawyer, politician and civil war veteran was more direct when he used the following observation to describe the events that he witnessed in anger:

“Anger blows out the lamp of the mind.”

        

But anger is not always so destructive. In some situations, it is in fact, quite beneficial, especially when it is deliberately used in an appropriate setting. Psychologists view anger as an emotional response that is experienced by all humans at some time or other, as a reaction to potential threat or discomfort. To an extent, it forms an integral part of the innate “flight or fight” mechanism that is so vital for survival. In the right context, anger serves to mobilize the individual’s basic psychological resources for corrective action that are exclusively directed to self-protection. In some ways, it functions as the trigger that brings out the best in the individual at the time when it is most needed. In those situations where the individual remains in control and the response appropriate, it can serve to effectively overcome fear and reluctance, and assist in building the confidence needed to deal adequately with the impending threat or danger.

This knowledge has been well recognized and fully recorded for as long as man has been in existence. Aristotle, the great Ancient Greek Philosopher, who lived in the 3^rd century B.C. recognized this benefit when he noted in the “Nicomachean Ethics” his masterpiece essay on behavior, that such response is worthy of praise:

“The man who is angry at the right things and with the right people, and further as he ought, when he ought, not as long as he ought, is praised.”

This type of Controlled Anger actually functions as a form of alert mechanism arising from within our body, informing us that something is wrong and needs to be corrected. When it is utilized appropriately it is serves to protect us and ensure our well being and our survival from potential adversaries around us.  The well recognized bodily reactions that accompany the response are meant not only to tell us something is wrong, but to prepare us to deal with any fallout that might result. This response, sometimes referred to as “righteous or justified anger,” can offer a great deal of benefits to the user, not only in warning, containing and controlling the threatening milieu, but also in providing the individual with positive physical and emotional benefits. It allows the person the opportunity to retake control of the situation, to re-establish standards and modify any further deterioration. Repeated studies have demonstrated that in such controlled situations, judicious use of anger had achieved better results for the individual than by giving in to them, or by trying to avoid or ignore them.

                                                                   

         But Uncontrolled Anger is different both in execution and in results. This is a powerful human emotional response which we are all capable of exhibiting to varying degrees. In the great majority of instances, it can become a destructive force to the individual’s psyche and has been the cause of more pain and suffering than any other innate human emotion. Anger is an essentially complex, uncontrolled feeling of dissatisfaction and antagonism that is oriented around some real or assumed unresolved grievance. It is always associated with a number of measurable and distinct psycho-biological symptoms and is usually accompanied with loss of control together with an inability to institute corrective actions to regain it. Underpinning these feelings there is inevitably an undercurrent of low self-esteem, feeling of inadequacy and self-rejection which strengthens the individual’s resentment and equally undermines his confidence. Joe Greene, a former successful football player in the 1970’s and presently an equally successful entrepreneur summarized this effect in the following dramatic, uncomplicated statement:

“Uncontrollable anger is damn near insane.”

         By any measure, uncontrolled anger is an all-consuming and intense emotional response which can affect the victim’s personal, physical and social well-being, and seriously compromise the quality of life of the person. In more extreme circumstances it can lead to such undesirable behaviors as violence, including domestic violence and child abuse, road rage, physical assault and even to murder. To make matters worse, while under the influence of anger, the individual becomes completely unaware or unconcerned about the cost to him of this behavior. They tend to justify their behavior and reduce guilt by drawing attention to the hurts and offenses they experienced and their need to protect themselves from further pain. All of which can never compensate the serious price in disappointment they often pay in doing so. Buddha, in his profound understanding of human nature, beautifully summarized this result in the following quotation:

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

Society, except in those situations of controlled anger with appropriate behavior, universally frowns on outbursts of anger, and on people who use it indiscriminately. These people are generally avoided whenever possible and even ostracized in extreme cases. All the major religions are equally unhappy with this behavior among their followers.  Christianity considers it a “Cardinal Sin”, and in Hinduism,
anger and sorrow are considered to be forms of “Unrequited desire”. The Quran attributes anger as an “Enemy of the Prophet” and the Torah records its distaste in comments such as: “he that is hasty of temper exalteth folly”. Buddhism rejects anger adamantly, including it as one of the “Five Hindrances” to good life. This principle continues to be deeply embedded in the teaching all societies and cultures around the world where, irrespective of the circumstances, there is universal agreement that “anger is reserved for the sole discretion of the Gods.”

Yet, despite all of these warning issued at every turn in our lives, I cannot think of anyone, including myself, who is not guilty of directly responding to threatened situations with inappropriate anger over and over again. And, even more disappointing, even after we realize that, rather than solve the conflict, any further response will inevitably aggravate the situation. My own personal experience confirms this. I can think of many occasions when I responded in anger to situations which at the time I felt to be justified, only realizing subsequently that no resolution occurred and even worse, the situation became further compromised.

Contrary to popular view, this behavior is neither unique nor exclusive to modern societies. It has existed for as long as man has engaged in developing and keeping relationships with others. In addition it is universally accepted that such anger is never productive, because we inevitably lose a lot more than we gain in our relationships with others. As far back as the 1^st century, BC, Marcus Antonius (Mark Anthony), the great Roman general and statesman and founder of the ancient Roman republic, lamented this occurrence in the following quotation:

“Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief, than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved.” 

And Marcus Aurelius, another one of ancient Roman’s great emperors who followed more than a century later observed the same situation and expressed sentiments that were the action of fools which he stated in clear and unequivocal terms:

“Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools.”

  As I have grown older, I believe that I have gradually acquired the maturity to see the folly in our actions, and to learn that in conflict situations, patience is a far greater asset than anger, and that much more resolution is achieved by resisting the impulse to explode, than any other action you may undertake. As Albert Einstein, one of the greatest minds this world has ever witnessed has so wisely noted:

“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.”

It is unfortunately a true fact that on many occasions one finds, after the smoke of anger has cleared and the truth is eventually exposed, that while the reasons for the initial angry response turned out to be at best, questionable, the outburst to be totally unjustified, but the damage done to be tangible and often irreversible. Nowadays, I am often guided by the advice of a good friend and relative, Emile, who takes the time constantly, to remind me that in any conflict situation:

“You don’t get angry.

 You take the time to get even”.

Whenever I can, I take every opportunity to pass this advice to all who are likely to fall victim to a situation, and urge them to consider the consequences. For in the end you can do no better than to be guided by the words of the Bible, contained in Romans 12:19:     

“Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God”

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REMEMBERING THE PAST

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

         This very famous and often repeated quotation is generally attributed to George Santayana, the Spanish-born, American-educated author, philosopher and essayist whose work is highly acclaimed throughout the Western world. The observation echoes the somewhat more cynical original versions, written more than 50 years earlier by the outstanding British statesman and philosopher, Sir Edmund Burke:

“Those who do not know history's mistakes are doomed

 to repeat them.”     

 And a few years later, by the great Irish playwright, philosopher and social critic, George Bernard Shaw which stated:

“The only thing we learn from history is that man learns nothing from history.”

        Since these original quotations, many variations have appeared by different authors, all of which leading to the same conclusion. But regardless of the language used, the sentiments are clear and unambiguous; that all the great lessons that ought to be learnt from past experiences are not being learnt, and as a result we continue to repeat the same mistakes and make the same bad choices.

          

         It is very difficult to disagree with, or challenge these sentiments especially since for as long as history records have been available, there is overwhelming confirmation that man does not learn any lessons from the mistakes of the past, and continues to repeat them over and over. Unfortunately this lack of interest is equally seen both among the informed (who should know better), and the uninformed (who do not care).  It appears that being informed of current events and even being aware of the past history is, contrary to popular assumption, does not appear to have any influence on the decisions made in the present. This brings to mind an interesting and very appropriate quotation by an Anonymous Author, which effectively explains the activity in clear and simple terms:

 “Those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it. Yet those who do study history are doomed to stand by helplessly, while everyone else repeats it.”

           Throughout the years of mans existence on earth, despite all the many senseless and unrewarding strife, wars, and sufferings that have taken place under the guise of a countless variety of reasons that include religion, racial separation, cultural superiority, territorial expansion and the many conflicting belief differences offered, there has been little fundamental improvement in understanding, and even fewer if any, lessons learnt. Wars, whether local or global, have not resulted in the “end of all wars” as has been repeatedly promised, but instead they served only to engender more wars. Revolutions that were meant to remove one dictator ended up producing another, even more brutal one. Sworn enemies, who fought against each other and caused widespread death and destruction to one another, turned around and joined forces against their former allies with the same intent. And even among religions, dedicated to peace and love to all God’s creatures, there have been constant rivalry, confrontations and turmoil that were definitely not ordained by God. All of which points to that basic innate human tendency of survival by domination rather than by reason, good sense and understanding. This serves only to confirm the simple but very accurate observation by another Anonymous Author who noted:

        “History keeps repeating itself because no one is listening.”

        

         Even at the individual level, man has fared no better, as he continues to repeat the same mistakes and suffer the same painful consequences without learning from them. It is well known that people tend to mature by learning from their mistakes and finding ways to avoid them. But if, for whatever reason, they do not learn, they are doomed unfortunately. to continue to repeat the same behavior often with increasing vigor. It should be no surprise to anyone therefore, to witness the progressively increasing incidences of anti-social behavior, drug abuse, disruptive family dynamics and crime that are developing across societies and nations. The reasons for these developments are not difficult to explain. Instead of learning from the past, trying to identify the causes and taking steps to correct them, they choose to  avoid responsibility and to shift the blame onto other factors and other people. In this way, by creating unrest and conflict around them, within communities and between races and religions they succeed in shifting the blame away from themselves, without having to learn any lessons or make any changes; All of which can be directly attributed either to a lack of understanding of the lessons of the past, or a unwillingness to take the time to actually learn from them

        

         History is a record of people’s behavior. In its pages can be found information on how people lived, thought and interacted to the prevailing circumstances. In its pages, can be traced the story of human development and behavior going back many centuries. In fact it is the most reliable tool available to man to help in his finding and understanding how the world evolved, why events took place and how to correct them. It provides information on the occurrence of changing circumstances and how we responded to the changes. It is a story that continues and like life itself, contains a mixture of good and evil, of heroes and villains, of successes and failures, and everything in between; all of which is readily and easily available to us to learn from. But in order to learn more about both the successes and the mistakes that occurred during that period we must actively search out the causes and the reasons and apply them to our current situations. Only then can we use the knowledge acquired to build a better future by improving on past successes and avoiding the failures.

         Unfortunately, as our history of repeating mistakes tells us loudly and clearly that this does not happen in the great majority of instances. There are far too many examples of how we in fact, have not learnt anything from history, even when the facts are glaring before us and when many voices are raised loudly shouting to us in desperation: “Never Again.” For had we learnt the right lessons, there would have been only one war before we would have recognized its futility, and there would have been religious harmony and racial equality after the realization that any of the many conflicts that have taken place between the different religions and within them, have achieved very little results, if any at all. The current Roman Catholic Pontiff Pope Francis, in a sermon on the futility of conflicts, placed this in right context when he said:

“Even today, we raise our hands against our brother; we have perfected our weapons, our conscience has fallen asleep, and we have sharpened our ideas to justify ourselves as if it is normal to continue to sow destruction, pain and death. Violence and war leads only to death.”

         The world is presently undergoing a catastrophic turmoil affecting all the nations in one way or another. But the underlying causes are not fundamentally different than they have been throughout the ages and unfortunately, like our ancestors, we have yet to spend the time to learn the lessons from the past experiences that are clearly recorded in the pages of history. Throughout the millennia of man’s existence on earth, the world has been plagued by the same recurring problems of war, disease and hunger. Man has yet to learn this glaring lesson from history that it is his fundamental, distorted human nature that stands in the way of peace, of absence of want and of freedom from disease. It is this human nature, guided by greed, domination and power that are the root causes of humanity’s problems. It may appear under an endless combination of excuses that include race, religion, ethnicity, appearance, among so many others, but all are the result of human ignorance of history, and his rigid unwillingness to learn from past experiences.

         This behavior has been frequently described by many authorities as self-destructive and crazy because of the continued problems that have resulted and our tendency to repeating our actions over and over again and each time expecting a solution. Therein lays the root causes of all the conflicts, deprivation and suffering that have washed over the world like so many disease epidemics and continue to do so today. It certainly fulfills the definition of Social Insanity by Albert Einstein, the great German-born theoretical physicist, who’s “Theory of Relativity” is considered to be one of the two pillars of modern physics, He described this state in the following terms:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

        

         Despite being counseled by history itself, man has chosen to disregard the lessons that must be learnt in order to correct the negative forces that drive humanity to hold on to everything, rather than learning to change them without anger and resentment. Abraham Lincoln, while speaking after the end of the disastrous American Civil War in 1865, described this aspect of human behavior and the action that must be taken to avoid further conflict or war in brilliantly prophetic words that the whole world continues to ignore:

“Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us therefore study the incidents in this as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be avenged.”

         We are all the current living products of our past, and the only way we have of understanding ourselves and how we got to be who we are, is by looking at our past. Without genuine efforts to understand the reasons for other people’s behavior, and how they think and act, we will continue to make mistakes in judgment, and create errors in assumption, leading inevitably to misunderstanding and suspicion and continued turmoil and conflict. Until we have learnt the wisdom of correcting our past mistakes and put into place the right actions necessary, we like our predecessors before us, and possibly those who will follow us, are doomed to live out our lives in a world of unrelenting strife and conflict.

-This is the price we must all pay for not learning the lessons from the pages of history.

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