The Gift of Humanity

Photo credit:  My husband

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

“We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness.”

Charlie Chaplin

Humanity.

When you think of it… well, I am sure a lot of things come to mind.

Some instantly think of goodness.

Others think of traits that are not so kind.

Humanity.

Is it good?

Is it bad?

Have we gone way too far in the other direction where real and genuine humanity is gone?

I hope, dear readers, that as we look around our lives today…

You can find some goodness in humanity in several different ways.

When we make our final trip around this planet, humanity still goes on and on.

Compassion, kindness, love, and respect.  

These traits are what humanity should represent. 

I was reading the origins of the saying, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”  Many people have quoted, misquoted, over quoted, under quoted this phrase.  It was written by Alexander Pope, a great poet of the Enlightenment. The whole poem is actually worth a read.  Here is a little excerpt: 

“Are mortals urg'd through sacred lust of praise!

Ah ne'er so dire a thirst of glory boast,

Nor in the critic let the man be lost!

Good nature and good sense must ever join;

To err is human; to forgive, divine. “  Another portion of the poem is quite succinct:       

“Be silent always when you doubt your sense;

And speak, though sure, with seeming diffidence:

Some positive, persisting fops we know,

Who, if once wrong, will needs be always so;

But you, with pleasure own your errors past,

And make each day a critic on the last.”  

The summary of the poem was criticism of those who look down their noses with disdain and to adopt an attitude of humility (in my opinion).   Why am I writing about a poet that most folks rarely, if ever talk about (in everyday life).  Well, I once again found myself in the ER taking someone near and dear for some emergency care.  The room was packed like sardines.  So many ailing folks.  Some needed mental care.  There was a lady walking around crying with a blanket over her head.  A little old lady and her husband were sitting huddled across the room.  The lady, (the patient) was comforting her husband because they had waited so long to be seen (he was clearly worried for his wife).  I saw a medical team come and retrieve someone whose loved one had died in the ER.  Another woman was crying in pain, just wanting to be seen by someone for relief.  I could go on and on about the pain and suffering that was occuring in that room.  It brought to mind the thought of humanity.  I decided to look the definition up just to see if it meant what was the concept in my mind.  It is defined as follows: compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition; the quality or state of being humane.  Then of course, the state of being human.  I can’t imagine working in the ER day in and day out seeing varying states of humanity… it probably breaks some of their hearts.  Others, they may roll their eyes when they see the person walk in.  I have heard some stories from nurses about some more interesting patients.  In that moment, I had a great respect for those who see probably the best and worst of humanity on a daily basis.  I don’t know that I could do what those souls do on a daily basis.  What can I do?  What can we do?  Practice humanity.  Pray for our fellow humans.  Realize that in this vast pool of humanity that there are those who are truly, genuinely suffering.  I believe that social media has really put a damper on humanity.  It can be both a blessing and a curse, right?  You see perfect lives with no issues.  When really, life is both high and low.  Nothing is perfect (if only).  I pray that we can all be more human to those around us.  In the words of President Woodrow Wilson: “There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed.”