There are seven billion, 694 million people on earth, and I am one of them. We have emphasized the individual for so long that we sometimes forget about the whole. Our emphasis on individualism may be the cause of many of the problems we are facing in our world today. When I watch the ants or the bees, I do not see them trying to get ahead of the group or get their portion at the expense of the group. Whenever I see an ant or bee apart from the group, the seem to wander around with no purpose. Purpose and mission not only seem to drive the insect world, but every living organism and systems of organisms. Perhaps this why those who have served in the military, world-wide, experience frustration with civilians because of their selfishness and lack of mission orientation.
There are great debates between the proponents of different systems of government as to whether the group is more important than the individual or vice-versa. However, they all agree that the group can only survive by the discipline of the individuals in the group working for the good of the whole group. Whether conscripted or volunteering, we cannot survive without one another. While we have the privilege in many parts of the world to prosper individually, we must not do it at the expense of the other seven billion, 694 million people on the planet. If you have great talent, great skills, or great wealth, don’t use it selfishly, because if the world goes down, you, your talent, skills, and wealth go down with it. It does not matter whether there are two billion who may be against you, or you against them, it is time to work together for the survival of hive and the hill. In every generation there have been those individuals who gave their lives to save others because they knew the value of the group. If you are in position to enjoy life on the earth, enjoy it, but not egotistically or selfishly, do something to help others. If you are not privileged at this time with wealth, do not selfishly cry in your soup, do something to help others. Let us discipline our desires, so that we can discipline our actions, and when we are disciplined for success, others will join us. Just remember, if the ship goes down, we are all in it.