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Tuesday, July 21, 2009 We Can Be Invincible In his book, Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl wrote about his days of incarceration in the concentration camps where starvation and humiliation became a way of life. The prisoners' daily diet was a bowl of weak soup. Even the smallest piece of bread or sausage that was no longer than an inch was great luxury. Chamber pots were used as crockery. Personal hygiene was the least of one's worries. Stripped of their possessions, the prisoners had nothing to call their own. Their education did not matter and their families were taken away from them. Many mulled over the misery and unfortunate fate, and eventually succumbed to the brutality. It is during these times, that a realization dawned upon Frankl. He knew that no matter what was taken away from him, no one could take away his freedom to choose. He had the freedom to choose his attitude towards his surroundings. Frankl found strength in his love for his wife. He focused and visualised on the good things in life, and his optimism kept him alive till the day he was freed. The brutal conditions that were inflicted upon him could not break his unfathomable spirit. Like Frankl and the others, mankind has been led into the "captivity" of evolution. Changes are inevitable. In this new age, Man has begun to play God. Scientific breakthroughs such has cross-breeding, gene transfers, cloning and stemcell research are making waves in the new world.  The introduction of Genetically Modified Food has spurred controversy. Debates continue among the concerned advocates who fear the impact these changes may have on health, the environment or even human existence. Amidst these, new found viruses have been razing societies and becoming worldwide pandemics. Much has been said and yet, the exploration continues. The more we fight it, the more energy and publicity we give to the cause. As a result, we become the latent propagators.Today, it's a wonder whether the food that we call "organic" is purely organic. With crossbreeding and changing conditions, we may have unwittingly become accustomed to the changes our food has gone through that we no longer remember what it used to be like. What are the reasons behind the experiments?
Whatever the outcome or effect, it is us civilians who bear the brunt. So what do we do? Should we run or protest? Neither is necessary. Change begins with us. We can't stop the world but we can build our will. The power of the human spirit is far greater than any force in the world. Even amidst the greatest catastrophe, we could come out unscathed. Let the world do what it wants to do. Let the viruses go on a rampage. It can't shake the human spirit. As Viktor Frankl says, "We have the freedom to choose." What choice have you made? To fight the little things, let them manifest and consume you? Or To choose your destiny, focus on a positive world and thus, build your resilience? Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit - Bern Williams Labels: To Think About |
