Civilization is Uncivilized

Civilization. Where would we be without it? Perhaps we would be in a better time.

We have formed a “civilized” society in which we are supposed to work together to push humanity forward. We can work more efficiently if we all take on roles reflecting our strengths rather than each person having to do everything for himself. Imagine the early days when someone would have to go out and gather food and water for his family. Each person would have to take the same trek. Now, we can create farms and transport large quantities of food without anywhere near the previously required work. This frees up time for those who have other things that they want or need to work on.

The problem with civilization is that we behave more uncivilized than ever before. We don’t comprehend what others are going through, and we act arrogant for doing our jobs. For those who are struggling, we just assume that it’s because they are unwilling to contribute. While this is true for some, others aren’t good enough at specific tasks. While that is technically true, everyone has unique strengths. We look down on others not because they are inferior, but because they are different. This compounds the problem by limiting possibilities for anyone who desires a sense of individuality.

What if there were people out there who were actually capable of fixing all of society’s problems? We would discriminate against them for being different. They wouldn’t be able to find work due to the discrimination. They would be viewed as a drain on society for failing to contribute because we wouldn’t let them contribute.

This kind of environment can create other problems. Promoting conformity can make people vulnerable to bad influences. Forcing people to embrace society can harm those who want more control over their own lives. Praising those who have good lives while ridiculing those who struggle can create a sense of arrogance for those who reach high levels. Using value of someone’s job as a measure of personality promotes greed. Categorizing people by their level of success can segregate people into a caste-like structure, and people generally don’t get along well with people who are at different levels. Promoting misguided values can result in all sorts of problems, including violence.

In some ways, civilization has made it so that we work with others rather than rely sole on what we can do for ourselves. With the promotion of greed and arrogance, people actually seem to care less about others than ever before. This raises a question. What’s more important, civilization or a civilized society?