Ecoblogi – A Blog by Daniel Elkama

According to psychological studies, 30-40% of people are mean and about 20-30% are very empathetic, tolerant and kind. The rest are in between. According to studies, this follows an almost normal distribution, but there are slightly more mean people than truly empathetic people. According to psychologists, every person is born good and innocent. Evil is something that is socially learned. Evil takes hold of a person, such as when the ”bad boys” at school entice their gang to do evil. Evil often arises when a person does not feel adequate and receives no love. He begins to replace the feeling of inadequacy and emptiness with greed and hatred. Above all, evil can be said to be deep ignorance. Blind idealism can replace humanity. Knowledge can increase empathy and good values. So knowledge changes the world. There is no innate evil in a person. So man is not chained to a bad world, but we have the power to create a better present and future.

Respect for freedom is quite common. In Western democracies, about 50-60% are more tolerant. So there are slightly more people who respect freedom than empathetic people. Urbanization and the cultural upheaval with new generations have increased respect for individuality. Only from freedom can a truly happy world emerge. A person is not happy if he is not allowed to be authentic. Love is also a choice that cannot be achieved by force.

The good thing is that the development of empathy and respect for freedom has not stopped, but over the generations, they have grown, and will continue to grow. The world used to be a crueler place: there were slaves, ”witches” were burned at the stake, people were sentenced to cruel punishments for minor offenses, minorities were discriminated against and even exterminated. 2 out of 5 men died in wars. Greedy despots ruled the world and there was no democracy. It is clear that the world is a much better place today by many measures than it used to be, although there are also enormous problems in the world. Of course, there have always been good, progressive and empathetic people. Many people of the past have been just as empathetic, liberal and driven by justice as the progressives of today.

A great change in the world has been brought about by humanism, which began in 15th-century Italy and Holland. Especially humanism and postmodernism, which began in the 1950s. Christianity, Buddhism and many other religions have had an impact on the world, bringing the message of love, mercy, equality and compassion. Hypocritical and merciless religiosity and religious fundamentalism and violence are not the genuine faith that has moved the world forward.

Humanity grows and develops by learning from past mistakes. It often feels like history repeats itself. This is the fluctuation of an evolving system, not that things are stagnant.

Ideal world: Moominvalley

Tove Jansson created a wonderful and philosophically profound magical world in her books, paintings and cartoons. In Moominvalley, everyone is free to live their own lives, and community, hospitality and helping others are important. Moominvalley is not a perfect place without challenges. Sometimes there is a flood. Sometimes a fierce comet almost crashes into the valley. Challenges come, but they are overcome and after that there is greater understanding and community spirit. In Moominvalley, everyone is allowed to be who they are, without the shackles of traditions, beliefs, compulsion and roles. Yet, even though everyone is very different, there is community, acceptance and solidarity. Sometimes the entire people of Moominvalley come together in the face of challenges, such as to save the Phoenix bird. The Phoenix bird is a good representation of society, it returnss to a volcano and burns, but rises from the ashes even stronger.

I believe that the world can be like Moominvalley. The key to the solution is found in our hearts.