A CASE FOR LOVE …AND TRUST

In the past few weeks, the media has been awash with news about gender-based violence, racism, wars and all the societal atrocities that are newsworthy. Recent events such as the profane rape and murder of Uwaila Vera Omozuwa in Benin, Nigeria, and the gruesome murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, USA are examples. It would seem that while man has made tremendous advances in moderating his environment, deciphering electromagnetic waves, space,  germs, etc, there has not been an equivalent tempering of man’s primordial nature to be so risk averse in self-preservation that he behaves in ways that are abhorrent to his humanity.

Even more galling than rape or murder is the fact that systems in our society have become enablers for behavior that is repulsive to most people. The increasingly sickening nature of societal atrocities in recent times, points to the fact that the fraudsters are less afraid of being caught and that we have unconsciously permitted vices that have evolved into a terrifying shade of something we do not understand. Therefore, while we fail to overcome the unnatural instinct to be intolerant of the humanity of others, the need to acquire by might, overpower and take over by violence if need be, has comfortably become part of the systems which we live by. Failure to fix the problems closer to us, our more ‘human’ problems, would ultimately undermine our development and the progress we have attained in improving the convenience of life.  

How can we pursue sustainable development in an environment that promotes the survival of the most unconscionable? Is there ever going to be a time when we are all equally strong and then maybe respect each other’s humanity because we can’t overpower each other? Ultimately, we have to ask what does this world need? Many would say that what we need is love, and I agree. Love is the path that leads to the development of nations and people, even though its expression is limited by our definition of it. Most definitions of love center on emotions, affections and belief. While all these definitions are right, I prefer a simple definition that I can apply to my everyday life. For me, love is your highest quality of service. I am not sure if this definition is original or not, but it has resonated with me over the years. Love is the quality of service you offer yourself, family, neighbours, society, anyone and anything. This usually means that we are thinking of others more than we are thinking of ourselves. However, this focus on others results in the greatest rewards to us. I cannot explain why, that is just how it is. Love adds a strong dose of “humane-ity”, the willingness to value the humanity of others as much as we value ours, to our interactions. This humane-ity, which recognises that other people’s claim to existence is as valid as ours, is waning in our societies. When we love, we act humanely, giving the best of ourselves and the result is that others can rely on our love-fueled service without fear, because our service is of that high quality. Isn’t it said that perfect love casts out fear? 

This fearless reliance or trust is what we look for in the things we love, be it relationships of any type, financial institutions, governments, churches, food, etc. In our dealings, we want to be offered the highest quality of service and we seek trust as evidence of the work of love. As a result, poor service fosters distrust and fuels dysfunctional systems where fraudsters thrive. The existence of fraudsters creates distortions that erode value for everyone and increases the pressure on the system to earn the trust of the society. However, everyday life involves situations where the potential loss is high, and yet we must trust. These mundane activities that characterize everyday life, such as learning, using hospitals, using public transport, eating out, etc. necessitate trust. For this reason, societal systems, especially the justice system, must be built on love and measures must be put in place to protect this love, foster trust and deter fraudsters. 

At the point where decisions that affect others are made, we must think about the quality of service we are offering and ask ourselves if it is good enough to offer our loved ones. If the type of fairness or justice you offer is not good enough for your loved ones, then it’s not good enough for the system.  If when in duty to the public, creating laws, policies and constitutions, we meet the standard of love, then are we creating an ecosystem for sustainable development. In that kind of environment, human endeavours can be fearlessly pursued by relying on the systems that have been built in the highest quality of service to us. Unless we do this, we would be pursuing a repetitive path and lauding short-term gains that would not exist in the long term. 

In closing, the gift of our highest quality of service to everyone and acting in ways that breed trust is the path we must pursue if we really want national development and progressive societies. 

N.B thanks to this article  https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/news/your-ideas-are-better-than-you-think-4865508/ by Scott Olster for giving me the courage to write and post this.