Being Humane

The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane. Mahatma Gandhi

What Does It Mean to be Humane?

I believe there is a fatal lack of what I refer to as “humane-ity” in this world. I also believe that it is time to change that and give the human race a decent chance at survival.

Merriam-Webster defines humane as being marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “humane?”

Most people immediately think of the Humane Society, a wonderful organization that fights the mistreatment of animals.

Or maybe the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), whose ads feature sad animal faces and Sarah McLachlan’s song, “Angel,” which not many of us, not even Sarah herself, can sit through without becoming emotional wrecks.

Many of us know what being humane means in regards to dealing with animals. But what about in dealing with other people? If you’re an animal lover, like I am, you cringe when you see or hear about an animal being mistreated, starved, left outside in bad weather, abused, etc.

A humane person feels the same way when other human beings are treated in a similar manner. The problem is that not enough of us act on our instincts to help. Sometimes, we’re unsure what we can do for others, and that’s okay. The point is to do something, no matter how big or small, in order to make a positive impact on his or her life.

The value and quality of our lives is not determined by how wealthy we are, how many possessions we have, or by our social status.

The value of our lives is determined by how much good we do while we’re on the planet to make the world a better place for everyone.

Serious Issues

Hate, greed, racism, abuse, corruption, etc… These are just a few of the things that are killing our society. And by “our society” I’m referring to every person on the planet. We are all members of one race, the human race, and it’s well past time for us to get our heads out of our asses and start acting like it.

Take a minute and realize how fortunate we are that there are janitors and sanitation workers in the world and what shape we would be in if there weren’t. Do you think they enjoy cleaning up everyone’s messes? These folks deserve much more respect than they are shown, and we should be more appreciative that they choose to do the jobs that most would not.

There isn’t really much effort involved in being humane, but it has to begin with a kind heart and a willingness to help others, no matter their social or financial status.

Also, a sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others, which is the definition of compassion, is a requirement for being humane. You can’t treat others with dignity, respect, and love if you don’t have a genuine concern for their well-being. Unfortunately, this is not something that can be learned easily. It has to be inherent within us.

A simple way to think of it is to remember The Golden Rule; treat others the way you would want to be treated if you were in their place.

If we have the means to help others, and I don’t just mean financially, we should do our best to do so at every opportunity. Sometimes, a hot meal, shelter from bad weather, or a phone call to a help line can make a big difference in someone’s life.

We, as human beings, need so many things besides money to have happy and fulfilling lives. Love, warmth, kindness, joy, and a sense of belonging are, in my opinion, some of the most important things for a successful quality of life.

A Severe Lack of Compassion and Respect

One of the biggest problems in our society today is the lack of compassion and respect for our fellow man. You see it every day; children being disrespectful to their parents, parents abusing their children, caregivers mistreating those who they are supposed to be helping, people who hold positions of authority abusing the ones they are meant to protect, and so on.

The reports and statistics I found while researching this are, to say the least, alarming. Here is a short list of the types of violence and abuse that far too many people suffer through on a daily basis:

In the United States alone:

According to an article on usatoday.com from October 14, 2019, approximately 85,000 members of law enforcement have been investigated or disciplined for misconduct in the last decade. That’s about 23 a day!

A report on childhelp.org states that in 2014, over 702,000 children were victims of maltreatment (over 1,900 every day!).

In 2016, 7,500 people were victims of human trafficking. Most were women, and half of them were under 18 years old. You can check womenshealth.gov to read more on the abuse of women in this and other forms.

An average of 20 people (women and men alike) are physically abused by their partner every minute (projectsanctuary.org). Over 20,000 calls are placed to domestic abuse hotlines daily.

An edweek.org article from July 25, 2019 states that during the 2017-2018 school year, more than 54,000 incidents of violence were reported in schools across the country, including sexual assaults and confrontations involving weapons.

And within the population of adults aged 60 and older, the National Council on Aging reports that 1 in 10 has been the victim of one or more forms of abuse. In over half of those cases the abuser was a family member.

I can not imagine what drives someone to hurt another person, especially a child or an older person. Or an animal, for that matter.

What Can We Do?

The first thing we can all do, regardless of our socioeconomic status, and the most important first step to adding more “humane-ity” to the world, is to, quite frankly,

Stop being assholes to each other!

Quit looking at others as lower or less important than you based on their occupation, gender, race, financial or social status, and see them as fellow human beings in need.

Don’t mistreat, or ignore the mistreatment of in any way, your children, spouse, parents, grandparents, neighbors, or anyone else you encounter.

Watch out for those who are vulnerable and do what you can to assist them. Remember, even a small gesture on your part can often make a huge difference.

Learn to be more aware and sympathetic of the hardships and conditions the people in your life — family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors — are suffering through.

Simply put, just be kinder and more generous to everyone you come into contact with every day.

We need to put our egos away and realize that we are all human beings, we are all trying to make our way through this life as best we can, and that not one of us is better than another.

We all need to start being kinder to one another and treat everyone with the respect and dignity that we all deserve. And we need to teach our children to do the same and keep the cycle going throughout future generations. I see this as the only way for the human race to advance and be a more prosperous society.

One can not be just if one is not humane. - Luc de Clapiers