Today we ask that you have patience with the pace of human evolution.
Have patience with the pace of human evolution.
Many people live in a state of chronic frustration with the pace of human evolution. It is not happening fast enough. How can so many people still hold on to backwards, reactionary belief systems? How is there is still so much bigotry and violence in the world of men? How can people be so blindly greedy and destructive?
It is natural to feel this way at times. But really, humanity has come a long way — much further than you may think.
100 years, 200 years, even 500 years — this span of time is quite small, in the scheme of human evolution. Many of the problems you reckon with today are roughly the same problems your ancestors reckoned with in the past few centuries.
And yet: the world just a mere 200 years ago was once in which there was virtually no understanding of “human rights.” The vast majority of humans, 200 years ago, believed that women were simple-minded and weak, that dark-skinned races were inherently inferior and subhuman, and that homosexuality was an abomination. Even highly educated, relatively enlightened men believed these things a mere 200 years ago.
Just a century ago, it was not much better. Progress had been made, to be sure. But still, the majority of humans believed that heterosexual males of rank and status, with culturally desirable skin color, were intrinsically superior to all other humans. It was perfectly commonplace and socially acceptable to hold such beliefs — anywhere in the world.
100 years is so very little time. In the grand sweep of history, it is nothing. It is the blink of an eye.
The world you now reside in is more tolerant and compassionate in the field of human rights than any history. Enormous strides have been made.
Yes, much of the world still struggles with widespread bigotry and violence. Yes, even in the most progressive, developed nations, there are large reactionary factions and forces. But that is because it was only yesterday — twenty years, fifty years, one hundred years — that points of view you may consider to be backwards and barbaric were, in fact, the mainstream social norm.
So have patience. Have patience with the process of human evolution. It may appear to be slow, but in truth the progress of the past century has been exceptionally fast. The very speed of this evolution is, in fact, what is so deeply threatening to those who try to cling to the past and wish to roll the clock back.
Most of these changes cannot be rolled back no matter how much reactionary forces may attempt to do so. This is because they have reached a “critical mass.” There is no turning back.
Have patience, also, with your own individual pace of evolution.
Many people are chronically frustrated that they are not evolving more quickly.
You wish to be better, more enlightened versions of yourselves, free of all your hang-ups and fears — and you want to be that person today. You want to have been that person yesterday, ten years ago.
Honor your own process of evolution. Instead of being frustrated that you have not come far enough, appreciate how far you have come.
Instead of being frustrated that collective humanity has not come far enough, appreciate how far it has come.
In this state of appreciation, with a patient heart, you will be in a far better position to create positive change in the world — and in your own life.
wordfromthewell 