I have to wonder what the world would be like if we sorted and separated everyone into their special categories. For example, let’s say we created states and cities based on our current documented ideas on race, color, and genetic makeup. From there we would need to break things down more by religion, sexual orientation etc.
We could build walls, boundaries, islands and keep to ourselves. What kind of world would it be? Would it be a peaceful world?
Out of curiosity, I posed this question to ChatGPT.
It is not appropriate to divide people up based on race, religion, or sexuality. Doing so can lead to discrimination, prejudice, and even violence against individuals who are perceived as being different. It is important to respect and value the diversity of humanity and to recognize that people of all races, religions, and sexual orientations are equally deserving of respect, dignity, and equality. We are all human beings with our own unique identities and characteristics, and it is important to celebrate and appreciate this diversity rather than trying to divide people based on artificial categories.
I then asked, “What would happen to the world if we separated”?
Separating people based on race, religion, or sexuality would have severe negative consequences for society. It would likely lead to widespread discrimination, prejudice, and possibly even violence. It would also have detrimental effects on social cohesion and the sense of community that is necessary for a healthy and functional society. In addition, it would likely result in the loss of valuable cultural and societal contributions from individuals who are discriminated against or excluded. Such separation would be harmful to both individuals and society as a whole, and it is important to work towards a world that is inclusive and respectful of diversity.
What happens to Play-Doh when it’s blended together?
If our ideal society is one where we are all different but live together in harmony, how do people maintain the continuity of their culture? If we think about this relative to Play-Doh, there are edges where the colors meet. I realize the image above doesn’t represent the potential of all the connectivity but from a simple view we can see a boundary. Somewhere even on a microscopic level, there are areas that blend. These colors and properties intertwine and in some places are less representative of their original color.
As colors are blended, they start to become something else.
The process of becoming.
When all the colors come together, what made them unique now makes them common. Here we are with a lot of gray and some hints of color that have yet to be blended in.
Do you think this is what some people are afraid of? If we look at our world today, we see groups like the Taliban seeking to maintain their traditions and culture and they feel threatened.
When we think about world history, there are no places and very little if any groups of people who at one time or another did not both isolate and seek to beat out or conquer another group of people.
I asked ChatGPT about this as well:
It is difficult to find examples of groups of people who have lived completely isolated from others and in peace. Throughout history, there have been instances of people living in isolated communities, but these communities have often faced challenges and conflicts with other groups, whether due to competition for resources, cultural differences, or other factors. Additionally, even within a single community, there may be conflicts and tensions between different groups or individuals.
In general, it is rare for any group of people to be completely isolated from others and to exist in a state of perpetual peace. Humans are social creatures, and we have a natural tendency to interact with others and form communities. While it is important to respect and celebrate cultural differences, it is also important to find ways to build bridges and foster understanding between different groups.
What if we are meant to live in perpetual conflict?
There is disproportionate representation of certain groups of people, it is what it is. However, there are groups that scream out for attention and recognition which winds up creating havoc and calls for separation and some kind of “ism”. We don’t live in a time of peace and tranquility. We live in a time where the Play-Doh is being churned. Some parts of who we are as a people are being shredded, ripped, and blended into the great gray. Some parts of who we are as a people are being pulled out and placed to the side out of fear. Meaning that some people are intentionally separating themselves or there are subcultures where people are isolating.
If we lived in a world where everyone and everything were the same and all things were accepted, it would be doomed. If we live in a world where things remain different and isolated, that wouldn’t work either because historically, humans have mostly proven they can’t do this.
If we live in a world where we try to meet in some kind of middle, we have to live with both the extreme purists and the extreme of acceptance.
I am aware of only one group that has achieved anything close to “pragmatic universalism” and this was led by Genghis Khan. In the end, it was the plague that ended the Mongols but Khan was effective in creating a construct where people could be somewhat separated and still together. Still, it was fairly brutal.
If we look backward in human history with the intent of looking forward, it would be interesting to dissect the facets of the Khan family’s approach to living in a mostly peaceful (even green) society. Regardless, it is clear that we are savages in suits. We aren’t any different than we were 1000 years ago and beyond.
In our modern times, we have better and more effective means of destruction. I hope that we can come up with better and more effective means of -pragmatic universalism but that would mean that people would have to look up beyond their cell phone messages and read a book or something.
What do you think? I’d like to know..
The Cohenization Project 