LET'S LIVE WITHOUT HARMING!: LET'S APPRECIATE DIVERSITY (EXCEPT FOR THE HARMFUL KIND)

We are all different. We all have unique traits that no one or very few people possess. Diversity is enriching, with the limit being abuse, injustice, and cruelty. It is beautiful to live in an environment with different types of people, physiognomies, peculiarities, inclinations, ways of dressing, ways of living, tastes, etc.

This vision is the ideal, but unfortunately, it differs from reality, as the rejection of what is different has been and remains a major source of harm, evil, and suffering throughout history. There is a biological, genetic, and evolutionary basis in the human race that drives this repulsion, modulated by the education and culture of each place and era.

In fact, this natural tendency is already evident in schools, sometimes even in the form of bullying, toward those who are overweight, speak with a different accent, dress differently, or are very shy, ‘geeky,’ etc. In the adult world, it can range from a slight disapproval or contempt toward innocent people—whether subtle or explicit—to a certain degree of discrimination or even genuine social oppression.

Some harmless elements that have generated and continue to generate repulsion are:

• Different race or physical appearance, as is the case for people with albinism in various African countries.

• Very low or very high intellectual capacities. In fact, in many parts of the world, parents still reject and feel ashamed of their children with intellectual disabilities, keeping them locked in their homes or in stables living with livestock. Just as it used to happen in countries that are now considered civilized (or less uncivilized, depending on how you look at it), in underdeveloped areas, parents do not dare to take their children out in public because people view them as a punishment from God.

• Mental health issues.

• Any trait interpreted as a defect, whether physical, mental, or psychological.

Another milder form of failing to appreciate diversity is the establishment of rigid standards for everyone, expecting everyone to wear the same prêt-à-porter outfit, and in a single size at that. For example, the social norm of a couple consisting of a man and a woman in a closed relationship sharing their lives is widely seen as the only ‘correct’ way. But this is not the case, as one may choose to have a partner or not.

If one has a partner, they may live together or not; the relationship can be heterosexual or homosexual, sexually open or closed, emotionally exclusive or polyamorous. And in most of these cases, it can range from asexual to promiscuous, including all intermediate degrees. All of this great variety is valid.

HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT HARMING? Let’s respect the freedom of others

The moment we establish a standard for everyone, we create pressure to fit into it—sometimes very intense—as well as the repression of our own nature and feelings in order to conform to rigid orthodoxy. And also the feeling that something is wrong with us and our lives when we do not fully fit the mold, in addition to frustration and existential discomfort.

Intolerance toward diversity also involves forcing things, not living true to ourselves, inner imbalance, disharmony, and a disconnect between who we are and how we live, or between the latter and what we try to pretend. It also leads to a lack of self-esteem and social rejection of those who deviate from the social canon. It can even lead to hatred, marginalization, verbal and even physical aggression, and can even make others’ lives a living hell or lead to murder.

FOR A WORLD WITHOUT HARM: Let’s be tolerant (though not of abuse)

LET’S STOP SETTING STANDARDS FOR EVERYONE!, except for the standard of not harming others, unless it is in self-defense against an aggressor.

Thank you for sharing if you believe this message contributes to a more inclusive, relaxed, and pleasant world to live in.