The ‘human element’ can be said to mean several things: It means all those things that are human in a highly technical world. That can introduce mistakes, errors of judgement or downright catastrophes, even. But fear and greed can be among them and these two are not to be trifled with.
How’s that, you may want to ask?
Because, when war raged in Europe during WW II, millions of people were on flight. They were desperate, hungry and often in clear and actual danger of their lives: dictatorships in Spain, Russia and Germany in place – and values and measures at their lowest points.
Overcoming fear, which means courage – can work wonders: We will not only learn more, experience different, sometimes tasty things; we also will keep innovation and science at high levels!
It’s been proven in scientific research (anthropology, archaeology, and similar) that cultures who close themselves off are doomed.
Additionally, all around Europe, the death rates are up, birth rates are down, a little simply but correctly put.
The above EU-statistics show too, though, that migration is a mere drop in the sea: 450 million people living in the EU, around 2 million having been added by migration…
Someone recently said it out loud and that’s a truth: When we start to become afraid, the oldest areas of our brain become activated: the brain stem which is just able to eat, drink, sleep, or multiply.
Yet, the later parts are what makes us human, called neocortex or cerebrum:
We are able to think complex thoughts, develop new ideas and – empathise, because of those newer parts of our brains.
Fear is part of our older brain. It can make us blind to many of the fine things in life: empathy, clear thoughts and calm and clear judgement.
There have been people for ages, who use our fear to manipulate us. Who use a few exceptions to the rule to make us afraid. Images drawn in dark colours to make us believe that we are in danger from ‘strangers’.
We are what we are in this wonderful region of the world because of diversity. Of many different colours, ideas, thoughts – and emotions.
Let not have a few greedy and power-craving rascals and bullies make us believe otherwise:
We are strong and our values and ideas are rooted firmly in ancient ideas and are modern for civil societies at the same time.