Human history strives for a better life

Humans often seek better living conditions and environment. Whatever offers them what is better than the existing life, people will find and go after. The desire for inherent freedom that is imprinted in the human brain, further encourages this. This is the reason that young people from Morocco in North Africa risk their lives on refugee ships facing the Spanish side of the coast, attempting to get to Europe.

There may be people who feel dissatisfied with conflicts and tension over our society that do not make room for quietness any single day. Because of these variables, some may feel it more exhausting and loud, but they are what makes our society “alive.” This is the “better society” and “better living conditions and environment” that the human instinct seeks, and more importantly, a healthy society.

The real problem, however, is not that those conflicts and anxiety disturbingly arise every day, but that they cannot sense the pain or distress of mine, yours, someone else’s, and the society’s. A phrase like “What you’re feeling is not even a feeling of hurt. Do you see me?” that considers one’s own pain to be stronger and more hurt does not attempt to fathom that of another person’s or community’s but rather shuts it down, ultimately blinding the ways to resolve the issue.

Any society has problems and deals with pain. Even a country that seems to have no major issues at first glance has all the serious problems if you peel the onion. Still, it is okay if anyone in a society can acknowledge the existence of a problem. In that respect, there is a glimpse of hope that our society is a “better society.”

Looking back at the past year full of despair from great loss, what we need to recover is hope. Scholars and experts from all walks of life have come up with various predictions and analyses on the changed world post-COVID-19. However, the human desire to strive for a better place and a better life has remained unchanged. It is thanks to that humans have successfully overcome many “pandemics” in history — and we will win it again this time.