Fiction and life . . . from the desk of Gwen M. Plano
  • Home
  • Blog Reflections
  • REDEMPTION THRILLER
  • THE CONTRACT Series
  • My Memoir
  • Poetry
  • About

Can Humanity Be Saved? 

1/18/2017

4 Comments

 
A re-blog from Canadian author John Fioravanti
PictureJohn Fioravanti
                                                       
​“The only thing that is going to save mankind is if enough people live their lives for something or someone other than themselves.” ~Leon Uris

Leon Uris (1924 – 2003) was an American Jewish writer from Baltimore, Maryland. During World War II, Uris served in the U.S. Marines, and that experience gave him the background and expertise to write his best-selling historical novel Battle Cry. He helped write the screenplay for the Hollywood movie that followed the book’s success.

As a high school student in the 1960s, I cultivated a keen interest in historical fiction and read just about everything written by Thomas Costain and Leon Uris. I admired Uris’ writing style and was quite surprised to discover that he never graduated from high school himself. I would never have guessed that he failed high school English courses three times!

Despite his abysmal record in academics, his life experiences and keen mind led him to deeply philosophical conclusions like the one quoted above. He saw just one way out of self-destruction for humankind, and that was to turn away from the individualism that had become narcissistic. Too many of us live our lives terribly self-absorbed and look upon others as allies who will help us to achieve our goals, or as rivals and foes. Either way, the focus is upon self.

The beauty and fashion industries feed off our apparent need to measure up to impossible standards of physical beauty. The fitness industry doesn’t advertise the achievement of good health as its primary purpose; no, we will feel better when we look better. The downside to this preoccupation with physical beauty is the psychological suffering it causes the less attractive people to inflict upon themselves.

When we are self-absorbed, we will naturally come into conflict with others who are also preoccupied with their well-being exclusively. On the larger scale, nations which cannot see past their national interest and feel no compunction to share the incredible wealth of Mother Earth with developing countries will find themselves in a constant state of warfare. Unenlightened self-interest breeds distrust and hatred, which results in violence.

In the Twentieth Century we just barely escaped mutual destruction in the Cold War. As economic realities led to the demise of Communism, we thought we were home free. We in the free West had won! One year into the new millennium witnessed another type of global war – a holy war – waged by Muslim extremists who unleashed global terrorism. The response of the West was to launch the War on Terrorism, and the first theatre of that war was Afghanistan.

My life experience has taught me that there are individuals and organisations who live by these words by Leon Uris. They live and breathe and work for the well-being of others as they help the people of poorer nations by bringing them education, medical provisions, and teaching them how to feed and fend for themselves.

I heard a statistic today that sent cold shivers down my spine. The eight wealthiest individuals in the world together represent more wealth than the poorest 50% of the population of the world. I am dumbfounded! It is the wealthy that are directing the decision-making of the most powerful governments in the world. How can this translate into world peace?

Many of us wondered back in November how a man like Donald Trump could be elected to the U.S. Presidency? Within the States, the desire for substantial change was undeniable, and Trump was the one most likely to deliver. As I think about that, I wonder how substantive his changes will be when he is among the very wealthy. I’m sure many of his supporters will be sorely disappointed.

A theme I often come back to is that we are delusional if we think that significant change will be led by our elected governments. Leon Uris puts the responsibility right back into the hands of the individual “… if enough people live their lives for something or someone other than themselves.” The question remains, will these kinds of selfless persons be influential enough to direct government policy? I hope so because the future of humanity depends upon it.

Picture
4 Comments
Jan sikes link
1/19/2017 12:24:13

Thanks for Reblogging this, Gwen. It is a great post from John F.!

Reply
John Fioravanti link
1/20/2017 07:05:41

Thanks for your kind words, Jan!

Reply
john howell link
1/19/2017 13:29:42

Excellent reblog

Reply
John Fioravanti link
1/20/2017 07:06:12

Thanks, John!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    For blog updates, please subscribe below. 
    * indicates required

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    June 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ―Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning


Plano Enterprises, LLC
Photos used under Creative Commons from Kevin M. Gill, Joel Bedford, qthomasbower, crosescribe, Juho Holmi, diana_robinson, W Presley & B Kunce Photography......WI. USA, U.S. Geological Survey, Ian Sane, florianric, NikoMC, van Van Es, Yen Chao 趙彥, MissMessie, Yuriy Kuzin, Ben Zvan, Bichuas (E. Carton), Nina Matthews Photography, hehaden, alexdecarvalho, Tim RT, Kurdistan Photo كوردستان, Candida.Performa, peddhapati (Thanks for 1M Views!!!), Jhong Dizon | Photography, Waheed Akhtar Photography, lawmurray, USFWS Pacific, JalilArfaoui, SurFeRGiRL30, Lauren Finkel Photography, maf04, SantaRosa OLD SKOOL, Dakiny, vauvau, Zanastardust, Monica's Dad, timpeartrice, marumeganechan, Rafael Acorsi, seyed mostafa zamani, Jorge Franganillo, Irene Grassi (sun sand & sea), The National Guard, D.Fletcher, nada abdalla, Ted LaBar, alison.mckellar, Infomastern, Elvert Barnes, m01229, theglobalpanorama