Humans, Friends, Society
Humans
Homo sapiens - Wise man - That’s quite arrogant
Humans see what they want to see... What is the most dangerous animal?
What makes us humans?
Cogito ergo sum - I think, therefore I am (Descartes)
Human rights:
I'm just writing the human rights here without any comment about the Corona crisis but to be fair I think there is a reason for them and that they once have been written down or was it just a waste of paper and time and without any reason, just for fun and not for peace. I like them and like to believe in these rights. Everyone can have a free opinion is one of the rights ;).
If you need me to prove my humanity, I'm not the one who's not human (Suhaiymah Manzoor - Khan)
We are all born free. Free to dream, free to follow our dreams, free to think and share our opinion. Free to do as long as we do not harm someone else.
I. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights
II. Everyone is entitled to all rights and freedom without distinction
III. Everyone has the right to live, liberty and security in a person
IV. No one should be held in slavery
VII. All are equal before the law
XIII. (I) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(II) Everyone has the right to leave any country including his own, and to return to his country.
XXI. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Human kindness
"What shall I do with a stranger? Invite him into my house, and treat him like a brother, so that he becomes one." (Bible)
People will forget what you said, what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel (Maya Angelou)
Films about the Kindness of Humans:
HUMANS by Yann Arthus-Bertrand (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-Retnj3TsA&t=67s)
Human postcards - Everyone is a Story (https://www.humanpostcards.com/)
We are all Human - Be kind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2tgibFZdzM)
Human beings can be awful cruel to one another (Mark Twain), or they can be kind and helpful.
The more you destroy another human being, the more you destroy yourself. (Mubarak Awad)
Story of a wise elderly man and two travellers:
"Once there was a wise, elderly man who spent his days just outside his village sitting under a shady tree where he would think. One day, a traveler came up to him and said, »Old man, I have traveled far. I have seen many things and met many people. Can you tell me, if I go into this village, what kind of people will I meet there?«
The wise man replied, »Yes, I’d be happy to tell you. But first, tell me what kind of people you’ve met in your travels so far.«
The traveler responded, »Oh, you wouldn’t believe it. I have met the most awful people! People who are selfish and unkind to strangers. People who don’t care for themselves or one another. I’ve met foolish young people I could learn nothing from, and old people whose lack of hope depresses everyone they meet.«
As the traveler spoke, a look of sadness grew in the wise man’s eyes as he nodded in a knowing way. »Yes,« he said. »I believe I know exactly the kind of people you speak of. And I’m sorry to tell you, but if you go into my village, I’m afraid that’s exactly the kind of people you will meet.«
»I knew it!« the traveler scoffed. »It’s always the same.« He kicked the dirt under his feet and stormed off down the road, without ever bothering to stop in the village. A few hours later, another traveler came upon the wise man. »Kind sir,« he said, »I have traveled far. I have seen many things and met many people. Can you tell me, if I go into this village, what kind of people will I meet there?«
The wise man replied, »Yes, I’d be happy to tell you. But first, tell me what kind of people you’ve met in your travels so far.« The traveler responded, »Oh, you wouldn’t believe it. I have met the most amazing people! People who are kind and generous to strangers; people who care for one another like family. I’ve met older people with a youthful passion for life that brings joy to everyone they meet. And I have learned much from all of them.«
As the traveler spoke, the wise man smiled brightly as he nodded in a knowing way. »Yes,« he said. » I believe I know exactly the kind of people you speak of. And I’m happy to tell you if you go into my village, I’m certain that’s exactly the kind of people you will meet.« »Come then,« said the traveler, »and introduce me to them.«
Lessons from this story:
Your mindset is very important. If you focus on the bad, that is what you will find. But if you focus on the good you will find it.
Listen before you speak. When answering a question make sure you know what someone is really asking you.
Have an open mind, and be willing to find the best in people and in situations.
Let negative people go. You do not have to try to help everyone.
Be kind, be nice, manners matter.
People like being happy, like to be around happy people, and like to share happiness
(https://medium.com/@purposefocuscommitment/story-a-wise-elderly-man-and-two-travelers-883c998c38b6)
Friends
Friendship is the only cement, that will ever hold this world together (W. Wilson)
“I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Connection is why we're here. it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives...(Brene Brown)
We never know when we cruce the path of a new friend for the first time. There are different kinds of friends. People you meet once and then maybe somewhere on the other side of the world again. Friends you lived with. Sport friends, university student friends, school friends, work friends. Everyone of these friends can be your best friend at a special time. They're all FRIENDS, so I'm grateful for every single one, because every single friend teached me or reminded me of something.
A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.
"A good friend knows all your best stories, but a best friend has lived them with you." “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.”
"A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world."
"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer."
"Friends are the siblings God never gave us."
“The greatest gift of life is friendship.”
"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
Friends can teach you new things. Old friends can remind you who you are. Family can teach you love and can be your nest in dark times. Nature teaches you life everyday and everything else.
I cannot write down what I learned or got reminded from all the friends over the years but some lately experiences over the last few months are significant about friendship for me. Sorry, if I have forgotten someone here but if you are my friend and we have done something I'm pretty sure if you just ask me I can just say one moment and what I've learned directly, also of course I learned from every friend more than one thing. It's just a list of appreciation and what came first into my mind. I'm sure everyone of us has these friends, and are learning life lessons, so sometimes it helps to talk to a friend.
Felix, German, my old school friend and model and photographer and son of a gardener family, I'm sometimes jealous of because all the money he sometimes earned on a single day, reminds me always that money isn't really important and to focus on a goal but always stand with two feet on the ground.
Jana and Dan German and Venezuelian, two Rafting friends on a Paddle World tour called me with time difference and bad wifi. They would even have booked me a flight. They should love me and Dan is wise and always shows me how quotes can help to heal and think for a moment.
Heiko, German, was one of my closest friends and tree climbing college for a while before we got a dispute about a job and money, which took us over four years of not talking. But he was there for me, after all this time when I really needed him to talk. True friendship is stronger than old problems and money. Money comes and goes. True friends stay!
Albrecht, German, my longterm boss but even more friend of the adventure park. I didn't know if I should fly back all the way to work for a short time and a lot of money and pleasure. He waited and showed patience and trust in me.
Emelie, German, shows me always to try new things and to stay curious.
Adrian, German, SUP instructor and adventure guy always shows me how motivation and working on your project with all your believing makes dreams true.
Lina, German, teached me that it's always ok to change a decision if it doesn't feel right anymore
Jana, German, showed me to be a amazing mother and person even the life is incredible hard
Mirco, a Swiss, the first long term friend I met in Wanaka, teached me to make my bed every morning and teached me how important a routine can be.
Robert, a Canadian, made me a tea every morning showing me how good it is to enjoy the morning without stress and start relaxed. He is also an amazing hugger. Saying, there is no bad hug! Every hug transports a little bit of love.
Karl, a Phillipin, in New World, a Grocery Store for the last ten years. Shows me to work hard and play hard and see the bright side of life and keep smiling.
Noi, Vietnam, always writes me in a while to stay connected and see how I am, what I’m really thankful for even if we don’t talk much
Jonathan, Ecuador, my German/Spanish student and teacher tandem partner at the same time
Fiona, France teached me that a friend is always there to listen
Noemi, trusted me and kept asking to do something when I wasn't reliable
Catrin ,Wales, teached me to start the morning with some sport is impressive and always a good way to start
Lieze, Dutch, teached me not to regret the past
Benedikt, teached me that it's easy to make good food and live cheap
Yossi, Israel, teached me to take every opportunity to do something
Philipp, climbed with me when I climbed like crap but was still motivating me and teached me to just enjoy to be out there
Jim, Kiwi, another climbing friend, teached me to questioning dump rules and to think about them and that death is not really a thing to worry about
Kriz, California/America, teached me that even a person you don't really know can become a really good friend in a short time and can trust more in yourself than you do
Meggie, France, never noticed me in the hostel when I was there quiet for 3-4 times, teached me that you have to do and to say and to be a little bit crazy and to have a story to be noticed.
Lewis, Scotland; borrowed me without any hesitation his paddle board and rent me a bike for a amazing price and teached me to just ask and get surprised if you want something
Adam, I helped and who lived in my car for 2 weeks just to leave it abandoned and dirty and without a Thank you and just to get angry at me showed me that Karma always comes back and I even can try to help everyone but don't have to if it is not helping me and that other friends helping you if someone is acting not nice in exchange.
Honza, a Czech guy, showed me to always have fun, even if the work is boring and make a game out of everything
Jane and Jean, Kwi, showed me to hug even if you don't really know the person at the beginning and being honest about your depression from the beginning can actually open more doors and understanding than to deny it.
Ryan and Lauren, American, teached me to believe in waiting and to love each other. They went away for a couple of months after we met the first time but were really kind again when we met the second time and became even better friends then and it’s impressive how they care for each other and the group around. Ryan carried Lauren on a hike through a river for hours on his back, when she twisted her ankle while we carried their bags. So, the team grew closer together.
Dirk, German/Australian, I met on the street rescuing a hedgehog, showed me to just always talk to everyone and to network with everyone and connect people
Ryan and Lauren, American, showed me to believe in God and faith
Ember, a friend in Canada teached me to always come back into the moment
Evan, my Masterthesis mentor and Magdalena in Canada teached me that you can go through difficult projects together
Teresa, German in Austria, showed me that confused people are loveable and that friends who are not always there and talking with you are still thinking and caring about you more than you think and sometimes just need their time to find the time and the right words
My mother, my father, my sister and my whole family because they are ALWAYS there for me and always LOVE and TRUST me, whatever I do, because that means family!
Sorry, if someone is missing in the list. I guess I'm just too blessed with friends, but always happy to talk!
You can't expect anything from friends. You can ask. You can hope. You can trust. But expect something, that's too much! Even if they have promised something. Promises are finally and time flies. They've their life and you have yours and every single life has its own complexity and challenges. Sometimes friends only have the energy to deal with their own problems.
A good friend is a person who tries to be always there for you but that doesn't mean he/she can always be there for you. Remember and celebrate all the good times when he/she was there for you and not the one single time when not. That wouldn't be fair! Instead ask if they need help. Maybe it's your time to be a friend at the moment.
Don't pick the 1 of 100 times when someone makes a mistake, isn't there for you. Doesn't react like you expected. Isn't answering you. Or when the cyclist isn't smiling but yelling at you.
Waiting. Waiting for a friend is a choice of patience. Instead of concentrating on the waiting and become angry, enjoy the given free time as an investment into you and your friendship.
FriendShip: Is like being together in a rough storm on the sea or fishing on a lake in the sunshine together.
“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” (Abraham Lincoln)
Society
(Def.: The aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community.)
“Man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains" Rousseau
It's a mystery to me
We have a greed
With which we have agreed
You think you have to want
More than you need
Until you have it all you won't be free
Society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
... (Into the Wild, Eddie Vedder)
“Growth for the sake is the ideology of a cancer cell. (J. Muir)”
"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people." (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in ― Anonymous Greek Proverb
WE Human beings are all here on this Earth together as a Society. We are all ONE and in the same boat right now.
“WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT ...
I heard that we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.
For some, quarantine is optimal. A moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial & family crisis.
For some that live alone they're facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest & time with their mother, father, sons & daughters.
With the $600 weekly increase in unemployment some are bringing in more money to their households than they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales.
Some families of 4 just received $3400 from the stimulus while other families of 4 saw $0.
Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk and eggs for the weekend.
Some want to go back to work because they don't qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.
Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12 hour workday.
Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don't believe this is a big deal.
Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020. Others say the worst is yet to come.
So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.
Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing.
We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.
Unknown Author.
Sent from another "boat".”
Be kind and true and try to help some other boats in the storm. You never know when the wind might change again!
One bee, one ant, one life. Who cares? One of a million, uncountable in a microcosmos. Only the Queen is important but she wouldn't be anything, couldn't survive, live without the others. Who knows what this one bee, the one ant is thinking, is feeling. Nothing. I, You and I we are one of 7 billion humans. Who cares? Me and You and a few friends around. No one else. But we are still here all together.
I would rather talk to a homeless person than to a professor. A professor can teach you about science, statistics and all the stuff in university but a homeless person can maybe teach you more about life, about struggling and still get up every day! In the end we have to live, so maybe give both teachers a fair chance.
“Never judge a person in the first moment, if you haven't walked in his boots for at least three days”. Never judge a person by it's past, you might not know the story behind it and no one knows the mind.
In Christchurch, I gave a cookie to a homeless stranger.(Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. And overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom - Nelson Mandela) He smiled and was so happy, so grateful. It made me happy for the rest of the day. He is a human with his own interesting, beautiful, incredible story. Sometimes I think back, would it be a better investment into my life to just have listened to him for a day instead of going by and searching my own path and adventure - People talk, Wise people listen.
Film:
Human documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdb4XGVTHkE)
Planet of the Humans (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11vI-7czE)
2040 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-rTQ443akE)
Music: All We Do (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPGREQvK-dQ)
Homeless (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgiyV-NA9-8)
Songs: Auf gute Freunde (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XgwIJo-yuA), Echte Freunde (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP-_1ah7GFs), Society (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl4cLEToPfc), Freunde, Tote Hosen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL_lkBYQAAg)
