by Focus
© 2001 M. Myska, all rights reserved
As a child, I read a science fiction story in which the invaders of our planet, an insect like species with a hive mind, sought to destroy us. Their evil intention was to take over our planet, and to eliminate our individuality. They were like the Borg on Star Trek in that need to be all of one mind.
But when they tried to meld our human minds, connecting each to all, it backfired! When we thought together, all of us instantly agreed that the top priority was ridding the earth of insectile invaders, so working in rapid choreographed cooperation, we used every tool and talent and human at our disposal, and we defeated those aliens in a trice!
Mercifully, once the aliens were gone the mind meld vanished, and we went back to our normal individualistic and contentious ways. That was a good thing, for despite the problems it causes, mankind's individuality is one of our greatest strengths.
But that image has stuck in my mind all these 45 years: The image of humans working together, in synchronized cooperation! What miracles we could achieve, and how quickly, if only we could be that way always! If only our minds could connect with all humankind, full of understanding and compassion. If only we could evaluate the problems, reach solutions which would be for the good of all, and then do what it takes to solve the problems without matters of pride or greed or territoriality or language or nationality or any other non-essential trivia getting in the way.
Of course, that is not going to happen.
But perhaps the internet is a step in the right direction? It is a network that allows people to reach out to other people, over great distances, to explain, to read, to learn, to communicate. Perhaps it can help humankind form connections which allow us to grow closer together in spirit and understanding. Perhaps, someday, we WILL be able to achieve compassionate cooperation - not through a mind meld, where we all think the same things, but individually, each contributing his own ideas, while having a fuller sense of the value and worth of the ideas of others.