Human Caring
The essence of human caring stems from our own essential natures, the high-level natures that we have evolved with the development of our elaborate central nervous systems with their potential functions of intelligence, awareness, complete freedom of decision, and power.
We inherently care that things be “right.” (I will not try to define here what is meant by “right.” This, like “caring,” will be an undefined term in the mathematicians’ use of the word “undefined.” You either know what I am talking about, or you don’t.) We recognize the superb “rightness” of other intelligent humans. If we were not distressed, all humans would clearly “care about each other.” We would passionately, deeply wish for, and assist in, the survival and flourishing of every other human and, to lesser degrees, of every form of life and of every real entity in the universe, simply because that is “right.”
I propose, as we re-emerge, that we seek to “care” about each other just because it is the right way for things to be, that we discharge any blocks to doing this, that we assume this to be our inherent attitude, and that we not settle for anything less. I propose that we win our way back to taking great pleasure in enhancing the life of another human being regardless of whether anyone knows we are doing it or not, or whether there is any other reward or satisfaction in it for us except just the knowledge we did the “right” thing.
From pages 5 to 6 of “’Caring’ between Humans,” in The Longer View
(Present Time 210, January 2023)