By Yasmin Parveen
I’m reminded of a quote by Einstein:
“I love humanity, but I hate humans.”
Do you see the irony? In this article, I’ll focus solely on humanity. You might end up disliking me—or perhaps yourself and those around you—but who knows? Anything is possible. Just remember to be kind to yourself.
Humanity. This word seems to have been forgotten in today’s world, and it saddens me deeply. How often do we hear this word? Since childhood, right? From the moment we were born, we learned of its existence, and we were taught how to practice it among each other. But as time passed, things changed. People drifted away from it, evolved, and in the process, they lost the true meaning of humanity. As a result, humanity was lost.
HUMAN-ITY
When we strip away the “human,” what’s left is simply flesh—goo, blood, bones, skin, and muscles. Our bodies are just vessels that carry out the functions of life, but there’s something more we need to not only survive but to thrive: humanity. Humanity is about being benevolent to our kind, in good times and bad. It starts with kindness to those around us and extends to the world we live in. Humans and nature are intertwined—neither can exist without the other. We are responsible for our survival and that of others, yet we often forget that. This raises the question: Why do we forget the very essence of our humanity? We forget that we are social beings, that our survival depends on one another. We forget that we shouldn’t just exist, but thrive together. Sadly, this world, a broken world, fails to understand or remember the true meaning of humanity. But who am I to define what’s wrong or right? It’s just how I see it. And it’s in this forgetting that we begin to lose our way. The truth is, we keep forgetting. Think about it—how sad is that? How inhumane? How cruel are we to ourselves and to others?
Is It possible for us to make it right?
The simple answer is: We’ve forgotten what humanity really means. People think it’s too hard to show humanity, as if it’s tiring work. But the reality is, to show humanity, you first have to be human yourself—a fact that seems increasingly lost. Kindness is now often seen as a noble or foolish act. Consoling someone during their most difficult times is avoided because it’s feared they’ll just seek your pity, like a parasite, draining your energy and resources. This raises the question: How did we get to a point where showing compassion is seen as a weakness? This avoidance of genuine human connection has created a cycle of indifference. Those who need humanity the most—people just like us—are left unheard and neglected. It hurts even more to realize that we have the power to ease that pain simply by showing humanity. Yet, it often feels like we can do nothing.
I ask myself: If I, as a human, can’t show humanity, then who will? This raises the question: If I can’t show it, how can I expect someone else, someone just like me, to show me humanity?
It seems Insane. I feel the sadness and the pain. We’re at a crossroads. We need to look around, to stop for a moment, take a break, and try again—to reconnect with our humanity. The harm caused by neglect is endless, and it’s easier to ignore it, to numb ourselves to the suffering around us. But it’s this numbness that prevents us from truly living. This is where we stop feeling, where we let go of our humanity.
Humanity used to be as natural as wearing a custom-tailored suit. But over time, we’ve learned to mask it, hiding our indifference behind a façade of politeness. When an opportunity arises that benefits us, we mask our true feelings and act kindly—but only because it serves our interests. This raises the question: When did kindness become transactional, a means to an end rather than a pure expression of care? The focus becomes all about us—our gain, our happiness, our success. Where is the community in this? Where is the humanity? It’s been discarded, and we’ve grown so accustomed to ignoring the suffering of others that we no longer even feel remorse, guilt, or neglect.
We’ve become fake, wearing masks to cover up our lack of true compassion. But the good news is that change is possible. It’s easy to follow the same path we’ve always known, to continue down the road of indifference. But change, whether we want it or not, is inevitable. We adjust, we form habits, and we continue on without questioning whether those habits are good or bad—for ourselves or others. It becomes so automatic, like breathing, that we don’t even realize we’re doing it.
So, what’s the way forward?
The key to awakening our forgotten humanity—something we are all responsible for—is becoming aware of our habits and reflecting on them. At least by recognizing them, we can decide whether we want to continue or break the cycle. We have the power to choose—to stop living inhumanely and start being human again. Our minds are flexible, and with effort, we can change. But it takes conscious action. The change will be difficult at first, and we may feel uncomfortable, but it’s the effort that counts. The effort to be human, to show humanity, is the very thing that can change us and the world around us.
Consistency is key. Our habits shape who we are, and over time, they become ingrained in us. If we practice compassion and awareness, these actions will form new neural pathways, and we’ll begin to think and act with more empathy. But change requires consistency. Without it, no new habits will form, and humanity will remain lost. If we don’t make the effort, we’ll continue to live like zombies—isolated, detached, and unable to feel the true joy of human connection.
But nothing is impossible. With intention, we can rebuild the very fabric of humanity. When we set our intention and focus on humanity, we not only heal others—we heal ourselves. We restore our relationships with friends, family, and loved ones by breaking the cycle of inhumanity. By being loyal to ourselves and practicing kindness, we will see how naturally humanity will embrace us, and how we will embrace it in return.
By Yasmin Parveen
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