“Capitalism cannot reform itself; it is doomed to self-destruction. No universal selfishness can bring social good to all.”
~ W. E. B. Du Bois

Selfishness and selflessness anchor the opposite ends of our individual and collective human nature. Despite our most noble intentions, selfishness will always rear its ugly head to some degree, through every conceivable system and type of organization, from the most greed oriented company to the most Utopian vision of society. There is no escaping this reality.

Recognizing and managing the inherently selfish aspects of our human nature, is the key to minimizing their toxic effects. However, scapegoating the economic and political systems we’ve created as irreparably flawed, is often just another excuse for keeping the egocentric aspects of human nature in the shadows, where they inflict the most insidious forms of damage.

Ironically, it seems that our human behavior is more inflexible than the systems we’ve created to tame it. To reform anything for the betterment of humankind, we need to first reform ourselves.

© 2022 David M. Rubin. All rights reserved.

When asked for the truth, many of us take the middle road, selectively revealing some facts and leaving out others; creating the impression or illusion of a bigger picture that isn’t quite accurate.

Technically, it is possible to be forthcoming about the facts, but only in precisely measured quantities and careful arrangements with other facts, so that the reader or listener is left imagining a story that is more fiction than reality. This type of creative storytelling is at the center of today’s social discourse, to be found in politics, legal proceedings, news media, social media, and within our personal relationships.

Have we become like magicians to one another, hiding important truths through the use of misdirection? Has the “white” or “gray” lie become the status quo of human interaction, priming us for even darker lies?

© 2021 David M. Rubin. All rights reserved.