Although the concept of human rights is a mere invention that resulted from the invention of social contract, the underlying principles that determine every social contract are based on the natural desire of human creatures to pursue pleasure and to avoid pain. Since we humans are endowed with reason, we are capable of ascertaining whether our action will generate pleasure or pain in the long run. This makes us predict that other fellow human beings might inflict pain on us if we inflict pain on them. Because of this, such fear pushes us to bring pleasure to others instead. Such pursuit for ..read more

Herd mentality is a crowd behavior in which the people follow a leader unconditionally wherever the leader leads them to. It is characterized by blind obedience and open submission to the will of a single person. This is common in a society of people who are superstitious, less critical, and envious of the success of other societies. They are so insecure that they find their security and confidence in whoever is in authority. As a result, they prefer a leader who is very authoritative. This kind of behavior is a fertile ground for the emergence of idolatry and cult of personality. It happens ..read more

If there is one thing we are taught to believe to be right, that is obedience. At home, our parents taught us to obey them. At school, we are taught to obey our teachers. In the outside world, we are taught to obey the laws and the leaders who make, implement, and enforce such laws. If you had had a chance to have asked your parents when you were young why you should obey them, it is most likely that your parents told you to obey them because they said they are right. But were you critical enough to ask them why they are right? If so, did you ask why their reason is right? There is no proble ..read more

Stupidity is not like morality which tells you what is right or wrong. A morally upright person in a particular culture may be immoral in another culture. What is right for you may not be right for others. You can’t judge what others think is right. They have the right to be wrong for as long as what you think is right is not affected by their belief. However, whatever is stupid for you must be stupid for others as well. The difference is that you know they are stupid, and they are unaware of it. And if you were on their shoes, how do you know you are such a stupid? Knowing this is not a r ..read more

These days, we are all in the midst of fighting COVID-19 pandemic. Governments around the world are still implementing their respective lock down orders. This is why, those who support these orders tell one another to stay home. Neighbors who learn that some people continue to go out of home are getting so paranoid that they themselves wish that violators be punished severely. They believe that staying home is the only way to prevent the virus to spread. Is it? Perhaps, we need to get reminded of what happened during the Black Death in order to find out whether or not this common consensus ..read more

Compassion is the extension of a similar feeling toward anyone who suffers from pain. In Latin, passion means suffering, and compassion means co-suffering. It is the sharing of the same feeling of suffering by the non-suffering person. Empathy and altruism are different from compassion. Empathy is the understanding of someone else’ situation even when suffering does not exist while altruism is the motivation to help others even without feeling the same suffering. Compassion is the sudden feeling of weakness that makes the strong share their strength to help the weak. This kind of heroic fee ..read more