War, Galaxy and the Great Filter
Hello everyone,
I hope you are doing as well as you can these days. I am writing this with heavy thoughts, considering what I should do to offer my best right now.
Like many of you, I was shocked by the events of the past week. We all deal with the situation differently. I am processing this on my own and with people close to me, and I hope you have your group too! I have also decided to pause releasing content for the time being. It felt strange to post product design videos and Ista Stories into the mix of civilian bombing, I am sure you understand.
It’s tricky to make the right decision with this, so by now, I’ve been acting on my intuition and not posting anything. However, I can also imagine some people might welcome distraction, and I truly want to do what’s best. I would love to hear your opinion, let’s help each other navigate this…
Opinion time
A lot of people asked about my opinion. Please, bear in mind this is my personal point of view shaped by my beliefs in the importance of human functioning on a global level, and I am fully aware it may not resonate with everybody. Only read if you are interested and willing to keep an open mind.
It might be surprising, but I don’t care about geopolitical stuff and territory. I’m deeply sorry for people on both sides who have to live through this while they never chose to be a part of the war. I am not willing to dehumanize the whole country based on the bad decisions of a few politicians. The concept I’ve been thinking a lot about is the Great Filter.
I’m wondering - is this the Great Filter for humanity?
Thinking about wars for territories and commodities, have you ever asked yourself some of the following questions…? Why is nationalism rising? Why are we fighting for artificially created states? Why can’t we finally start to collaborate on the global level? I acknowledge the local pains, but sometimes I can’t help it to think we are focusing on small things too much. What are we doing for the future of our planet to keep it healthy? And why aren’t we considering there’s probably more to deal with? I strongly believe that if we look up into the stars, there is something out there. What are the chances we are alone in the universe? What if there are other forms of life and what if they’re not friendly? Wouldn’t it be better to be civilization level 1 or 2? I think we should be focusing on coming together and creating unity.
A fun way to gain perspective
I would recommend reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It’s just a fun book - but is it actually? At the beginning of the story, the Earth is erased by aliens, because they are building a galactic highway. It’s comedic, but it also offers quite an interesting perspective on the scale of problems we deal with. I’d say it’s good brain food, and if you’re looking for some guilt-free distraction, go for it.
Back to earth
I think that parties in the war have their share of horrible actions. I am not necessarily convinced there is one clear villain and one clear victim. The narrative of the right versus the wrong party supports the “us vs them” mentality which is mainly created by the media, social networks, and nations. It’s an easy way of controlling people. I am not saying all the information we are getting is false, I would just like to stress the importance of critical thinking. Keep in mind this is something the world has never experienced before. War in the times of globalized media is completely new and more than ever we need to filter the info we intake.
Well, I know this is not our usual Friday Inspo. I still hope it inspired you a little bit, hopefully, to be critical of the news. We are all experiencing this crazy thing and more than ever I would love to open a space for discussion. Don’t hesitate to get in touch or comment and talk about anything that’s on your mind. I’ll be here.
Stay safe,
Eva.
PS: Watch this 10 min video, if you don’t know what the Great Filter is.