

When we compare humans to most living things, we engage in a host of behaviors that are uniquely destructive to our ourselves and our species. We also have admirable qualities in our emotional range that separate us from animals and can make us more powerful than we ever thought possible. The good news...we are reaching an era when our admirable qualities are finally surpassing our destructive nature.



Some say that's hard to believe, but it's fact. Love, peace, humanitarianism, courage, generosity and truth are at all-time highs across the globe, while our more destructive qualities are diminishing and only still prominent in the power hungry elite which number far less than those of us who make the 99.9% of the world. More good news...those power hungry elite are being slowly overtaken by the rest. The end result will be that ultimately love overcomes everything.



The 5 Most Destructive Qualities of Humankind



1. HATRED/ANGER



It is one of the most destructive human emotions by far. is a deep, intense animosity, hostility and emotional extreme dislike, directed against a certain object or class of objects. The objects of such hatred can vary widely, from inanimate objects to animals, oneself or other people, entire groups of people, people in general, existence, or the whole world. Though not necessarily, hatred is often associated with feelings of anger and disposition towards hostility against the objects of hatred. Hatred can become very driven. Actions after a lingering thought are not uncommon upon people or oneself. Hatred can result in extreme behavior such as violence, murder, and war. The emotion only magnifies all other destructive qualities we possess.



A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and by common hatred of its neighbours.

-- William Ralph Inge

2. LYING/DECEIT



Nobody knows for sure why humans lie so much, but studies find that it's common, and that it's often tied to deep psychological factors. "It's tied in with self-esteem," says University of Massachusetts psychologist Robert Feldman. "We find that as soon as people feel that their self-esteem is threatened, they immediately begin to lie at higher levels." Feldman has conducted studies in which people lie frequently, with 60 percent lying at least once during a 10-minute conversation. And lying is not easy. One study concluded that lying takes 30 percent longer than telling the truth. Of all the body language classes, the one on detecting deception is the least attended. People don't seem to want to know the truth.



Anyone who has proclaimed violence his method inexorably must choose lying as his principle.

-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn



3. WRATH/VIOLENCE



Known as "rage", "wrath" or "violence," they may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. Wrath, in its purest form, presents with violence that may provoke feuds that can go on for centuries. Wrath may persist long after the person who did another a grievous wrong is dead. Feelings of anger can manifest in different ways, including vigilantism or revenge...and "eye for an eye" type of mentality which only leaves the whole world blind according to the great Gandhi. Violence is found throughout recorded human history, leading some researchers to conclude that we crave it, that it's in our genes and affects reward centers in our brains. However, going back millions of years, evidence suggests our ancient human ancestors were more peace-loving than people today.

Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding.-- Ralph Waldo Emerson



4. GREED/ENVY



Greed is an excessive desire to possess wealth, goods, or abstract things of value with the intention to keep it for one's self. Greed is inappropriate expectation. However, greed is applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power. Many have claimed that most of the world's problems are caused by greed. As a secular psychological concept, greed is an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves. It is typically used to criticize those who seek excessive material wealth, although it may apply to the need to feel more excessively moral, social, or otherwise better than someone else. Like greed, envy may be characterized by an insatiable desire, however greed is largely associated with material goods, whereas envy may apply more generally. Those who commit to envy not only resent that another person has something they perceive themselves as lacking, but also wish the other person to be deprived of it. Both greed and envy may inevitably cause the act of stealing and theft or the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent.



For greed all nature is too little.

-- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

5. FEAR



Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger leading to an urge to confront it or flee from it (also known as the fight-or-flight response) but in extreme cases of fear (terror) a freeze or paralysis response is possible. Fear, whatever its source, can become a controlling factor within a person, society, culture and even nations. It has commonly been used throughout history and in current day, as a mechanism to control populations. Fear is how our current economic and social global structures operate. If fear does not exist, it can be created by overemphasis of the potential risks, and thus the creation of wars and violence. Fear is the emotion created by the thought that we may not be able to have something we think we need, or that we might lose something we have that we think we need. Every thought is based on a belief, and as it happens, most of our beliefs are mistaken. By examining the belief behind any particular fear, and seeing how mistaken that belief actually is, the fear is eliminated.



In time we hate that which we often fear.

-- William Shakespeare





The 5 Most Admirable and Powerful Qualities of Humankind



1. LOVE



Love encompasses and represents all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. It is the most powerful emotion we possess to change the world. It ultimately is part of the survival instinct, a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species. It is also our true nature is and that is concealed in pure consciousness. Depriving us of this true nature draws us to experience unhappiness and discontentment. Love can actually be experienced with everyone and everything. This Love then becomes unconditional. Love is knowing the deservability and worthiness of all. Without Love, the human species is not human. The universe is kept intact by the energy of Love, and it is the one quality necessary for the advancement of human beings in virtue and truth. Indeed, Divine Love is at the root of all healing and growth. Love is the force that precedes, and thus supports, intelligence and activity. When this Love energy flows through our bodies properly, we experience happiness and health. It is love that is currently transforming the earth and its inhabitants as we head towards 2012 and beyond. It is the one emotion that is currently transforming this planet to what it should be, "heaven on earth."



A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.

-- Thomas Carlyle

2. HUMANITARIANSIM



Humanitarianism is an ethic of kindness, compassion and sympathy extended universally and impartially to all human beings. It has been an evolving concept historically but universality is a common element in its evolution. Humanitarianism can also be described as the acceptance of every human being for plainly just being another human, ignoring and abolishing biased social views, prejudice, and racism in the process, if utilized individually as a practiced viewpoint, or mindset. It is the idea that humankind can be improved by deliberate social change as distinct from the conferring of charity and the doing of "good work." A remarkable feature of the humanitarian movement, on both its sentimental and utilitarian sides, has been its preoccupation with the lot of the masses, something that is relatively absent from the mindset of world powers. Ironically, most wars present themselves as humanitarian endeavors to help people.



The humanitarian lays stress almost solely upon breadth of knowledge and sympathy.-- Irving Babbitt



3. GENEROSITY/BENEVOLENCE



Generosity is not solely based on one's economic status, but instead, includes the individual's pure intentions of looking out for society's common good and giving from the heart. Much like humanitarianism, generosity should reflect the individual's passion to help others. It is the guiding principle for many registered charities, foundations and non-profit organizations. Benevolence can be seen as optimism applied to other people and relationships. It does not consist of any particular set of actions, but a general good will towards others based on the benevolent universe premise: Successful trading relationships with others are the to be expected, so treat other people accordingly. For example, if you are optimistic about other people and relationships, then perhaps you will treat a stranger like you would normally treat an acquaintance and an acquaintance like a friend. This broadcasts a friendly, non-hostile, attitude and a willingness to trade which is a prerequisite for peaceful interaction. Benevolence enables you to achieve your values from relationships with other people. Benevolence is very much like productiveness in its use as a tool for achieving value.



To remove ignorance is an important branch of benevolence.-- Ann Plato



4. COURAGE/BRAVERY



Courage and bravery are the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. It is defined as “the ability to stand up for what is right in difficult situations.” It allows us to persevere and seek a goal in spite of obstacles encountered. It allows us to be honest and authentic and to represent the truth at all costs. It involves integrity in all areas of oneâs life and the ability to be true to oneself and oneâs role in the world across all circumstances. While all people seem to grow in their understanding of the moral importance of honest and integrity as they grow older, there are certain individuals who seem to especially excel in this human strength. These individuals are changing the world's views on many principles including economics, social justice and freedom. They are also showing the world that they will stop at nothing until the world evolves into a just and moral playground rather than its destructive tendencies.

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.

-- Albert Einstein



5. PEACEFULNESS



Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interests of all. This is currently the status at which the world is close to achieving after thousands of years of conflict. It is being achieved through inner peace or being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress. Being "at peace" is considered by many to be healthy homeostasis and the opposite of being stressed or anxious. Peace of mind is generally associated with bliss, happiness, serenity, and calmness which are descriptions of a disposition free from the effects of stress. Peace movements are currently rising in great numbers worldwide and they seek to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war (or all wars including economic warfare), minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace. Despite resistance from national and international militaries and law enforement agencies, peace movement are achieving their goals through advocacy of pacifism, non-violent resistance, diplomacy, boycotts, moral purchasing, supporting anti-war political candidates, demonstrations, and lobbying to create legislation. Ultimately, we are seeing an evolving and yet unnamed movement spanning the globe and it is growing by the day and spreading worldwide with no exception.

Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.

-- Buddha



Michael Forrester is a spiritual counselor and is a practicing motivational speaker for corporations in Japan, Canada and the United States.