FROM as early as 400 BCE to 499 CE, ancient astronomers such as Aristarchus of Samos and Aryabhata began to propose that, rather than the stars revolving around the Earth, it was the Earth that was constantly rotating on its own axis, giving the illusion that all of the celestial bodies were moving around it. By the middle of the 1800s, it had not only been theorised but also scientifically proven that the Earth constantly rotated on its own axis and revolved around the Sun. These discoveries were initially quite controversial and sparked intense debate. Today, we view them as scientific facts. In fact, anyone who might suggest otherwise may find themselves in constant conflict with many other parts of science that are based upon this fundamental understanding of our planet.
It is extraordinary to imagine that we live and grow on a planet that spins on its axis at about 1,000 miles per hour and orbits the Sun at 67,100 miles per hour. Taking a moment to consider the magnitude of our speed and the size of the Earth will certainly allow our problems, even if only for a moment, to shrink to an atomic level. There are times when this consideration is comforting and gives us more perspective. Yet, in a way, this idea is incomplete. It gives the false impression that, because we are small creatures in an enormous universe, our actions do not have sufficiently significant consequences.
Perhaps, to the divine beings that might occupy the spaces between the stars, the impact of our actions is imperceptible; they are a fluctuation or a murmur in the fabric of humanity. To the members of humanity, however, it is quite different. Actions and words become waves. They become fires. They become storms. Then, depending on how they are directed, they can either shape and forge people or destroy them. What is strangely saddening is that those who destroy or build others cannot often perceive that they have done so in the first place. Like worlds spinning on their axes, we move along our own paths without realising the effect of our gravity on those we encounter.
Unfortunately, human beings do not live by simply existing. We live by experiencing. We do not go through our days just by sensing the world around us and responding to stimuli. We make memories and allow the feelings we experience in each moment to shape the person we are. As much as we may try, we do not truly forget anything that deeply influences our emotions. Living might be easier if there were some way for us to dispose of the memories of feeling hurt, but if we did, then we would risk disposing of the parts of ourselves that have grown stronger because of the suffering we went through.
We cannot stop ourselves from being hurt, nor can we get rid of the memories that hurt us. So, our only real chance of being good people lies in preventing ourselves from becoming the reason someone else has a painful memory that they cannot eradicate from their mind.
In a moment of grief, disappointment or sadness, it is easy to express our pain by lashing out at others. Sometimes, we do not even realise we are doing so until we have already caused the damage. In a single moment, when we are stumbling and attempting to grab onto something to restore our balance, we tip over someone else’s world.
It is not easy being human. We hurt others and are hurt by others every day. We grow and, at the same time, seem to be stuck in the same position for years. We feel like the world is too small and also too big, all at once. Being human is an art that we can only slowly master. In doing so, we must remember that we are not the only ones going through this growth. We are all stuck together on this journey of rotating around the Sun at 67,100 miles per hour. The least we can do is be kind to each other.
