Has Love Become Outdated?

"Many feel the world has become colder in recent years-publicly and privately. The news seems dominated by hateful events and politics that aggressively pursue their interests without regard for others. After decades of building coalitions among nations that stand for social justice and democracy, we seem to have regressed to the dark ages of forcing national interests using military and/or economic power rather than sensible consensus-building in the interest of the world community."

"In our communities, we have seen a similar trend toward individualism, emphasizing autonomy and self-fulfillment. In Western societies, the latter are being marketed to consumers to boost consumption. Generally, societies balance individualism with collectivism, i.e., the interests of single members vs. those of the community. Both are important, and too much emphasis on one negatively impacts the other. Balance is the key concept in life, and given recent trends, we may wonder whether the balance of interests is well maintained in our communities."

"Love demands that we begin any dealings with others with the understanding that we are all the same and are all inherently good. Indeed, most people are good and remain so throughout their lives, caring for others and the environment. Though born good, some, often through poor guidance or adversity, become egocentric and cold, prone to destruction, conflict, and misery."

"As a group, such as a society, we set norms and rules, including those that balance individual and community interests. To live together peacefully, we promote empathy and collaboration, as both strengthen the community. To enforce these norms, we elect leaders who reflect our values. Dealing with nations is, in principle, no different from dealing with people. We foster friendships and collaborations f"

The world has become colder publicly and privately, with news dominated by hateful events and politics that pursue interests without regard for others. Nations that once built coalitions for social justice and democracy now rely more on military and economic power than on consensus-building for the world community. Communities show a similar shift toward individualism, emphasizing autonomy and self-fulfillment, sometimes marketed to consumers to increase consumption. Societies require balance between individual interests and community interests, because too much of either harms the other. Love begins dealings with the understanding that people are inherently good and deserve empathy. Communities set norms and rules, promote collaboration, and elect leaders who reflect shared values. Nations can foster friendships and collaboration in the same way people do.

Read at Psychology Today