How Come We Are All So Alike?
The Unification of Humankind
The Agricultural Revolution left us as large groups of peasants, scraping by day-by-day just to survive. Each group was entirely different culturally, religiously, economically, and linguistically from the next.
How did we end up in a world today with so much in common?
How come Saddam Hussein, a muslim Iraqi dictator who cursed the United States was found to have 650 million USD hidden in his walls?
"The Unification of Humankind," focuses on how human societies have come together through many forces like culture, imperialism, money, and religion. At a time in which we feel so divided, the real question to ask ourselves is how humanity, in all its diversity, has managed to find any common ground at all.
Unification
Unification hasn't been a smooth or peaceful process at all. It’s a complex story of cultures constantly mixing and clashing. There is no culture today unchanged by the great empires of history. Cultures have evolved and merged over time, leading to both cooperation and conflict on a global scale.
Imperialism
Imperialism has played a major role in this unification, with empires expanding their control over massive territories, bringing together different societies under a single rule.
Despite its often harsh realities, imperialism has connected different parts of the world, laying the groundwork for a global community. It’s hard to denounce all imperialism when it was a driving factor in most parts of life we enjoy today.
Money
Money, as a universal medium for trade and transactions, has broken down barriers of language, religion, and ethnicity, becoming a key factor in global integration.
Its impact goes beyond economics, influencing the social fabric and building connections across the globe. I can go to a country today where I don’t speak the language and be totally fine because “money talks”.
Religion
Religion has also been a unifying force, bringing together large groups of people through shared beliefs and practices. From ancient polytheistic religions to widespread monotheistic faiths, religion has helped bridge the divide among conflicting groups.
As we dive into "The Unification of Humankind," we need to think about the various elements that have shaped our collective history.
Examining culture, imperialism, money, and religion, we'll see how these forces have brought us together, for better or worse. This isn't just about where we've been; it's also about understanding the dynamics that continue to influence our journey as a species.
Question of The Day
Did you know most cuisines associated with specific countries were only introduced by imperialism? Argentina had no cows, India had no chilies, and Italy had no tomatoes. Those are all gifts of imperialist empires.
Your Friend,
Noah “BigNerd” Sochaczevski