“You Think You’re Better Than Me?” — The Human’s Real Fear

Lately, I’ve been asking myself a question: Why is equality among human beings still so far away?

Disclaimer:

This isn’t a “serious” or deeply researched study. I’m not a sociologist — just a thinker trying to make sense of the world. This is simply a little piece of my thoughts on society’s endless need to feel superior above all.

[End Of Disclaimer]

Even though so many people, movements, and even religions present it as the ultimate cure for humanity’s troubles, human beings have remained the same since the dawn of time — greedy, ambitious, always reaching higher, not just beyond their own limits, but beyond those of others. Society, in all its contradictions, is both toxic and benevolent. It pushes us to grow, but also to compete against our own brothers and sisters. No matter the price — a trophy, a medal, a crown, a title, or simply money.

Humanity has an unending need to feel superior. And society, our silent accomplice, has turned that desire into a system: contests, rankings, competitions, comparisons… Whether as a team or alone, in music, in science, in faith or knowledge, we all long to prove we’re worth more than our neighbors.

That’s the root of social classes, and the poison behind discrimination that splits our communities. Those biases are carved so deeply into the heart of our world that without them, perhaps we wouldn’t even know how to live. Because deep down, we don’t just fear being different — we fear being inferior.

Since the beginning of time, hierarchies have repeated themselves: men above women, nations above nations, beliefs claiming superiority over others. And from those fractures were born the three great plagues of our time: sexism, racism, and homophobia. Different faces of the same fear. Because no — humanity doesn’t fear difference; it fears inferiority. And that’s why equality still feels so distant.

But I must confess something. While writing these words, I felt superior to those around me. As if, by observing the vanity of the world, I had somehow absorbed a piece of it myself. That’s when I realized: the need to be superior touches us all.

Yet there is a way to soften that instinct, to breathe in humility again. In my view, that way is to give the credit to God. God who made me, God who gave my soul its pen. By giving the glory to someone beyond ourselves, we can learn to stay — even a little — humble.

And even for those who don’t believe, humility is still possible. Like RM, the leader of BTS, once said — to keep his sanity in the face of fame, he divides the credit into four parts: to the fans, to the company, to the group as a whole, and only then, to himself. That kind of wisdom is rare — but essential. Because many forget to share the glory, and many lose themselves because of it.

So yes, maybe equality hasn’t arrived yet. But if each of us learned to thank instead of compete, to recognize instead of compare, maybe the world would finally understand that true greatness lives in humility. 🌿

— Shine Shadow Stay Purple 💜