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Why do men do so much harm to each other?

It is a combination of:


-over-preoccupation with the Ego


-greed (related to above)


-fear (also related to above)


-a genetic carryover from the earlier days of the world, when animal aggression was far more important to survival than it is today (this carryover is also part of the reason why some people display such crass mannerisms;-))


-the fact that some conflicts of interest are inherently unavoidable (although many are avoidable)


When will it end? Well eventually it has the potential to much better although it will probably never completely end. Many solutions to daily problems exist and others will be found. Much has to do with more efficient use of resources--for instance trade generally has the potential to benefit all parties. Likewise increasingly sophisticated technologies have the potential to make better and better use of resources. Unlimited free energy has yet to become a reality, but eventually that, and a host of other dream-like technologies, will revolutionize life as we know it. Food will be scientifically grown and produced to provide virtually perfect nutrition without containing excessive calories. Eventually all humans will inhabit bodies which do not age faster than can be repaired or rejuvenated, even on the cellular level (the primary cause of aging today is damage from cosmic radiation/free radicals which occurs at a pace faster than the body can manage to repair on a cellular level). Eventually, too, the average IQ will be far higher than it is today which will reduce misunderstandings and erroneous views. Genetic tweaking of embryos will ensure that almost all babies are born healthy and strong. Far from doing away with individuality, such enhancements will actually allow it to blossom more fully. There will be no need to struggle over material resources, and the greatest challenges will be furthering learning--the understanding of ourselves and the universe. However, if the Earth's population continues to spiral out of control all bets are off, as it is possible that the Earth and civilization may face calamities of apocalyptic proportions before such advancements can be realized.

Allow me to elaborate on your "preoccupation with ego" factor. IMO, the most destructive form of this ego "preoccupation" is skapegoating. This is the tendency to blame others for your (usually self-induced) misfortunes. It is what causes poker players to frequently abuse dealers.

nmn

Scapegoating is indeed a very harmful form of ego-protection; harmful in the effect it has on others, harmful in the pattern it reinforces in the psyche; and harmful in the avoidance of the real issues at hand.


The ego is an inherent part of our psyche but much about it remains still unknown.


We tend to feel that our egos are "I" and therefore become upset when things happen to disrupt our deep-seated views of ourselves. We act to protect our egos as though it were our very selves being threatened, when it is really only the image we hold of ourselves that is threatened. Emotionally perhaps we cannot tell the difference, but rationally and with awareness we can realize what is happening and utilize our intellect to take an overview of things--with greater understanding, destructive emotions may ebb.


It is interesting that ego is a very specific form of attachment--to our views of ourselves. However, we are constantly changing in the ebb and flow of the universe. Whether there is actually anything, or any combination of things, which can be pinned down and about which can be said "that is me" is quite a question. I don't know the answers to this and I'm not saying that ego is all bad (although a great many ills flow from the conflicts that arise between ego and reality)...we probably need a sense of self to function effectively in the world, and some beautiful things can come from ego too. However the questions of just what we really are, and what our egos would be (if ego would be at all) if we were more highly evolved, is an open question. I wonder what things, people, and psychology will be like in 500 years...my guess is that things will be as different then compared to now, as we are now compared to the times of cave-men.

"remains still unknown" or "remains unknown"?


"that is me" or "that is I" or "this is me" or "this is I"?