Life, the Universe and the Gator.
"What is life? Is it nothing more than the endless search for a Cutie Mark? And what is a Cutie Mark, but a constant reminder that we are all only one bugbear attack away from oblivion? And what of the poor Gator? Flank forever blank, destined to an existential swim down the river of life to an unknowable destiny?"
~Gummy
One who speaks little, learns a lot. One who carefully observes the world around him learns many things about that world. Some may believe my time on this planet has been short, but to that I ask whose time isn't short? Even the Celestia sisters will succumb to the brutal nature of father time at one point or another. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
And who knows what lies beyond. Are we reborn? Do we meet our loved ones on some celestial plane? Or do we simply cease to be? Does our ultimate fate matter in the great scheme of things? We are all such tiny specks of matter, teetering on the edge of existence. And what is existence? How much do we really see? And how do we discern if what we see truly real? Or is out existence merely an amalgamation of the buzzing electrons inside our minds? Perhaps what we consider our reality doesn't even exist. Perhaps we are all a part of a greater machine, a machine that our simple yet endlessly complicated minds will never be able to comprehend.
I see the ponies moving about town, performing their menial tasks, sipping their beverages, and I wonder how each of them live their lives. All these lives filled with hope, dreams, ambitions, hopelessness, nightmares and failures all in equal measure - what do they all amount to in the end?
I see my master, so filled with joy and laughter around others, yet helplessly alone. Her pegasus friend, so confident and cocksure, yet so intensely afraid of failure, and the unicorn blessed with an eye for beauty so self-critical of her own. All talented, yet so flawed. I wonder if they notice the same thing in others. Do they see each other as I see they?
Each life has its own tale to tell. Each face bears the scars of its owner's past and each mind contains experiences etched in memory to help them better deal with the future. And what does the future hold? How far does one look ahead? Some may spend their entire lives dreaming of tomorrow, yet, if they fail to change their mindset and enjoy today then 'tomorrow' will never come. Others live purely for the moment, unable to comprehend the ramifications of their action or inaction. To them, the future is of little consequence as they happily surrender their lives to fate.
Whilst both philosophies are conflicting, are either of them truly wrong? Or do we simply strike a balance betwixt the two which suits our own narrative?
Like one's palate, perspectives and opinions change vastly through age and experience. Something which may be desirable in young age may not be to one's liking in later life. What prompts such change? Is it our drive to make our own lives better? Should we be so selfish? After all, what may benefit one may be to the detriment of another. Strangely, we are okay with making such decisions, and we make them each and every day with little thought. Even menial things, such as the origin of the paper you write on, or the milk which you consume.
What harm does felling a perfectly healthy tree have on the environment? How does that affect the critters who live there? And what of the health and well-being of those who provide these products to us? These perfectly pertinent questions pass by our minds on a daily basis. But should they? Should we be considering the marks we leave on this world before we even make them? Or do we press on in making things better only for ourselves all the while dealing with the consequences as they appear? What is more important? Our advancement as a society? Or the preservation of things as they are?
Or is it once again a case of finding a middle ground wherein the majority or satisfied? Or is satisfying everyone damaging in its own right? Think of a foal presented with the prospect of candy. The foal desires the candy, the parent has enough Bits to purchase the candy and the seller is pleased to take the money. From this perspective, all parties are satisfied, but is satisfaction truly the best result?
Consider the effect on the foal's health and the condition of their teeth. Consider how much candy the parent actually buys and how much this purchase will affect the parent from being able to supply the foal with the necessary items to ensure its safety and well-being. Once you start to look at situations from various perspectives, they become endlessly more complex than at first appearance.
That is not to suggest that this is a bad situation, but that this particular scenario requires balances in other aspects of life to prevent this from becoming a bad situation. The negative effects on the foal's dental health are countered by brushing teeth and the negative effects on the their health are countered by ensuring the candy is a small portion of a balanced diet. The parent can ensure financial stability by purchasing in small amounts and putting the candy lower on their priorities of things to buy. Without this balance, what would originally satisfy all three ponies could easily descend into a scenario wherein none are satisfied.
I take into account my own experiences in this area. My master feeds me candy in great amounts, yet I have no teeth. You would think this to be a source of extreme displeasure, but no; she understands my inability to chew and thus chews my candy for me. I love my master. She appears to many as a pony not to be taken seriously, yet I believe she is possibly the most perceptive pony I know.
Please excuse me now. I wish to inform her of my unconditional love and devotion to her. I thank you for taking the time to listen to my thoughts. I am Gummy, and I wish you all the very best in your endeavours.
What is conflict?
To understand conflict, we must first understand the definition of the word. Conflict has two clear meanings. First, when used as a verb, it describes an incompatibility between two or more parties. Alternatively, when the noun is used, it describes anything involving an ongoing struggle, be it with one's own feelings, or all out war. So it is fair to say that conflict, by definition, covers a wide variety of things.
Regardless of the situation, one consistency is that it places one or more parties into a position of distress, and each and every conflict desires a satisfactory resolution. How that resolution comes about can be determined in any number of ways which can impact those involved either positively, negatively or neutrally: talking, fighting, or even ignoring the conflict, for example, can all serve to put an end to a conflict. Each have their benefits, each have their drawbacks, but very few conflicts are ever left truly unresolved.
The very nature of conflicts can be conflicting. We live in a world in which we desire harmony - nobody truly wants to fight with each other, do they? To that, I say that - in a sense - they do. In fact, I believe that conflict can make us happy, and that we often strive for conflict. Think about it. In the stories you read, in the shows you enjoy, they almost all repeat the same process: the protagonist's life is at peace until it is shaken by a conflict, and the story advances until a satisfactory resolution has been reached. And we enjoy this. But why?
The simplest answer would be knowledge. Each time we face a conflict, we're thrust into a situation where we have an opportunity to learn and grow. The desired outcome is an increased knowledge of how the world works, and that knowledge is satisfying to the mind, but it could even have more primal matters in mind. It is satisfying for many creatures to know that they are the most powerful in their group - being the Alpha - and coming out on top in a conflict can reinforce that fact.
We face conflict on a constant basis, often without even noticing it. Things which happen before our eyes that we respond to without question or pause. A lot of these responses we learn from experience, and any time we face a new challenge we learn how to deal with that, too, but there are many challenges require a lot more thought.
So what do you do when you find yourself in a situation where conflict leads to further conflict? How do you break the cycle? Ignoring the problem can negatively impact the lives of many, but showing love and kindness can often seem to fall on deaf ears, and responding with violence only encourages more backlash.
I dislike conflict where the resolution ends in suffering. I have, though experience, learned that there are cases where suffering can not be avoided. Whether it's a fight for equal rights, land, or merely survival, when you invoke conflict between two or more large groups, blood is almost guaranteed to be spilled. It is an unfortunate fact of life.
Steps can be taken to avoid such things happening, but often things can spiral out of control as one or more parties attempts to resolve the conflict through the easiest means as opposed to making a morally righteous decision. These types of conflicts will almost certainly escalate to a point where it cannot escalate further before it is resolved. The pain ends when one party loses the will to continue.
Is there a point to it? Will we ever learn from past mistakes, or is history doomed to repeat itself? Will we ever live in true harmony? Or will conflict be ever-present in our lives? How do we avoid needless conflict? And how do we use the lessons we learn to better ourselves? Do we absorb the knowledge given to us in these situations or do we shut out knowledge in favour of our own world view? Can every problem be handled peacefully or are there cases where even pacifists must take arms?
The next time you find yourself in conflict, will you choose to do what is right or what is easy? Do you try and resolve things peacefully, or violently? Each action affects those around you. Think carefully, think rationally, and most importantly you must think about how others will respond to your decision. Will your actions truly resolve the conflict, or merely lead to more trouble?
I sincerely hope we can all find the strength inside of us to do what is right when faced with difficult situations and do what we can to bring peace and harmony to the world.
