Socıal Dıssolutıon and Humanıty

 We are living in an era where everything flows like water, where life struggles to keep up with this pace, and where most matters remain superficial. The spiritual deepening and maturation of people are becoming increasingly difficult and nearly impossible. The older generations are increasingly lost and swept away in the face of this change. The new generations, on the other hand, are tested by a system built on materialism, vanity, and individualism. Human history, which has lasted for thousands of years, is evolving both intellectually and sociologically. In this period, where there is a significant rift between generations, serious disruptions in the transmission of understanding, comprehension, and knowledge are observed due to reduced interaction. The subtlety of life, the questioning of wise living, and the importance of philosophy no longer seem to interest anyone; everyone wants to possess power and dominate others in some way.

Max Weber states that modern society is gradually turning into a bureaucratic and materialistic structure. Those who speak beautifully, dress beautifully, and do beautiful work are only working for their selfish desires. No one says, "I should be like Socrates, Tolstoy, Hegel, or think like Gandhi," but they will do anything to become the inflated characters promoted by popular culture.

In this context, ignorance, selfishness, and evil grow and spread collectively; people use their minds only for materialism and satisfying their selfish desires. State systems apply every kind of manipulation to make people slaves of their desires. Systems only want people to consume and follow hollow rules.

Despite all the bad things happening, the presence and efforts of beautiful, courageous, and wise individuals occasionally emerge like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Throughout history, when evil has continuously strengthened and persisted collectively, great thinkers, minds, and those who paid great prices have stood against these evils. They have been the pioneers in the development of civilizations.

The purpose of this article is to embark on a journey into the lives and experiences of those who have dedicated their lives to knowledge, culture, books, and humanity, and who have been examples of kindness and beauty, amidst the evils, rudeness, greed, thoughtlessness, and the foolishness of vanity that we face in our time. The quote by Dostoevsky in The Brothers Karamazov, “Life is not long, but in order to live everything, sometimes it is necessary to benefit from the experiences of others,” highlights that life is short, and the things one can experience are limited, emphasizing the importance of learning from the experiences of others. The experiences shared in this article, despite the rapid passage of time, guide us on the path of finding our own inner depth and continuing our search for meaning. I hope that the answers to the question given below from these wonderful individuals will provide us all with a different perspective.

The Question:
“What experience during your life journey has transformed you the most? What lessons did this experience teach you about the meaning of being human or your purpose in life, and how did these lessons shape your life?”

Prof. Natela Dokhonadze (Georgia)
I have always loved nature; however, many things stressed me out: low grades (especially when unjustified), exams, arguments with friends, being treated roughly... There is not one event, but a type of event that gradually changed my life perspective: My father’s death at the age of 54, a prolonged illness I suffered, which took nearly a year to heal, and then the final blow: my daughter’s cancer. I don’t know how I survived the 10 months of her treatment and the next two years while the risk of the cancer recurring remained high. I had to learn to smile again. Now I know for sure that life is wonderful: the flowers are beautiful, the birds sing as though they are in a heavenly garden, the sea is powerful and emotional, the mountains are majestic... We still live in paradise, as long as we don’t turn it into hell: war, greed, hatred, bad character, etc. Make your possessions valuable, especially the health of your loved ones, your relationships with them, the beautiful conversations with your friends, music, the beauty of nature, and what humans have created (books, paintings, architecture, etc.). Be good and do not cause others pain, because there is already much suffering in the world: poverty, injustice, hatred, disease, natural disasters. This is the lesson I learned and try to teach. I am afraid I am not successful enough in teaching these things because some of my students are aggressive, vengeful, ambitious, and cruel. I wish I could do better.

Dr. Gunhild (Norway)
“Human existence, in itself, is a chaos, and finding a satisfying answer to it is very difficult, because the answer comes spread out over time and events. Throughout our lives, we constantly face events, and how we deal with them depends on how open we are to them. Having turned 65, it feels like I have been in an endless battle my whole life, and I never saw a winner. I compare life to a long, yet short, horse race; a constant gallop, with every ride feeling like my organs are about to burst. The most painful moments are when I pass over bumps—these bumps are filled with difficulties like family, friends, and relationships. I tried to overcome most of my problems through books and nature. I tried to approach the problems as gently and rationally as possible. Because, over time, despite all my education and travel around the world, I realized how little and inadequate I am in life. The more I learn, the more I feel I need to shrink.”

Activist and Human Rights Advocate Petra Matic (Croatia)
Living and working in a refugee camp radically changed my perspective. There, I had to face both inhuman violence and incredible examples of resilience. Every day I witnessed colonial violence, but I also witnessed the strength and joy of the community. This experience taught me humility and forced me to confront my own privileges. Since then, my work has focused on rebuilding society and creating collective learning spaces because I deeply believe that these are our true tools in the fight against ignorance and violence.

Traveler John Riley (United Kingdom)
In summary, through traveling, I realized how many people in the world are living in circumstances they did not deserve and are facing hardships. The simple things we take for granted—food, water, warmth, shelter, let alone television, radio, or the internet—are things they may never have access to. The world we know is a completely fabricated version of reality. The rich start wars for their own interests, and wealthy people create laws to protect their wealth, and this monopoly must be ended. Gaza has proven not only how cruel the occupiers are but also how complicit our supposedly democratic leaders are. The kindness of the oppressed is astonishing, despite the hardships and poverty they endure. Humanity is actually a very good species, having made great strides in areas such as sanitation, health, and family values. However, the bad people on the planet are at the root of the planet’s major problems, and they are responsible for much of the suffering. They defend their actions by telling ignorant people that another way of life is worse. Embrace our planet; it is beautiful, and the vast majority of its population is too.

Artist Aliona Londono (Spain)
Living or studying abroad allows you to see the world through an entirely different lens. By experiencing different cultures, traditions, and lifestyles, you expand your narrow perspective of the world. Meeting people with different viewpoints, values, and ways of life allows you to question your own world and develop a deeper understanding. This process makes you a more tolerant and open-minded person because every individual has their own past, struggles, and perceptions of life. This diversity increases empathy and respect for others, allowing you to see the universal values of being human more clearly.

Psychologist Christopher (USA)
“The experience that most transformed me during my life journey was understanding the power of human relationships and the bond with nature. At first, I thought individual success and material gains were important. However, over time, the places I lived and the people I met showed me that the true value of life lies in serving others and contributing to the world.
As I traveled and got to know different cultures, beliefs, and ways of life, I realized that the meaning of being human is the search for universal connection. No matter how many books I read, I always discover that there is something new to learn. Knowledge is like an endless ocean, and every dive offers an opportunity to go deeper. However, we must accept knowledge not only with the mind but also with the heart and soul, and live life deeply.
The most important lesson I’ve learned about the meaning of life is that the more I know, the more I realize I need to know. I learned that true freedom and happiness lie in seeing the goodness in people and not harming them, but instead easing their burdens. The kind and deep bonds that people show to each other carry the greatest meaning in life.
Another important lesson that shaped my life is that time passes quickly, and how we spend it is important. No matter how much we do, we must never forget that life is ultimately short. Therefore, my purpose in life is to add meaning to others’ lives, protect the natural world, and live with love and inner peace.
Yes, the 55 years I have spent reading, seeing, and living have taught me this: Life is a journey, but what matters is what kind of person we are on this journey, not where we came from, but where we are headed.”