Reflections on Peace, Philosophy, and Life
Credit and debit on the Swiss balance sheet
Switzerland has given the world humanitarian law, educational reform, scientific brilliance and remarkable public institutions. It has also excluded women, exploited vulnerable children, turned away refugees and mistreated migrants. Both accounts belong in the ledger—but responsibility belongs to people, parties and institutions, not to an imaginary national personality.
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The phrase “know yourself” has been bandied about for centuries, at least. It sounds profound, but what does it actually mean?
Ask most people who they are and they will probably answer with a list. Their name, occupation, nationality, age, gender, family status, perhaps their interests, beliefs and achievements.
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Addiction is usually spoken about in terms of substances or destructive habits. Drugs. Alcohol. Nicotine. Gambling. Sex. Food. Shopping. Screens. Work. These are the visible forms. They are the things we can name, measure, condemn, treat, or confess.
But I wonder whether addiction is far wider than that.
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There is a difference between knowing something and understanding it. Knowledge can be collected, repeated, and defended. Understanding begins when we become aware of what is actually moving us inside — our fear, habits, assumptions, and inherited beliefs.
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We like to think of ourselves as individuals. We like to think that our opinions are our own, that our decisions are based on reason, and that we are not easily influenced by others. Yet much of human behaviour suggests otherwise. Again and again, people move together, fear together, blame together and repeat the same explanations together.
We are social animals, and there is safety in belonging to the herd. Standing apart requires effort. It can also be uncomfortable, because once we stop following the herd, we may have to ask questions that do not have convenient answers. Why do I think this? Who told me this? What evidence have I actually examined? Who benefits from my fear? It is usually much easier simply to follow the animal in front.
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