The word “DIFFERENCE” is defined as an “instance of disparity or unlikeness, a degree or amount by which things differ” it also mean “unlikeness, variation, or discrepancy”. On the other hand, the word “BIND” could mean “to ties, to secure, to hold or restrain, to compel, obligate, or unite”. Bind is something of a force that makes two or more things stick together.
First and foremost, allow me to pop-up the question “What and Who MAN is”? After the extinction of the great dinosaurs, the HUMAN specie came out so prominently from the evolution tree. Why did MAN come out ahead of other species in such a slow yet harsh and vicious process of natural selection we call evolution? It is because MAN is a supreme opportunist of all the animals. For the opportunist, the going may always be tough but HE will be able to adapt rapidly for any quick change act that the environment decides to put on.
Man being a thinking animal, is an individualist, who is aware of his weakness and strengths. His greatest skill is by using his strengths efficiently and finding ways to use his weakness to his advantage. Man’s greatest discovery is not his tools. His greatest discovery is his understanding that with cooperation and combination of their skills, with another individual, their weaknesses are reduced and their strengths and skills are increased. Thus, we have survived and become masters in spite of our individualism and competitiveness because we are aware that when we work in group we achieve more in our goals and pursuits.
However, not all the time MAN works cooperatively with other members of his specie. As earlier presented, man is an individual and an opportunistic who often work cooperatively with another individual in order to assert his own agenda, be it for self or for the good of the many. That is why we see in the recorded history the various rise and fall of many empires, kingdom, conquerors, and others. These are all workings of Man.
In the documentaries on animal behavior featured on Discovery and National Geographics Channels, we observed that animals fight among themselves for one of two very good reasons: either to establish their dominance in a social hierarchy, or to establish their territorial rights over a particular piece of ground. Some species are purely hierarchical with no fix territories. Some are purely territorial with no hierarchial problems. We Humans have it in both ways; we have hierarchies on our territories and have to contend both form of aggression.
In the macroscopic point of view, we see a world today no less different than what I have just described why animals fight. Our technology may have increased exponentially; we have very fast computers, powerful telescopes, and others. But we do always retain our individualistic tendencies. The world today has so much chaos, tribal wars, religious wars, internal conflicts, terrorism, economic wars , etc.
In the present situation of our country, we observed so much political power play and display of arrogance in the politicians and leaders of our government. It shows the opportunistic tendencies of those individuals. I would say that once in a while, we Filipinos can demonstrate an act of unity in some occasions. It was in the People Power Revolution of EDSA in 1986 that we showed to the world that in spite of the situation and the various degrees of differences in the Filipinos, we can be united for a BETTER CHANGE. We were so successful at that time. But we were not able to sustain the change… almost 20 years after that… now we are still squabbling… the dreamed CHANGE is still elusive.
The coming privatization of our company could be both a threat and an opportunity for each one of us. It is an impending change in our environment. But like the opportunistic MAN who is able to adapt rapidly for any quick and radical change in the environment, we will work together to achieve more in our goals and pursuits.
Before I end this rhetoric, I would like to emphasize that in this competition we called survival. It is necessary that we infuse morals and values in all our undertaking. In this way we become different from the animals that I have so often described earlier. With values and morality, we HUMANS become human.
Speech during flag ceremony, Sept 2005
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