Where Did Our Humanity Go?

Where Did Our Humanity Go?

Every day, the news is filled with conflict, division, and anger. Wars rage in Europe, fueled by power struggles and territorial disputes. The United States is caught in a web of hate, where political and social differences have turned into battlegrounds. Here in New Zealand, protests disrupt the streets, each side shouting louder but listening less. It begs the question—when did we lose respect for each other as human beings? When did we forget that, beyond our differences, we are all people with hopes, dreams, and fears?

Some say it started with social media—an invention that was meant to bring us together but has instead driven us further apart. Algorithms feed us what we want to hear, reinforcing our beliefs while vilifying those who think differently. Compassion and understanding are drowned out by outrage, and debates turn into personal attacks instead of meaningful discussions. We have forgotten how to talk to each other, how to listen, and, most importantly, how to disagree without hate.

Perhaps it was the pandemic that deepened the cracks in our social fabric. Fear, uncertainty, and stress pushed us into survival mode, making us suspicious of others. Governments made decisions that divided nations. Friends and families split over masks, vaccines, and mandates. Instead of coming together to face a global crisis, we turned against each other. The scars of that time remain, and trust is harder to rebuild than it is to destroy.

Or maybe our loss of humanity has been a slow erosion over decades. As life has become busier, as economies have prioritized profit over people, and as technology has replaced face-to-face conversations with text bubbles, we have forgotten the value of human connection. Empathy takes effort, and in a world that constantly demands more from us, it has become easier to judge than to understand.

But all is not lost. Humanity is not something that disappears—it is something we choose, every single day. We see it in the kindness of a stranger helping someone in need. We feel it in the warmth of a genuine conversation. We build it when we choose to listen, to understand, and to respect others even when we do not agree.

The world may seem angry, divided, and broken, but change begins with us. We can choose to be kinder. We can choose to listen more and judge less. We can choose to rebuild what has been lost, one small act of humanity at a time.

So let’s ask ourselves—what kind of world do we want to live in? And more importantly, what are we willing to do to make it better?