First, Bravery

Everything humanity has ever encountered has, at one point in time, wanted to kill us. Name one obstacle the human race has encountered that was not difficult to overcome. Even “man’s best friend” was once a deadly foe.

Human history courses/classes often speak of the development of the human mind to overcome technological obstacles. Fire, electricity, the internet, Relativity. But not enough is said of the brave individuals who have given everything so that others could live. We hail these great scientists who have done so much for the world, and they truly have. But what we often forget is there are others who, although their individual effects were smaller, served something greater than themselves. And they often died for it.

To pivot for a moment, I believe that existence was created by God or some equally powerful force. But to stop there would be doing the creation itself a massive disservice. With or without God being the creator, or there being a divine plan or not, getting to this point in our history has taken more than just intellect. It took bravery in the face of

aversion.

I sit in comfort, and go to sleep in peace at night because of the sacrifices others have made. These people will never know me, and I will never know them. If it were me, I’d talk more about the human spirit and what binds us all together as people. Sacrifice.

Even more so, we often laud tech CEO’s and sometimes even politicians that we happen to agree with. Everyone sacrifices something to get to where they are in life. Entrepreneurs have indeed made sacrifices. Many risked their cushy corporate jobs to make something greater than they are as an individual. To innovate and create things that others said were impossible. They took risk and we should respect them for that, and appreciate what they have done. Some, in fact, have saved millions of lives and for that they will forever be remembered by the masses. They should never be forgotten for this. However, tens of millions of soldiers and others around the world have died to defend their homeland and the people they care about… regardless of nationality, race, or religion. Often for freedom, as they see it. The wars they fought in are not often forgotten.

And so there it is. The wars will be remembered, but the soldiers who gave EVERYTHING for freedom, or to fight evil, are often lost to time itself. Everyone knows who Einstein is but almost no one can mention a single soldier that landed on D-Day in 1944 France.

To close: let’s shift the conversation. Just reflect. Let’s all forget for just a few minutes who agrees with our political opinions, or disagrees. It’s difficult to think that there aren’t right or “perfect” solutions to solve our differences.

If you’re in the United States as I am, or another developed country and have a good life, let’s just be thankful for a moment. Not only to those who have had the largest individual impact, but for those who suffered and died so we may live in peace.