Guns, Germs & Steel> Wars & India>Human folly

We are a divided society. Divisions are natural. Human beings band together around identities and causes to lay claims to natural resources in order to prolong their lives and spread their genes. Divisions lead to inequalities as the more powerful groups begin to claim rights to resources - sometimes even divine rights. However, most of the time we miss this driver of social divisions on our interactions. Often we do not understand it even if we spot it. A book which has significantly shaped my thoughts on society is Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.

In the book Author tried to answer the question - is there fundamentally different about Western "civilization" which has led to it being the technologically dominant society. In other world, is there a justification for the assertion that a race or type of people is superior to another race or type of people?

The answer is a resounding NO and Jared beautifully explains how various circumstances led to different developmental paths for different people.

This discussion is extremely relevant to our society of today where the young people are themselves discovering that all men (and women) are born equal, and are slowly eroding the rules of the old order. Often the youth acts on instinct and is carried away by the moment. He goes ahead an make a friend from a different section of society - sometimes a much maligned one - without understand why it is OK to do so.

This book provides scientific and philosophical underpinning to the assertion that all humans are equal. Each one of us can commit most horrific crimes, and is capable of supreme sacrifices in the name of the good.

It is a must read for anyone planning to wage war in name of nation, religion, caste or any other such human grouping.