Redwoods, Northern California Coast
HUMANNESS
At the core of Ubuntu, or humanness, is:
Umuntu ngumuntu nbabantu
This is a Zulu proverb.
It can help us understand
how ubuntu means “being with others”:
“a person
is a person
through other persons”.
Simple reconciliation with each other
is at the core of humanness:
- How we treat others, how we relate to others.
- We are who we are because of our relation with others.
- We exist as we are through them.
How does this translate in a culture where “we always hurt the ones we love”, where the person we are the most familiar with is the one that sees our worst behavior, and where we often leave our elderly parents and young children for others to care for, so we don’t inconvenience our comfort, or so we can keep making “enough” money. What does ubuntu mean?
More to come…