There is no simple answer to what it means to be human. Some might say that being human means being independent and controlling their personal lives. For other people, being human means utilizing the refinements of civilization, wearing clothes, and going to work every day, i.e., doing everything that animals cannot do. It is also complicated to say how people want to live because everyone has unique requirements, dreams, and thoughts on this issue. This essay reflects on the On Being podcast and answers the above questions.
In the podcast, Thich Nhat Hanh explains why people need to be human. According to him, “we have to remain human to be able to understand and to be compassionate” (Onbeing.org 30:53 – 30:58). The monk adds that being human means having a right to make mistakes, but the absence of a “right to continue making mistakes” (Onbeing.org 31:15 – 31:20). Therefore, being human means being mindful, responsible, and open-hearted. In other words, being human is about being humane. People live in a world of violence and terror and cannot even talk to each other effectively (Onbeing.org). Consequently, they fail to understand which way of living is genuine. From the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, it could be inferred that people want to live without anger; they want to live mindfully and be in control of their emotions. Nonetheless, an average modern person could hardly achieve this way of living.
Overall, the podcast is immensely inspiring since it is dedicated to being human, problems people face in the modern mad world, and ways to avoid them. The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh creates an impression of a conscious person whose ideas should be taken seriously. Even though I do not share the Buddhist worldview, I deeply admire the personality of Thich Nhat Hanh since he inspired me to learn more about mindfulness practices.