Recently a few people
called me RADICAL which I perceived as an insult. Then a good friend
explained to me what radical really means... Now I want to be more
radical.
In everyday use, a radical
person is associated with disobedience, extremism and violence.
It's someone who is not good for society, someone who is dangerous.
But in truth? Another word that has been misused...
rӑd´ῑk-әl
– from Late Latin radicalis (“of or pertaining to the
root, having roots”); from Latin radix (“root”). Meaning
“going to the origin, essential”.
On Wikipedia, the
adjective radical
is described as “favouring
fundamental change, or change at the root cause of a matter”.
Isn't this exactly what is missing in the world? Change at the
deepest possible level!
“We have come to a
point in time where using common sense, speaking factual truths and
asking honest questions have been deemed radical behaviour. While in
turn, manipulation, thoughtlessness and dishonesty is often rewarded
and rules the day.” (Gary Hopkins)
Plenty of good things
are happening but on the whole our system is seriously sick. It's a
system that allows war and starvation instead of choosing peace and
food for all. A corrupt system that is destroying the planet and
distracting us with commercials and dividing politics from the fact
that we, the citizens of the Earth, are actually committing suicide.
A sad ending for humanity is unfolding on the horizon of tomorrow.
It's there, right in front of your eyes. You just have to look.
If we're honest most
people are ill too. Some more, some less, but few can be called sane
and wise and healthy inside out. We're functioning and getting by but
we've long stopped living in true harmony with nature – and with
ourselves. So much dissatisfaction, fear and hatefulness; so
little love, kindness and understanding. And those moments of feeling
alive and blissful and connected to everything, shouldn't there be
many more of them?
Antonyms
for radical:
ignorable, trivial
Ignorance and
superficiality won't help us to live in peace, nor will they make us truly happy or help us
to survive. We need awareness and depth! And since being radical
means exactly that – to look deep within and finding the real cause
of our problems – the thing we all ought to do is to become more
radical. To listen to the heart, rise up and change everything for the better.
