A friend of mine had this bag of grain (horse feed) in the shed. Surrounding this bag were the bodies of mice that had starved to death. Inside the bag were fat mice who had pushed out their weaker relatives.

Sounds right out of 'Animal Farm' ..

but unlike the mice we are social beings - however not like ants or bees which have no individuality. The real issue (at least for me) is balancing the rights and obligations of the individual, with those of society and its institutions. Democracy is supposed to be based on this. But people have become so busy just to keep their own lives and affairs going, there's not much time or scope for individual dignity and real self-expression.

Also, the world is jaded, cynical and all-too-knowing - a byproduct of 20th century history, IMO. It seems many people don't realize how small and dehumanized the individual has become - ie compared to what he/she could and should be as a person. They don't know, for instance, that they each have the right to say what they please, to ask authority to justify itself, and to shine as individuals themselves. As a society (and often as individuals) we are very submissive to anyone louder and more dominant than us.

I find it continually amazing and frustrating that even in a democracy, there is so much suspicion of those who want to stand up straight, express themselves freely, and shine! The attitude is too often cynical and dismissive - as if, by wanting to be myself, I automatically step into a dominant 'alpha male' role (or 'wannabe alpha male'). In other words, a misunderstanding of individuality and personal dignity, which just wants to express itself, not to dominate or 'win' all the time.

That's why I'm here, to express myself in ways which I'm not able to in everyday life. I don't want to compete with anyone, just to shine on my own where possible. But it seems hard for some people to get that - especially people from post-modern, ultra-competitive societies, where moral and psychological dislocation is prevalent.

In the universe, does one star outshine another - or do they all shine and blend together to form beautiful galaxies? Isn't that obvious? Those individual stars wandering about outside galaxies, on their own, are so boring in comparison.

There really is a big dominance/submission (tending to S&M) mentality in the world, more than ever it seems - democracy or no democracy. Let's stand up straight and be vocal. Here's an excerpt which shows just what could be achieved: Honoring Courageous German Women by Eve B. Rennebarth, Germany The Grossen Hamburger Strasse is the oldest Jewish Cemetery in Berlin that was destroyed by the Nazi’s in the early 1940s. Adjacent to this hallowed ground is the memorial in the Rosenstrasse. This is where the non-Jewish wives involved in officially despised, so-called Mischehen, (mixed marriages) demonstrated in 1943. They thereby undermined Goebbel’s plan to make Berlin “clean” of Jews. The demonstration came about when one day the women’s husbands were all arrested in their places of employment, taken to jail with the intent of ultimate deportation. But the Nazis wanted to avoid public embarrassment and thus the women’s protest was successful: the men were released. The unspoken question arises, “ What would have happened if also in other places there had been major demonstrations against the deportations?” What more need be said after that!