“Do you think that there is, in spite of everything, an efficient remedy against that malaise?” asked Doctor Ovale.
“I think there is a remedy, but unfortunately it can’t be used,” said Vivien.
“Why is that?” asked Doctor Ovale.
“Because power-hungry people in positions of power and influence, those who could decide, never think of such a remedy. Therefore they simply don’t know about it. And those who think about it and who know a suitable remedy are very, very few. They neither seek power nor do they want to decide in the name of others,” said Vivien.
“What would be the remedy?” asked Doctor Ovale.
“Well, the only remedy would be the insight that any other person is, in fact, you yourself. When I say you yourself I don’t mean your neighbour or your relative or your friend: I mean you yourself,” said Vivien.
“Help me please to understand what you want to say, because that sounds a bit strange to my ear,” said Doctor Ovale.
“During my captivity I read a book about genetics. From what I have understood it appears that we all are built of the same elements that can be found everywhere in nature and that the proteins in all of us consist of the same twenty or so amino acids. It is only their different sequence, their different arrangement that makes us all appear different in the eyes of all others, who for the same reason appear different to us. That different appearance, that outward show, that different robe, as it were in which we all are shrouded is called body. We all see different bodies and do not recognize ourselves in them because we do not know what there is behind the outward show, behind the robe,” said Vivien, looking at him.
“That’s simply fantastic. You should write a book about that and explain everything in detail. It could be a bestseller, and you could become rich,” said Doctor Ovale enthusiastically.
“Perhaps I could, but that certainly wouldn’t be the remedy; the world-weariness could definitely not be soothed by that,” said Vivien.
“Why shouldn’t a good book providing such a fundamental explanation be able to change the hierarchical way of thinking, which is prevailing at present, and thus create a healthier and friendlier attitude of people to one another?” asked Doctor Ovale.
“Lots of excellent books about genetics and biochemistry have been written already. If those who are power-hungry had read and understood them, things might now be different. I for example wouldn’t have suffered so much in my early childhood and I wouldn’t have been kidnapped. The trouble is that the ignorance of those in positions of power is quite different from the ignorance of people who have never attended school. The ignorance of people in power is of a higher degree. It thrives under the colourful mask of nonsense and superficiality acquired at all sorts of official institutions that train that sort of people. Their skill of fooling the masses by tricks and bluffs creates in them perfect complacency and self-satisfaction and, of course, the feeling of being more important than normal people. People in power with that kind of ignorance are incorrigibly brutal and therefore very dangerous. Their decisions must have disastrous consequences for others, but in the end for themselves, too. They can neither understand what I have told you, nor draw the logical conclusion from it,” said Vivien.
“And what should be the logical conclusion from what you have said and what would be the consequence; I mean what would follow if they could understand it?” asked Doctor Ovale.
“The conclusion should be that we all must try to do whatever we can in order to help ourselves by trying by all means to help others,” Vivien said.
“Governments must govern and order to keep order, but what you have been talking about can’t be ordered,” said Doctor Ovale.
“Not a word was said about orders. Orders produce disorders and disasters. I have spoken of insight and understanding. If there is no insight and no understanding, no orders and no laws can help. Orders and laws are for creatures that live in hierarchically organized hordes called societies,” said Vivien.
“And what would be the practical consequence if people in power could somehow attain that insight you have been speaking about?” asked Doctor Ovale.
“The consequences would be so fundamental and so far-reaching that the entire world would look completely different,” said Vivien.
“That’s exciting. Tell me more about it, please,” asked Doctor Ovale.
“Are you sure you want me to tell you?” asked Vivien. Her voice sounded earnest.
“Why are you asking me that?” asked Doctor Ovale, quite astonished.
“Because what you would like me to tell you must be shocking for practically everybody. I’d like to point that out, because in the entire history of mankind there has never been a radical idea. All ideas proposed by all sorts of ‘radical’ founders and reformers – regardless whether of religious or social nature – always imply the continuation of horde-hierarchy. They were and are good for animals living in hordes, however not for human beings. For that simple reason none of them was radical and all of them have been catastrophic failures. They have all been bound to bring about bloodshed and disaster. In short, they have been worthless.
Do you still want me to tell you more about the practical consequences that would follow the most important insight?” asked Vivien.
“Yes, please,” said Doctor Ovale.
“Well, then listen carefully and don’t blame me for anything,” said Vivien.
“I promise and swear solemnly, go ahead,” said Doctor Ovale, trying to smile.
“The practical consequence would be that all institutions and practices that have arisen from animal instincts and ignorance of our ancestors would immediately lose their present value and significance and be abandoned – they would disappear without delay. That would happen without one single shed tear, because people would realise from one moment to the next that such institutions and practices are products of tragic mistakes that were bound to be made on the painful way called the history of mankind. In short, the present world of numerous societies engaged in a continuous struggle with each other would be replaced by a world community,” said Vivien.
“What institutions are you thinking of?” asked Doctor Ovale.
“For instance states with their political systems, their enormous diplomatic apparatuses, their political parties and their borders; parasitic armies of politicians who lead the masses by the nose by using all sorts of Machiavellian tricks to make them believe that without politicians life wouldn’t be possible; huge parasitic armies of strong, healthy people armed and trained to kill and ready to fight against each other like robots or fighting cocks as soon as ordered to do so; armies of police officers who spend their lives in chasing armies of criminals who simply must thrive in all societies but who would be inconceivable in a community; armies of secret agents who spend their lives trying to play nasty tricks on each other. If they manage to do great harm to special rivals of their masters, they are given awards and promotions; armies of employees in civil service performing day after day a completely unnecessary moronic activity all their lives; armies of so-called students who spend years at all sorts of strange institutions flogging a dead horse, deeply convinced that after their training they deserve to be awarded for their efforts with an easy life that has nothing to do with the dirty