Taking it too far

We have two weeks of class remaining this semester, and as we wind down, I find myself reflecting on what I've learned thus far.\nI have come to the conclusion that the human race is completely mad.\nDuring this semester, I have read about a number of wars, the Holocaust, the Gulag of Stalin's Soviet Union, genocide in Rwanda, apartheid in South Africa and several other tragedies. In each of these events, we see a struggle of groups attempting to assert their authority over others. And, in each of these events, a large number of people have died at the hands of other people.\nAs long as there is power, people will fight for it. The unfortunate reality is that, for whatever reason, some people have a strong desire to feel superior to other people. Persons or groups will find something about themselves, whether it be religion, skin color or background, and claim that anyone who does not fit the mold is inferior. In extreme cases, they will declare that these "outsiders" need to die.\nHowever, this need to feel superior, or at least to fit in, does not necessarily lead to oppression and killings. It can be seen in our everyday lives, and in many little ways. Women go on crash diets and men spend countless hours in the weight room, analyzing themselves in front of mirrors to make sure that their stomachs are flat enough, their chests broad enough and their thighs slim enough. People buy flashy cars that ensure they will turn heads when driving through town. Even as gas prices continue to hover around $2 a gallon, Hummers can be seen speeding on the freeway. Sometimes it's about having the latest technology: the new Xbox 360 to show off to our neighbors and friends, or at the very least, an iPod to listen to tunes as we walk across campus.\nWe don't even recognize our need to feel superior or to fit in many times. \nIt can be a good thing. It drives students to strive at schoolwork, athletes to excel on the field and entrepreneurs to continue innovating. It is the competitive side of people that leads to progress, no matter how great or small.\nHowever, there comes a time when this competitiveness becomes detrimental. This usually happens when people resort to some kind of fundamentalism: I'm right, and if you don't agree, then you're wrong. When mosques are attacked, as one was this past July in Bloomington, it's gone too far. When Hitler manages to systematically kill millions of Jews, it's gone too far. When kids on the playground gang up on one person because of skin color or religion, it's gone too far.\nWhen a pack of lions gangs up on one lion, we are stunned that an animal could kill one of its own. When a group of people gang up on one person, it's like, "Here we go again." Granted, lions don't quite compete with one another the way humans do, but it's still pathetic that we, a supposedly more rational and developed species, should have wars and genocide when the animals of the wild do not.\nI'm not saying we ought to ditch competition. But, as with all things, moderation is the key.