Everyone wants to be loved

I was reading a book titled "freakonomics", and came across a bit of information that I found very interesting. The highest crime rate in the last century directly correlates to the number of unwanted pregnancies. So- there was a wave of unwanted pregnancies, and 15-20 years later there were more criminals. The book was very objective. But I had to form my own annoying opinions (of course).

This statistic does nothing less than break my heart. But it does make sense. Criminal and violent behavior stems from a number of things. Self loathing actually affects a person's brain chemistry AND their actions. The more a person hates themselves, the more they want to destroy themselves. The way we perceive ourselves also directly relates to how we perceive others. So if a person hates themselves, they also hate everyone around them. Serotonin is the chemical that is released in our brains that allows our synapses to connect, thereby making us happy. It is released when we feel pleasure. It is released when we feel love. Low levels of serotonin can cause many ailments, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. So my uneducated opinion is that love is the cure.

I don't think that love is a biochemical reaction. I believe that love is a an unexplainable metaphysical force. You know when you are loved, and you know when you love someone. It's a spiritual understanding of someone. To really be open to it, you must shed layers of doubt, fear, and anger. You must also be able to acknowledge that people actually do have souls. Nothing that I'm saying is unique. These are inherent ideas that are thousands of years old, and have been acknowledged by Buddha, Krishna, and Jesus.

Parents most important role is to show their children that they are loved. Parents should teach their children how to read, tie their shoes, and also how to be loving and accepting. The poor criminals that I spoke of were not loved by their parents. They were brought into the world by people that were simply incapable of allowing themselves this emotion. So they would have to work extra hard to understand and be capable of love and compassion. I may have given this a little extra consideration, because I was one of those children. There are plenty of people out there – stock brokers, janitors, business owners, and crack heads alike, who were never taught how to love. Power, money, and responsibility are the only things that they understand.

I would encourage love of all kinds. Love for whichever version of god or unexplainable forces that you choose to acknowledge, and most importantly, love for the important people in your life. Some people choose only to love their god (and not their fellow man) because it's a love that can be given without the possibility of rejection. This quote sums it all up:

"If there is love, there is hope that one may have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost and you see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education or material comfort you have, only suffering and confusion will ensue"

-the Dali Lama

I think that dude was on to something.