Unity isn’t optional.
An Invented Past
Julius Caesar and Dante Alighieri never twirled tomato-drenched spaghetti on their forks… , William Tell never tasted chocolate, and Buddha never spiced up his food with chili.
— Harari, Sapiens
This is hotpot, the signature dish of my hometown, Chongqing. It’s packed with spices, most visibly red hot chili peppers. Whenever people from my hometown traveled outside and inevitably encounter a local restaurant also claiming to be “authentic Chongqing hotpot”, they usually scoff at the idea, and make audible comments about how this isn’t the same.
For some, this prejudice extends beyond cuisine. Many of us are raised to believe that some properties about us — our skin color, our language, our work ethic, our history, our beliefs — are special, and separate us from the rest. It’s no wonder that the idea of reviving a halcyon past, a past before globalization, is such a hit.
The problem is that such a “pure” past never existed. The authentic Chongqing hotpot is covered in chili peppers that originated in the Americas and made their way to China only after the Spaniards reached Mexico. How "authentic”.
A Law of Nature
Entropy is the only quantity in the physical sciences (apart from certain rare interactions in particle physics; see below) that requires a particular direction for time, sometimes called an arrow of time.
A cup of coffee will mix with added cream. A fragrance will disperse and scent the room. A world of cultures will merge with one another.
This process started long ago. With the advent of technology that enables us to communicate and travel with greater ease, it is happening faster than ever.
This isn’t optional. It’s not a debate. It’s a law of nature.
A Global Test
No single community or nation can tackle issues like overpopulation and climate change, yet no one will be spared of its consequences.
If we want to thrive as a civilization without testing out how many more world wars we can survive, mankind must embrace our shared identity and work together. We don’t know what this will take, or how exactly we can get there. But there is one thing we do know.
Unity isn't optional.