The definition of coexistence is to exist in mutual tolerance despite different ideologies or interests. This definition has inspired the famous bumper sticker that has been seen on the rear end of thousands of cars. The word 'Coexist' was artfully turned into a representation of some of the more popular religions, beliefs and symbols in society: Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Paganism, gender equality, peace signs, and yin-yangs. At the same time that I love this piece of art and the message that it is attempting to send, it also depresses me a little bit.
The best word that an artist, a person who is inspired by the world and the beauty in it, could think of to describe the way different cultures should interact is to coexist. There wasn't anything better: respect, love, appreciate, welcoming. No. The one word that best described the attitude that world citizens should have for one another was: coexist. Isn't that just awful? None of us can work together and make the world a better place. We just have to be stagnant and not attack one another with nuclear war heads. Which we're currently barely managing.
We don't hold one another accountable for respecting and learning about other lifestyles, we just have to tolerate that somebody else is there. There is not any growth from only allowing somebody else to live; just an internal and wrong sense of pride and patting one's self on the back for not being a crappy person.
I'm not saying that I don't like the promotion of toleration, but I do expect a little more from a society at the point of development that we are currently achieving. Our cars can drive themselves, we've been to the moon, robots are making our food and people can fly around the world in less than a day. However we still have to tell people that it's okay for somebody wearing a burqa and somebody else wearing a cross around their neck that it's completely normal to be friends if personalities mesh well.
In other words, I believe in you all. I believe that we can do more than just live near one another. We can interact and become friends and family because there is nothing stopping us other than our own prejudice. So dream bigger than coexistence. Get a new bumper sticker that says the world can be more than just people not attacking one another. After all, bumper stickers are the number one way to change the world.
