I look at the world and despite all the wonderful advancements I wonder: Have really learned anything from the past?

It seems since the dawn of civilization it seems we are in constant conflict and stuggle. For reasons that range from good to evil, we engage in conflicts because we can't, won't, or simply don't want to see the other side's point of view. People have been killing, robbing, stealing, conquering, and destroying since the beginning. History is awash with the rise and fall of civilizations and along with their magisty, their butality in order to get there.

I just wonder, will their ever come a day when people sit down and say, "Let's cooperate instead of fight."? I seriously doubt it. We have too much ego, too much pride, too many people who believe the world revolves around them. And yet the contradictions continue to suround us.

We have people who believe that the only way they can get what they want is to deny someone else what they want. Yet, in our capitalist society, where competition helps run the marketplace, the best companies are those that are considered to have great customer service. Capitalism proves that those that help others solve their problems have the greatest success.

Sports demonstrates this even better. Remember the last Olympics, where our basketball team of superstar individuals failed to make it to the medal round? When a team works together, even with superstars, they win championships. You can have the greatest quarterback on the planet but if he doesn't a good receiver to thow it to or a front line to protect him, his skills are worthless. Dan Marino was a great quarterback but Miami's defense proved their undoing.

We all have wants and needs. We all have egos. But it seems the problem is we all want what we want and that should be what everyone else wants too. Maybe one day we'll figure out we're all in this together and when we harm others we're harming ourselves. Even the Pax Romana had conflict though it was Rome's most prosperous and least conflicted time. Maybe but after thousands of years of history I doubt it will be any time soon.