Last week I had the most fortunate experience of meeting, who I deemed, a very wise man.
This was unexpected, as it was just another job and another interview I had to do for the day.
Upon completing the reason for the appointment, he said something I never heard before and never thought about before, but found so incredibly interesting.
He said there is a difference between people and human beings.
Now I’m thinking, “Okay, is there something I missed in ninth grade biology? Is there a difference in heart size or organ functions?”
I was relieved to find that this is not the case and that there is not a giant hole in my education.
He merely stated: “People exist, but human beings have a purpose”.
Whoa, mind blown!
Just then and there I thought: where does this brilliant man come from? The future? A distant planet?
No. Selcourt.
And a billion thoughts raced through my head.
The first was a little disturbing: “Which am I?” And I quickly tried to think of a possible purpose I may have.
None came to mind.
But then, in my belief, people are multiples of a person, and a person is an individual, a living soul, one who feels emotion, has a heart beat and thinks for themselves.
So how do we classify people, as opposed to human beings?
My logic says they’re one in the same, but then again, there are people who just exist, who just survive to live another day.
And then you get those who strive toward something, where having a purpose comes into the equation.
So, this simple statement by this man had my mind spinning for hours, conflicting what I know and believe with what can be or may be.
Can we discern between the two?
This may take a few more days (or weeks) of deliberating and arguing with myself.
It sounded more philosophical than reality, but to me it was an eye-opener.
People and human beings may essentially be one and the same, but there may also be some truth behind what separates the one from the other, as everyone is a person, but having that purpose and doing something with life gives them a slightly different meaning to just existing.
I guess each may have their own opinion on this, but it’s some food for thought.
