Humanity: Respect for the Vulnerable
Strangely, the virtue of humanity seems only to come up in discussions of animal rights. We frequently describe cruelty to animals as “inhumane.” Indeed, the term “humane society” in our culture refers to an organization committed to fighting animal cruelty. The irony seems apparent: why would we only use the word “humane” when we are not talking about humans?
The answer lies in the insight that being humane has very little to do with being a member of the species homo sapiens and everything to do with how one treats the innocent and defenseless.
If you want to test someone’s humanity, don’t look at how they interact with powerful adults from whom they have something to gain; anyone can pretend to be humane if they stand to improve their reputation, accrue wealth, or otherwise make some kind of material windfall. Look at how they treat domestic animals, small children, the elderly, and other vulnerable beings. A powerful adult gains nothing material from being kind to a child. That’s how we can know for sure that when they are kind to a child, their actions are motivated by genuine benevolence.
The most humane person I’ve ever known was my first instructor in Kenpo, Sensei Pete. Sensei Pete was and is one of the most highly skilled martial artists I’ve ever seen. In his youth, I’m told he had such a devastating side thrust kick that he used to bend steel rebar with it for fun (I suppose boards were too easy). It would have been easy for Pete to rest on his laurels and choose not to focus on teaching, as many martial artists of his caliber did. Instead, he chose humanity, dedicating untold thousands of hours to the improvement of young martial artists. Even as his stature rose in the IKS, eventually becoming the headmaster of the school, he never became too important to get on one knee and help a brand new student tie her belt.
Learning the art of karate is, in a certain sense, like acquiring a superpower. A skilled karateka is a highly invulnerable person. But a true master of karate is also a very humane person, a person who treats the vulnerable with care and respect. As you progress in the martial arts, make sure to remember that no matter how many boards you can break, or how many techniques you know, or what color the belt around your waist is, every five year old boy or girl that walks through the door of our dojo is just as worthy of your respect and attention as any black belt. When you truly understand this, you will have mastered the virtue of humanity.
Written by Tim Philbin
