Burning Beneath

Everywhere you look, everywhere you read — articles, posts, headlines — it’s all about fear, wars, struggles, discrimination, and protests. It feels as if the world is on fire.

But really, when was it not?

The truth is, the world has always been burning — not in flames, but in power struggles over control. What’s changed is not the fire itself, but how visible it has become. The media, the news, the endless digital echo chambers — all amplified by the Internet — have turned every spark into a blaze.

If we look back, all civilizations followed the same pattern: they form, they prosper, they thrive, and then — when stability is achieved — ambition begins to take over. Greed follows. The hunger to expand, to rule, to dominate. Eventually, that overreach drains their resources and cracks their foundation. Exhaustion sets in, and what once seemed invincible collapses. Another power rises, and the cycle repeats.

This isn’t new. It’s the oldest story there is.

But maybe that’s because it’s the story of us — of human nature itself.

When humanity first existed, survival was the only goal: food, shelter, safety. Once that was secured, we sought companionship. Once we had that, we chased wealth. And once we tasted power, the hunger grew. We wanted more — more land, more control, more influence — until we began enslaving others, conquering, deciding who matters and who doesn’t.

Civilizations mirror the human being. The same rise, the same fall.

So the real question is this:

If you were placed in that position of power — with all the wealth, all the influence — what would you do?

Would you fall to the same hunger for control that defines so many before you?

Or would you be able to master it — to remain “good,” whatever that means — balancing ambition with compassion, strength with fairness?

Maybe true greatness lies not in conquering others, but in mastering oneself.