Instinct vs Ego

While animals have fairly set instincts designed for their survival, the human baby arrives with very few instincts. This lack of instincts is quite positive in regards to our adaptability. It's made us quite successful as a species. The downside of this is that we are programmed by family and cultural environment. This vast variety of influences creates tremendous differences between the values of human groups. 

As any of us knows, what we have instead of instincts is ego. And that is where our troubles start. As a replacement for instinct, ego is just as sticky and intransigent as instinct. 

Being one species, but with egos instead of instincts, it is difficult for us stay at peace. It is easy for one culture to see  other cultures as evil, less than human. They don't think like we do, so they must be eliminated. 

There is no easy way to change our ego. As a replacement for instinct, it will fight to the death in order to protect itself. Most of us think of our self more as an ego than a body. That's why we die in war. 

The awakening of people into non duality where we can see the ego for what it is, tends to make people more peaceful. Seeing the ego for what it is, is often experienced as a death. But on the other side is a oneness with others that may bring peace. Tolerance is much easier when the ego is seen through. May we all die before we die. Peace.