Time traveling has been getting more adventurous for me. Last time I hitchhiked from eastern China to India; this time however, I went to a time centuries ago when there were hobbits, dwarfs, elves, dragons and even humans. It ended up teach me a lesson, very important in today’s world where world leaders are keen to build walls and adopt protectionism over cooperation.
The hobbit is a story of a hobbit, Bilbo Baggin’s, unforeseen adventure, which he reluctantly embarks upon and it proves to be quite a memorable and life altering one for Bilbo and the reader alike. In the story there comes a situation where Bilbo and his company after their long and difficult journey come in possession of vast treasure. The news of the same spreads like fire across far and wide, and their friends and foes, came back to claim their share.
In such a situation there are two options, first, cooperate and manage interests, second, focus on self interest whilst ignoring everyone else. Despite wise counsel, Bilbo and company’s leader, Thorin, chose to hoard all the treasure to himself and his company, instead of sharing it with the claimers and avoid conflict. It ultimately resulted in the death of many good and bad people.
In our contemporary world, respective national leaders are facing a similar dilemma and most of them have unfortunately adopted the latter approach. They are busy protecting their own country’s self-interest by building walls, adopting protectionist economic polices, etc. The consequences whatsoever of such myopic approach are disastrous, and yet seemingly unavoidable.
It is obviously important to protect one’s self-interest but a time tested precedent that, no nation can prosper by isolating themselves, cannot be ignored.
Back in the story, Thorin later reckoned that…
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-Thorin
It is highly doubtful that any of the politicians want a merrier world. But a world open to cooperation and friendship is not going to be futile, especially in the present climate.
Merci beaucoup et à bientôt ❤
PS- Thank you Patricia for gifting me this adventure
Contemporology 