Man is a social being by nature, and for nature to function it is necessary to establish a system. In an ant colony there are builders, soldiers and collectors, each insect does its duty and the colony survives. Cities are similar, with its firefighters, doctors and police; everyone works and the populace progresses. The difference lies in that human beings are too smart to be limited to a single activity, they’re able to carry out any that comes to mind. But if we all do what we want, the result would be chaos. To prevent this, a system which regulates our behavior is established. Said system consists of moral and ethical norms, usually based in the religious beliefs of the region, and we all follow them at a certain level. There are, however, individuals who do not accept the system and feel as though they will develop better by following another form of conduct, these are the ones who opt for the alternate.

The term ‘alternate’ is not always well received by the populace, maybe it’s because the word is considered a synonym for ‘antisocial’; this is true and false at the same time. Those who choose the alternative deny the norm, but it doesn’t mean they reject society. ‘Alternate’ simply means ‘different’, it is choosing or creating something truly new, out of the ordinary. That must be the reason why it’s so hard to accept, it’s difficult to try something we’re not used to. It’s the old excuse: “better safe than sorry”. This is one of the reason why many countries don’t advance at the speed they should. Good examples are schools which follow the same teaching method for years; and when something new it attempted, there’s the risk of creating controversy and coming out of it in bad shape. Some time ago, a teacher had to quit her job for assigning a book a parent did not approve.

Another reason the alternate is not accepted, is because of those who are in control. Think of the medicine industry. What would happen if more and more people were to resort to homeopathy and herbs? By logic, the income for orthodox practices would be reduced. That’s why these people are given the image of money-seeking charlatans, while the big-salary doctors are the ones interested in our money, not our health. Something similar occurred with the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. Those who followed the other religions, Pagan, Muslim and Jewish, were accused of heresy and executed. The fear that was provoked assured followers for Catholicism, and of course, more contributions. Nowadays, they don’t burn those who follow philosophies such as Feng-Shui, but they’re still giving out negative propaganda. Obviously, I’m speaking in general term, there are many doctors and priests with sincere intentions, even those tolerant enough to accept and even suggest these options.

Caution must be exercised, for there are indeed many charlatans and swindlers. During the 1990’s, many individuals took advantage of the people’s fear of the new millennium, so they founded countless new and radical beliefs. The following is a hypothetical situation: some leader makes up something about extraterrestrials hailing from a peaceful world; said leader shall take those who follow him to this world. People join in, give all their money, a few months pass, and finally, the leader disappears with all the profits. And this is a best case scenario; many other cults end up in mass suicide. What matters is to investigate, get information, verify the fundaments and think carefully before taking such a big decision.

Whether one wishes to travel with the majority, a smaller group or alone, we all have the same goal, our well-being. So choose what you please, but keep in mind this isn’t the only choice.

León Manuel Real Esponda