by Francisco Gomes de Matos, a peace linguist from Recife, Brazil

Ever thought of conducting a websearch on the longest lists of universal human actions? If you type LONGEST LISTS, what will you find? Although webusers are imaginative, a LONGEST LIST OF UNIVERSAL HUMAN ACTIONS does not seem to be available yet, so here is my own list – the beginning thereof – so as to arouse your interest in adding to it, and probing it.

THE LONGEST LIST OF UNIVERSAL HUMAN ACTIONS would include:

• List of human and animal births
• List of human and animal deaths (natural and unnatural)
• List of crimes, injustices committed by human beings
• List of humiliations experienced or witnessed by human beings
• List of good, kind actions experienced or caused by human beings
• List of human rights violations committed by human beings
• List of dignifying actions caused by human beings
• List of dignifying messages (texts) created by the human mind

…………………………………………………..

Use your mental marvel and add to the above list. If possible, do this in a small group (at home, at school, at work, etc) and reflect on the additions to the list. Consider the plausibility or feasibility of such lists. How would human knowledge be organized, if List-making such as suggested above were taken as the chief criterion? How revealing would such cognitive-communicative activity be of our Humanity and INhumanity, of our DIGNITY and our Indignity, …?

Sunniest imaginations for list-making,

Francisco

(received January 5, 2011)