Cruelty is a temporary reaction, often the result of a chain of incidents provoking an individual to act in an irrational manner, it may be that it is not in his nature to be cruel, but, in the face of a grave provocation he loses control of himself and does what he would normally hate to do. The extenuating factor in this situation is that left to himself he would not hurt others; he may even be a kind and generous person capable of going out of his way to help a fellow creature in distress. What is wrong with him is his inability to control his reactions. When he reacts he reacts beyond the limits of discretion - or even necessity. But, by nature, he is a warm hearted man, full of love and affection for people he likes, and equally malevolent against those he does not like and thinks are inimical to him.

An indifferent man is, however, entirely a different proposition. He just does not care for anybody, he is so occupied with himself that he has no time to think of others. He loves himself only. If he loves another person, it is because he finds it is to his own interest to do so. But the same love will in no time turn to hatred should his interests so demand. He does not care what happens to others, he has no compunction about sacrificing his closest friend if it is necessary for his own sake. He behaves as if the world itself exists for him only; he is surprised and disappointed if the world runs not as he wants it to but differently. There may be suffering all around him, but he is not touched a bit. He is truly like a Nero who fiddles while Rome burns.

A man who has no feeling for others must be adjudged immature, not too far above the animal level. He is hardly human for the hallmark of humanity is to feel close to all fellow men and women, even animals and plants. Though other animals appeared on earth first it is only man who successfully taught nature to preserve not only himself but other animals and plants while he did this he realized that to win the battle against nature he had to fight collectively one single member of the species not being enough for this purpose. It was this need for self-preservation which led to the origin of the family, or society, or even nation. This is where man left behind other animals to become the master of the world that he is today.

Self preservation is a common instinct with animals, but man alone among the animals adds to it concern for others irrespective of whether they are related to him or not. Early in his evolution, he realized he could not live in isolation, he needed the support of others. But to get the support of others he had to fellow the policy of 'give and take'. His growth has since been marked by growth in degrees of friendship and good will toward others. The more he grows, the more he identifies himself with others. Soon he reaches a point when if a fellow creature is in pain, he feels as if he himself is in pain. Finally emerges the man who live for others. Here is what may be called the acme of human growth. If the essence of inhumanity is indifference the essence of humanity is love that embraces the whole of existence.

Fr Sam Oommen Panackamattam