
Is There a Human Crisis in the World?
Do you think there is a human crisis in the world? What is humanity? Why could it face a crisis? Where is this world heading to? Do you ever stop and think about it? Every day, the wars, injustices, and human rights violations we see in the news forces us to ask these questions. Yet most of us continue with our daily lives without deeply thinking about them.
Actually, these very questions were brought to light exactly 75 years ago by the French thinker Albert Camus during one of his notable speeches. Camus questioned how humanity loses its moral compass in the face of crises, delivering one of the most iconic speeches of the 20th century. Back then, the world was overshadowed by wars, shortages, revolutions, and coups. So, how would we define the human crisis in the early days of 2025 through the eyes of a young person often labeled as part of Generation Z? Even though I personally do not accept this label, let us explore this crisis from the perspective of a youth.
We Are Facing the Human Crisis Today!
Whether you are a believer or not, we can all agree on this undeniable truth: among all created beings, it is humanity that shapes the course of the world. As the most powerful being among all living creatures, the condition and choices of humans hold the utmost importance. Even the smallest disruption in society does not only affect the present day but also determines the fate of future generations and all beings on Earth.
While people face their own personal crises in daily life, today humanity confronts a problem that goes far beyond economic or political challenges: a deep and comprehensive ‘Human crisis.’ This crisis is a reflection of an era where justice has been surrendered to self-interest, and morality has succumbed to indifference. The growing inequalities show clearly that this is a global issue, not just a local one.

The Failures of Global Institutions in Addressing the Human Crisis
Even the institutions responsible for defending justice have become part of this collapse. The United Nations, a mechanism founded to ensure peace and justice, falls short when the veto power of five countries can silence the voices of millions. A single veto can drown out the cries for justice from the oppressed. The ongoing occupation and oppression in Palestine is a heartbreaking example of this failure.
At the same time, we see how the global media can fuel this crisis by shaping narratives selectively. Recently, wildfires in the United States dominated headlines, with countless stories about the financial losses of celebrities and the destruction of luxury properties. Yet, in other parts of the world, entire cities are being obliterated by acid bombs, missiles, and deliberate acts of cruelty, causing unthinkable human suffering. The silence of the media on these atrocities, juxtaposed with its obsession with material losses in privileged circles, reveals the stark double standards that define our age. This selective empathy is yet another reflection of the human crisis, where injustice thrives not just through systems but also through indifference.
How did the world remain unaware of the horrors of Sednaya prison until the fall of the Assad regime? These countless tragedies, unfolding in plain sight, once again expose the inability and silence of international institutions. The human crisis not only highlights the failures of these systems but also leaves a deep scar on the conscience of humanity.
“We must face a stark truth!”
I am not here to promise you a pinky fairy tale or a utopian story of a happy world. But we must face a stark truth: humanity is paying a heavy price for forgetting justice, compassion, and conscience. In a world without justice, or where people remain unaware of injustice, peace becomes nothing more than a deceptive illusion. True peace is only possible when justice prevails. This crisis is not just a blow to nations; it strikes deeply at the very core of human conscience.
The Loss of Thought and Spiritual Decline
Freedom of thought is presented as one of the greatest promises of our age. People are granted the right to express any idea, but how meaningful is this freedom? Have we ever stopped to think about it? The real question is: are people truly thinking, or are they merely repeating ideas imposed upon them? The modern era claims to offer individuals limitless freedom, yet under the guise of this so-called freedom, the foundations of meaningful thought and consciousness have eroded.

Today, everyone seems eager to speak, but how much depth or value do their words truly carry? Constructive and impactful systems of thought are steadily fading away. Intellectual friendships and meaningful discussions have given way to trivial and superficial topics. People believe they are thinking freely, yet the originality of their ideas is deeply questionable. This growing spiritual emptiness is leading individuals toward a life of indifference and aimlessness.
Wisdom and Modern Indifference
At this point, one of the stories of Nasreddin Hodja, a symbol of humor and wisdom in the Muslim world, comes to mind. One day, Hodja listens to the arguments of two parties. To the first, he says, “You are right.” Then, he tells the same thing to the other: “You are also right.” His wife, puzzled by this, asks, “How can both of them be right?” Hodja replies to her as well, “You are right too.” Today, the world has become a place where everyone believes they are right, but in reality, justice is absent. The effort to please everyone has blurred the line between right and wrong. Justice is lost in an environment where “everyone is right.”
Perhaps what we need today is not a system where everyone is right; what we need instead is polarization itself, a necessary shift to clearly distinguish right from wrong. Sometimes, such clarity is inevitable to distinguish right from wrong. Because in a world where everyone is right, no one is truly right. Our moral decay grows within this illusion.
The freedoms offered by the modern age have fostered not individual thought but individual indifference. People have rapidly adopted a lifestyle that is shallow and devoid of depth. Depth has given way to superficiality. Production has been replaced by consumption. And thought has been replaced by blind acceptance.
A Generation Without Purpose
Today, one of the greatest victims of the human crisis is the younger generation. In terms of access to information, we are perhaps the most fortunate generation in history. With just a few clicks, we can reach knowledge from all corners of the world. However, this ease of access has not enhanced our ability to create meaning; instead, it has made us more superficial and directionless.
The youth of today are like a drawn arrow without a target. They do not know where they are or where they should aim. Even if they discover their target, the slightest external force can divert them from their path. This does not only result in individual failures but also deepens the broader crisis society faces as a whole.
The most worrying part of this situation is that it’s not just about having no purpose, it’s also about a lack of awareness. Even though we have so much information, true wisdom is missing. Depth has been replaced by speed. Young people today choose to consume rather than create. Instead of shaping history and being part of it, they stand by as spectators. This isn’t just a personal failure; it’s also a failure to fulfill a shared responsibility to humanity.
Today’s younger generation is encouraged to stay neutral toward every idea in the name of freedom. But this has made values meaningless. As a result, the importance of thinking has been lost. While our ability to question gets weaker, our habit of blindly accepting things gets stronger. This is a clear sign of both personal and societal decline.
The Invisible Enemies of the Modern World
Have you ever wondered if we have an enemy in today’s modern world? Can you point to the most ruthless person alive and say, “This is the one”? In the past, humanity fought against oppression and evil by confronting tangible enemies. Names like Hitler, Stalin, or Mao come to mind, or going further back, figures like Genghis Khan, Count Dracula, or Bloody Mary. These individuals were the very embodiment of cruelty, torture, and evil in their time.

But today, things are different. Evil no longer resides in a single figure or a clear personality. Instead, it hides within invisible systems, complex structures that are difficult to name or hold accountable.
Do we really need to reduce today’s enemy to a single, tangible name? Fine, let’s take Netanyahu as an example. The oppression and human rights violations under his leadership are not solely the result of one person’s will. These actions are the product of a system that supports and sustains him. The same applies to leaders like Biden. These individuals cannot simply be labeled as “good” or “bad,” because they have become the faces of much larger powers.
Today, oppression and injustice are no longer driven by individuals. They are controlled by invisible systems that permeate every aspect of our lives.
Can We Ourselves Be The Real Enemey!
Perhaps the real enemy is ourselves. Perhaps it is our own desires. As humanity, turning a blind eye to oppression and staying silent in the face of injustice is enough to make us all a little like “Hitler.” This silence has become one of the greatest forces sustaining evil. Today, the biggest test for humanity is the struggle against its own conscience.
Evil is no longer as tangible as it was in the past, when it could be identified by a name or a face. In the modern world, oppression is hidden within the complexities of global systems. These systems are so vast and powerful that they are beyond the control of any individual. One of the greatest threats to humanity today is these invisible structures that shape our world while their influence is felt everywhere.
The Mastermind of Evil: THE DEVIL!
Today, one of the most powerful players in these systems is the major technology companies and their unlimited access to information and influence. A striking example of this is Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, which now encompass the globe. When a single individual wields such immense control, even one misstep can have colossal consequences for humanity. This is the true threat of the modern world: the concentration of power in invisible hands.

The invisible enemies of the modern world do not only threaten individual rights and freedoms but also undermine moral values. These forces control societal structures today, weakening humanity’s collective conscience. Do not forget that the mastermind of evil is the Devil!..
Human Nature and the Search for Solutions
This brings us to one of the most fundamental questions in human history: Is humanity inherently good or inherently evil? Are we born good or bad? Is the source of today’s wrongdoing rooted in human nature, or is it shaped by the systems we live in? These questions have been asked many times, and the answers often depend on different perspectives.

The Qur’an, which I believe to be a divine message, describes humanity as being “created in the best of forms”: “Indeed, We created man in the best of stature” (Surah At-Tin, 4). This “best” can be understood as beauty, perfection, or goodness. What’s clear is that humans are created with something valuable within them. The Qur’an also says that people are given free will and must choose between right and wrong: “We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful” (Surah Al-Insan, 3). These verses reveal that goodness is part of human nature, but preserving it depends on individual choices and willpower. Similarly, other holy books also teach that goodness is a path we should choose and follow.
Good and Evil
Good and evil are undoubtedly among the most fundamental topics in philosophy. Western philosophy, in particular, has engaged in deep debates about human nature for centuries. Rousseau famously stated, “Man is born good, but society corrupts him,” and “Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains.” These words reflect his belief in the inherent goodness of human nature, suggesting that people are pure at their core but can be corrupted by external influences.
Kant, on the other hand, argued that every individual possesses an “inner moral law” that allows them to distinguish right from wrong. However, acting on this moral law depends on the individual’s willpower and the influence of their environment.
The Struggle of Human Nature in Today’s World
While debates continue over whether human nature leans toward good or evil, the real issue lies in individuals succumbing to their own desires and being easily influenced by their surroundings. People often find themselves at risk of losing their moral values under the pull of internal cravings and external pressures.
We could ask, “What even is morality?” just to really make your brain hurt, but that’s not our focus right now. Modern systems suppress the natural goodness in individuals and pave the way for the normalization of evil. Social media algorithms, in particular, target people’s weaknesses, turning them into passive consumers and making them easy to manipulate.
Even if people aren’t directly part of the wrongdoing, their silence or unquestioning acceptance of these systems helps evil grow. By staying silent, they unknowingly become accomplices to the injustices of the modern world.
Enemy! Ourselves?
Perhaps the real enemy is our own selves, our own desires. Humanity’s loss of conscience, its silence in the face of oppression, and its failure to act against injustice lead individuals to become part of the very evil they condemn. The mindset of “Let the snake live as long as it doesn’t bite me” is one of the most damaging attitudes deepening this crisis.
When a person acts with conscience and learns to control their desires, they can begin to build justice and goodness. However, this must start with personal transformation and grow into a collective movement. Humanity’s greatest challenge is to take part in this transformation.
Is There a Solution?
After all these words, one question remains: Is there really a solution? To be honest, with my current level of knowledge and experience, I’ve learned that nothing in this world is tied to a single event. Similarly, it’s hard to claim that there is a definitive solution to the human crisis. However, everything starts with acknowledging the existence of this crisis. To solve a problem, we must first admit that it exists.
Maybe the systems cannot change, but individuals can. Instead of trying to reform the system, we must build a new order aligned with our values as humans. A single person who refuses to stay silent in the face of oppression can awaken the conscience of an entire society. Breaking the silence and ending the normalization of evil require courage and conscience as our most powerful tools.
We cannot change the world without changing ourselves. As a Muslim, my faith and as a human, my nature, teach me that I must work hard and think deeply. Progress is impossible without effort and thought. What I’ve shared here applies to all humanity, regardless of religion, language, or ethnicity.

Last Words
Let us remember that even the greatest forest fires start with a single spark. That spark can be ignited by overcoming the conflicts within our own hearts and refusing to silence our conscience. I would like to end with a well-known saying from the Islamic world: “The one who remains silent in the face of truth is a mute devil.” No matter how deep the human crisis runs, the solution lies within ourselves. Finding this courage is the duty of anyone who calls themselves human.
This was the perspective of a youth from the human nation. Awareness is the first step to change. Share this article to inspire others and spark the dialogue we desperately need.
Ömer Faruk Güler
14/01/2025