I am not my body! Understanding genos (Greek) vs homo (Latin)
2025 has been more learning about who I am, and importantly who I am not.
Some previous years I have written a Happy New year message, including last year. In March I wrote about some of the changes since I turned 50 in 2018, and I have been continuing the learning process this year.
2025 has been quite a bit of learning about who I am, and this has included learning who I am not. Recent conversations about confusions around the word genocide and how it differs from homocide have reminded me about worldviews/ideologies that are part of the “not me”.
I am not my body
I think of my body (I sometimes use the term “meat sack”) as potentially being a container for who I am, but that it isn’t me. What makes me who I am is part of something beyond what Western natural sciences currently think of as the body, using whatever words you wish such as sharira/prana, mind, manas/chitta, spirit/soul, atman/purusha.
This leads me to some of the conversations where some have ideological loyalty related to traits of their body. I regularly hear someone of European descent claiming that since I don’t believe in the supremacy of European worldviews (identity, values, history, cultures, etc) that I am somehow a traitor to my ancestors (even a “race traitor”).
Specific traits of my body do not require that I be loyal to specific ideologies!
Being Human doesn’t require that I be Anthropocentric
Having male reproductive organs does not require that I be Androcentric, or believe in the notion of a gender binary
Lacking melanin doesn’t require that I be White Supremacist
etc….
Confusion around Genocide vs Homocide
Recognizing I am not my body leads to finally understanding why some people seem confused about the concepts of genocide compared to homocide. It seems to be a lack of understanding the different prefixes of the words.
Homo In Science & Biology:
Genus Homo : The classification for modern humans (Homo sapiens) and extinct relatives (like Neanderthals, Homo erectus).
Prefix Homo- : From Greek, meaning “same,” used in chemistry (homologous series) or biology.
Genos is a Greek word meaning race, stock, kin, family, or kind, referencing groups with some commonality. This is not limited to biological groups, but also social groups such as ethnicities and religions.
While it is understood with homocide that, with the body gone, that what makes that person themselves leaves/ends with it, the concept of genocide is not about the body. Genocide is not scenarios where the victims of homocide are chosen based on their genos, but where the target is the genos itself. This may involve the physical death of bodies, but may also involve forced conversion/assimilation/etc into a different genos.
Residential School Denialism
Various recent articles have highlighted a rise in residential school denialism. In each case I have tried to learn from those claiming they are asking what they believe are legitimate questions (how many bodies, wanting proof of homicidal intent, etc).
After many interactions I recognized not only that there was confusion between the concepts of homicide and genocide, but that specific worldviews were being exhibited where some genos were being declared unworthy of recognition or respect.
Fundamentally we are discussing specific peoples/cultures which hold supremacist ideologies, and see nothing wrong in carrying out activities which others would recognize as genocidal in nature because the genos being targeted are too low in their subjectively created social hierarchies.
One of the things I realized in these conversations about "intent" to commit genocide (Dolus specialis) is that far too many people believe simplistic fictional stories (books, TV, movies) where the bad-guys regularly recognize that they are the bad-guys.
In the complexity of the real-world, those engaging in or endorsing the most horrific of acts (genocide, crimes against humanity, etc) often think of themselves in some way as heroes.
If intent requires that the perpetrating institutions knew that what was being done was wrong, these most horrific of crimes could never be recognized as existing.