Understanding human beings requires understanding the fundamental reality and values that the beings embody. In his philosophical theories, Plato asserted that the essence of human beings transcends the physical body and mind ( Wertheimer, 2014) . Essence makes every human being unique, as it defines their special place in society. Understanding human nature is to grasp the essence of man. The reality of existence has two sides: the physical and spiritual side. For a human being to realize their full potential and purpose on earth, they must successfully fulfill the two sides. Discovering the core essence of a being enables them to achieve their objective on earth.
The Core Essence of Human Beings
All humans are social beings who need the help of each other to survive. Friendships and relationships form the core of humanity. According to the philosophy of human existence, being compassionate and building trust is the construct and ultimate goal of human relations ( Wertheimer, 2014) . Both religion and science have proven that human beings live for each other, right from birth. When a child is born, other people welcome them by cleaning, feeding, and keeping them warm. The cores essence of human beings is being there for each other, which is the force that has enabled humans to carry through hard times throughout their existence. The more humans embrace love, the more humans tend to grow. All humans share the need to feel wanted. Human beings share emotions, which makes them different from animals. Plato and Aristotle both agree that to be fully human is to co-exist with others. Humans might be physically different but the need for acceptance makes them equal.
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Differences and Similarities between the Avocado and Artichoke Views of the Self
Human nature is so diverse, that philosophers are unable to explain it exhaustively. The avocado and artichoke view of self classify human nature into two broad classes. According to the avocado view of self, the individual is stable and self enduring. The artichoke view of self, however, suggests something different, with the self being viewed as a protean without an enduring stable core ( Mitchell, 2018) . The avocado view is associated with religious individuals, while the other people often manifest the artichoke nature. Religion teaches being collected and calm, even in cases that would trigger violence, which is patience. In most cases, religious people base their reactions on spiritual teachings, which are in line with the avocado view of self. However, for artichoke individuals, they tend to be more spontaneous and react to situations based on their emotions at the moment. These individuals respond to the same situation differently based on who, how, and where it is taking place.
According to the avocado view, humans have two layers: the outer and inner being. The inner self defines human nature and remains intact through life experiences. The soul is the core of the individual, as dictated by religion. However, the artichoke view compares life to an onion that has no core, but many layers. A being can adjust to different settings. This view suggests that humans react to different situations differently depending on prior life experiences; thus, human nature is changed by external forces (Mitchell, 2018). However, from this difference stems a similarity between the two, with artichoke agreeing that humans have control over their emotions thus can choose to remain unchanged by experiences, as the avocado view suggests.
The Relationship between Human and Divine Nature
Besides having a physical body, humans have a soul that connects them to a divine being. The divine being controls humans through natural forces that are beyond their understanding. Humans are created to be social, thus have a union with the divine being, albeit unseen. In every human, there is a small voice that dictates what is wrong or right. The voice is believed to be divine and speaks the will of the divine being. Humans are free to choose to obey the voice or not. Humans are not divine, but share in divinity be associating with the divine being ( Cross, 2015) . Humans are created in the image of God, which makes the share in the divine nature. While humans are not able to stay holy, the ability to communicate with their creator and ask for forgiveness also gives them a share of divine nature. The breath of divinity instilled in humans during creation also introduced communion with divinity. Without divinity, humanity cannot exist.
Humans are also partakers of divinity through the promise of eternal life. They are mortal beings, but religion believes that when the body dies, the soul lives eternally (Cross, 2015). The ability to dwell forever in divinity with the divine being forms a connection between the human and divine nature.
Conclusion
Humans cannot survive as individuals. They need each other for love, support, and compassion. All humans feel the need to be appreciated and loved. Human interactions are, however, different, based on self-views. The avocado and artichoke self-views are contradicting explanations of human behaviors, which broadly divide humanity into two. While some individuals have a stable and enduring inner core that remains undisturbed besides external occurrences, others, as explained by artichoke, are spontaneous and likened to an onion with many layers without an inner core. This class of individuals has no stable or enduring core and reacts differently to different situations. Besides needing the company of one another, humans also have a relationship with divinity. Humanity originates from divinity, as religion teaches that humans were created in the image and likeness of a divine being. The direct breath gives humans communion with divinity, which makes them unstable without a spiritual connection.
References
Cross, R. (2015). Individual natures in the Christology of Leontius of Byzantium. Journal of Early Christian Studies , 10 (2), 245-265.
Mitchell, H. B. (2018). Roots of Wisdom: A Tapestry of Philosophical Traditions . Cengage Learning.
Wertheimer, R. (2014). Philosophy on humanity.
