It’s human nature to be hostile and it’s human nature to be friendly. Which face shows depends on the environment. There is no point lamenting about human nature as it is programmed into human DNA. Something can be done about the environment.

When I was a child I noticed that when a motorist is in obvious trouble in a city, nobody stops to check on the situation. On a remote country road, everyone passing stops. That told me something of the role the density of population plays in the expression of concern for one’s fellows

There are many frightened people in the world, its true. Like the poor guy on the plane who was so desperately frightened that the world would stop turning if he wasn't seen to be in cellular communication with it. But, although I have probably seen the worst of faces that can be presented to the world, I shall never lose faith in the kindness of strangers. That has, at times, been not only my own, but my children's salvation.

As to the difference between crowded cities and country life? I have spent the last week in a city into which the entire population of Australia could comfortably fit and, though there may have been unfriendly faces I do not now recall them. I bring back with me only memories of the two young girls who told me I was "beautiful", of the crowd that gathered round us and helped when we found ourselves in lost in a maze of alleys late at night...of myriad small kindnesses and thoughtful help albeit we were separated by insurmountable language barriers.

I truly do not believe that people are getting meaner or less helpful. I believe however that many of us believe that this is the case and are so busy protecting ourselves behind our own defences that we never see what is truly happening outside our self-erected barrier.

The writer of this article just does not understand what territorial means. It means that we do not hate other humans and we do not wage war for that reason. Animals who kill for territory do not hate the animals they kill they only need the territory to survive and this is what drives their hostiliy.

In Rwanda people who had sat in their neighbours houses and had cups of tea with them for years were slaughtered by those same neighbours when the fear of territorial take over by numbers reared its head.

Humans of different tribes live together quite happily
until-:territorial fears and pressure of numbers begins to make one tribe or other either demand territorial control or fear loss of territorial control. This is about survival of our children not about loss of civilities.

Read my lips people-:WARS ARE ABOUT FOOD ON THE TABLE AND ALL THE LIFE SUSTAINING GOODIES IN THE SHOPS they are not about not being kind or loss of civilities. Stand outside your emotional responses and see the big picture of non stop tribal territorial warfare across this planet since day one.