In the Eastern world, the concept of reincarnation is deeply ingrained from childhood. People see life as a continuous journey across multiple existences. This belief in the cyclical nature of life makes them consider the consequences of their actions beyond the immediate present.

In the Western world, however, we believe there’s just one singular life. This perspective often has a sense of urgency and immediacy. People tend to focus on individual fulfillment and pursuits without thinking about how it affects other people or the environment.

It leads to behavior that is ambitious, selfish, reckless, and greedy. We want everything now. And we need superlatives. Because we only live once, and believe only in what we can see and touch.

“After us, the deluge” reflects a mindset that favors personal gain and instant gratification.
We ransack the planet, exploiting its resources solely for our own profit and perhaps for the few close to us, without regard for the long-term consequences or the future generations.

Despite accounts from people who have had near-death experiences or from children who remember past lives, testifying to the existence of an afterlife and the continuity of life, many in the Western world dismiss the idea of the cyclical nature of life as philosophical abstraction. This results in less regard for life and a focus on short-term individual well-being rather than long-term collective well-being.