The ontological ethics of ubuntu

Ubuntu: the African system of ethics. I have often applied these myself to situations where people were at war with me, and I believe them to have an ontological an logical basis. Ubuntu states, "I am because we are." In other words, my capacity to be human is dependent upon other human beings. I have found that most people brought up in individualistic cultures don't realise this. Actually, they are very dependent on others being human towards them -- showing empathy, consideration, and treating what they say as if it's inherently meaningful. But then, they'll turn around and do the opposite -- treating what others say to them as meaningless or silly and basically taking advantage of others. What I have done in the past, is to basically withdraw my humanity from these kinds of people. They are self-deluded as they don't think they are dependent on another's humanity, so it always comes as a surprise when one simply stops treating them as if what they had to say was inherently meaningful or valuable.

The invisible scaffolding they had been relying on all along is gone.