30 Second window on the world

I saw 30 brief seconds that I thought explained so much about human behavior. It was a brief shot of the crowd at a July 4th fireworks event.

The first fifteen seconds showed young children.

They were loving the attention of the camera. They were dancing being goofy and trying to push each other away so each one of them could have more and more attention from the camera. 

The next fifteen seconds showed several young adults. 

They were not loving the camera and were obviously wishing the attention was somewhere else. Whether it was shyness or insecurity it was a situation they feared. 

Here in fifteen second windows you could see the strongest drive of human behavior. The desire to be known. 

The young children wanted the attention. They wanted to be known and they were doing whatever and pushing whomever they could to get more and more attention. 

The young adults were afraid of doing something that might hurt their chances of being known. They were insecure and paralyzed by the fact their chances of being known could be damaged. 

The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.
— John Adams