REFLECTION: REBALANCING THE TIPPING POINT OF HUMANITY

This is a paper based on my own observations, experiences and education and identifies some lines of discord or imbalance, out of balance with our true nature. It is not a researched paper but is more a reflection of my thoughts, feelings and ideas. This paper is written to feel our true humanity based on a new model of REAL HOPES to enable a new perspective to arise like a silent spring from values where new thoughts and feelings can emerge to ensure humanity survives into the future.

Preamble:

“No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it. We need to learn to see the world anew.” Albert Einstein

The problem facing human civilization is not a political problem but a spiritual problem. For humanity to survive it has an opportunity to shift the paradigm from a fear based consciousness of control and self interest to a love based paradigm of harmony and ‘best interest’ for humanity and the ecological balance. Balance is central to both human and ecological cycles, as one produces homeostasis and the other balancing mind, body and spirit. In harmony two systems one life, peace becomes visible and the sustainability of life supports is stabilized for future generations.

1.0 IMBALANCE AS SIGN POSTS TO RESTORING BALANCE

Key areas of imbalance to be discussed include: males and females, survival of the fittest, intellectual over artistic intelligences, happiness and unhappiness imbalances, natural and human made energy systems, work and play, violence and nonviolence, universal values and material values, diversity and prejudice.

• MALES AND FEMALES: the masculine and feminine are complements, nature has designed humans to function as community and in harmony with nature. Women as primary carers have focused primarily on the family unit which is the foundation to world peace. The blue print for men was to support the female to support the child. As female needs are met, children’s are met and stability and security are natural outcomes. Patriarchical systems of governance and control have generated belief systems in the superiority of man and his dominance has shaped the world that we see today. The foundation to this dominance is instilling fear of violence into belief systems with the fundamental belief of maintaining obedience and compliance to human systems, this is articulated as order. The suppression of females as inferior and the perceived weakness of emotional states of being have undermined female intuition and respect as equal partners on the planet. For homeostasis to return, males and females need to design new societies with children at the centre and equal decision making between the strengths of females and males. The patriarchal system through paradigms of economy over society is leading to the destruction of nature and under valuing social cohesion as structural violence leads to fragmentation of human societies.

The world doesn’t have 400 years as the UN predicted for male and female equality to emerge, it has around 2 years.

• SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: The imbalance between economic winners and losers is what fuels oppression and its twin revolution. The economic gains worldwide have accumulated to the first world, predominantly western or pseudo western business leaders within the financial communities across the planet. The powerful belief of profit maximization and the link to success and acceptance has fuelled greed at the expense of fairness as shared responsibility. Fairness has increasingly disappeared as a guiding value as values and ethics are ignored by attitudes of winning rather than sharing and indeed caring. Two thirds of the world’s population are living in poverty or secluded from international financial arenas through trade walls, imposed dysfunctional regimes exhibiting totalitarian attitudes or confined to exploitation to ensure resources remain cheap, this further fuels survival of the fittest and polarizes the world into have’s and have not’s. How about a new paradigm of survival of the most loving.

The era of cheap resources has limits to growth, therefore maintenance of this system of exploitation further depletes the earths resources and generates an end point to civilization. It is in effect a lose/lose strategy for the future generation of our children.

• INTELLECTUAL OVER ARTISTIC INTELLIGENCES: The focus on intellect based intelligences based on IQ that focus predominantly on profit maximizing belief systems favoured over the idealist artistic feeling based pre-occupations that re-define reality and enable other ways of seeing. The disconnection from the natural artistic (emotions) based thinking has minimized creative pathways to alternatives and future solutions. The creative approach opens up neural pathways to realization of truth and the metaphor of life through surreal insights which are metaphors rather than statistics. The linear logical pathway provides frameworks or models that narrow possibilities outside the box of current knowledge and prevent broader questions being asked to explore social, economic, ecological and spiritual implications. In reality a balance between these two channels of seeing the world provides integration of intellectual and emotional intelligences, thus expanding possibilities and changing what we see or envisage.

• HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS IMBALANCE: Wellbeing is the balance of positive and negative feelings within humans. The symbol of yin and yang recognizes that the positive and negative continue to cycle finding balance in the dynamic. Wellbeing is seen differently based on where human wellbeing is identified. For example in Bhutan they speak of measuring their society by the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH), increasingly in the rest of the world societies are becoming economies and measuring wellbeing by Gross National Product (GNP). This is the belief system that has structured success by economic growth as determined by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) equation of GDP=G+I+C+X-IM. This structures the economy and distributes resources on the basis of generating wealth which is perceived to increase happiness. The statistics of 1 in 4 suffering depression and the increase in violence in society suggests that economic wealth is not a causal link to happiness and wellbeing. The issue of what makes us happy and what makes us depressed is connected to our thoughts and beliefs. Unquestioned thoughts of ‘I must be successful to be wealthy to be happy’, ‘my value in the eyes of society is connected to how much money I make and the title I have’, ‘poor people are losers’, ‘happiness is linked to social acceptance and living according to those expectations’. Other negative thoughts such as: ‘I am too fat’, ‘I am unattractive’, ‘I am stupid’ are a result of not feeling good enough in the eyes of the society. All human unhappiness is linked to negative thoughts that produce dis-ease in the body and increase expenditure on products produced by the health industry. Unhappiness is also caused by tiredness and trying to conform to society in contexts that demand more and more time from people whilst reducing more time at home, with friends or engaged in leisure activities. The leisure based society was designed to be lower hours and more leisure. Computerization was originally touted as labour saving, however the greed that drives profit maximization is unable to provide for ‘best interest’ and social wellbeing by balancing hours of work with personal time. This has added to the increase in dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Happiness itself is not related to gaining more physical items or what is termed outer security it is to rediscover the natural joy that wells up from within. When human beings are in alignment with their highest (positive) thoughts and life purpose they experience incredible joy and as they relax and allow life to unfold naturally, more of what they desire flows into their lives. This is the parallel of the natural system, as we lose control we gain more spirituality and inner security arises.

• NATURAL AND HUMAN MADE ENERGY SYSTEMS: The imbalance between the natural, endless free electro-magnetic energy that flows from the sun and powers the grid lines around the planet and the human made coal burning fossil fuel burning systems is an imbalance that has affected the regulation of the climate systems around the planet. Temperature is the prime driver of climate and as coal (filters water) is converted into electricity it affects water quality, weight displacement (earth’s geometry), emits gases into the atmosphere that are not naturally occurring in those concentrations, prevents heat escaping, increases temperatures at certain points around the globe and decreases ice formation. In effect melting the ice. The latter is the real issue as ice caps melt pressure on tectonic plates release, refraction of heat into space dissipates, and hot and cold temperature acting as kinetic systems of circulation slow and eventually stop. This is the Gulf Stream that circulates hot and cold water around the world, keeping the oceans alive. The circulation of liquid currents, air currents rebalance the planet providing the exact conditions for seasonality and precipitation, as crucial life supports. The circulation is similar to the human body of hot flushes and shivering through fever, the planet is a living system and we are part of that system, so it is very similar. It is greed and fear that ensure connection to human made electricity grids, industrial investment and self interest and fear of economic collapse that ensures this imbalance.

Free energy is available which will solve many problems by allowing it to be available to all peoples before fossil fuels run out and do more damage. Information can be found on the internet that explores free energy in more detail.

• WORK AND PLAY: this is a significant imbalance, the former is a belief instilled since the industrial revolution and the utilization of bonded labour (wages, slavery) to industries that mass produce items with the belief of servicing society has created disempowered people responding to instructions without power and longing to finish and go home. The workplace increasingly disempowers workers to do as they are told, to work the hours expected and to not have any rights in the running of the organization (shareholders) or decision making. This is the model of autocracy in the workplace and as business has disproportionate influence through donations to government and lobby groups this model is superimposed on the diminishing of workplace conditions and limits. For the workplace to come into harmony it must be redesigned with equal input from those involved both male and female, as microcosms of a system of governance that services the people rather than profit. The issue of play is seen as a childlike quality or accepted within the realms of comedy or entertainments as an outlet for society. The workplace is where most people spend their time is considered a serious venture and talking, play or frivolous behaviour is not acceptable. Yet this behaviour is a creative outlet of bonding and creating community between people and is essential for social harmony, belonging and wellbeing. Play connects to creativity, happiness and freedom. It is an experience that is increasingly limited by society for adults. Yet many smile compassionately at children whilst sitting and observing life, rather than participating.

• VIOLENCE AND NONVIOLENCE (HARMONY): The unsolved problem of psychological and physical violence fuels a $1 million per minute industry of armaments is a key determinant for the choice between functional world peace and world destruction. Conflict between different beliefs is natural as human’s experience life differently and challenge differences in order to develop a deeper understanding of life. Violence is a dysfunctional behaviour driven by the modeling of fear. Violence has its seed in negative thinking and the desire when thwarted to create division through the belief in an ‘enemy’. Unquestioned negative thoughts that see enemies require protection and defence and cost trillions of dollars that focus on destroying opposition rather than understanding it and transforming it. Violent behaviour fuels violence and the need for further protection. It is a male stereotype depicted in war movies as winners/losers, heroes/villains or good versus evil. The world does operate in polarities of negative thinking and positive thinking or indeed different thinking misinterpreted. All conflict and violence is misunderstanding at its deepest level. Suppression of emotion is a key determinant in physical and psychological violence. The key emotions are grief, anger, envy, fear and love. When suppressed you get depression, rage, panic, possessiveness (in order of each emotion). Moreover, unquestioned beliefs in the ‘rightness’ of positions locks in mindsets to dictate outcomes rather than invite consensus within a community format. Yet determining of underlying needs and concerns resolves underlying conflict and makes a space for healing and expanded awareness (growth). Male modeling depicts males as the leaders and leaders are modeled on the military command and control styles that do not bring in the whole community as participants but rather observers. These are typically hierarchical structures. Social frustration and insurrection comes from exclusion and feelings of powerlessness. Real powerlessness can be understood through the model of the bully who imposes his/her power over another in order to feel more powerful and to convince the victim they are powerless. This game creates winners/losers, humiliates and psychologically disempowers humans from seeing their unique human dignity and power. Bullying can be seen in international relations through assertion of military power, governance through suppression of entire societies or minorities, gender bias in selection of males for powerful positions, parents in dominating children for their good rather than allowing them to make mistakes and teaching them to enquire into life with more curiosity and take responsibility for thoughts and actions. Violence is experienced in thought, word and deed and if left unchecked will lead to extremes fuelling nuclear misadventure and ecological destruction. The latter is a reflection of human self destruction, ignorance and spirituality under-development or discarded.

Nonviolence was a term that found its expression through ancient religions such as Jainism (predating recorded history) who believed in detachment from worldly things, the infinite soul, love and sympathy for all human beings, service and sacrifice. Nonviolence chooses an alternative to violence in order to deal with power. Nonviolence when principled, as espoused by Gandhi is a force more powerful and he stated after hearing the news of nuclear explosions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki “unless now the world adopts nonviolence it will spell certain suicide for mankind”. This indeed is the precipice humans are standing at in the present time. It was also Lao Tzu the ancient Chinese philosopher, who taught “that undeveloped humanity can destroy itself through ignorance and that it is the responsibility of one who can see, to tell a blind horseman on a blind horse that he is riding toward an abyss.” When one believes they are right and this belief is unchallenged, it is similar to a blind spot test (two dots on a card), one eventually disappears when one is focused on what they believe is right. Yet in reality there is another side that becomes invisible without learning the nonviolent art of questioning for truth. Nonviolence leads to creative solutions and when it is driven by love not fear, nonviolence leads us to learn about the other we feel conflict with, to never abuse the other, but to seek to understand and to offer pathways for resolution. This requires great love and patience, the dividends are transformation of world views and profound respect. Gandhi was jailed in South Africa and it was his jailor that became one of his greatest fans as he witnessed the strong principles of Gandhi and his desire for ‘best interest’ rather than ‘self interest’. Gandhi stated his purpose was to see god face to face. He was on a spiritual path and that can only be experienced when a person decides they wish to live the truth. As Gandhi pointed out truth is god, god is truth. Those advocating nonviolence are seeking win/win solutions, not just peace negotiated settlements to trade off but to seek underlying resolution of conflict. This is the permanent peace that is often spoken about but not understood, as the mindsets are diplomatic and designed to win at the expense of the other. Imagine nonviolent mindsets that are interested in win/win and ‘best interest’ of all people. This represents the paradigm shift from fear based decision making to love based decision making. The power of love is what binds all humanity and elevates consciousness to envisage the whole planet within a solar system, rather than the very small interests of a few in the game of greed and power. This reflects a limitation in human potential rather than the purpose of life. Nonviolence in truth is harmony, as all violence has been purged, when this happens only love remains. This is the power of unity.

• UNIVERSAL VALUES AND MATERIAL VALUES: The values of humanity are the key to the paradigm shift. A continuance of valuing material wealth as a symbol of superiority, security, safety and false abundance links directly to resource depletion. The valuing of male over female reduces the voice of emotional intelligence which sees the emotional suppression and disempowerment that deminishes life support systems. The training in schools predominantly in intellectual intelligence – maths, computing, politics, science, geography without a foundation structure of values e.g. integrity, honesty, responsibility, empathy, peace and love will lead to increasing intellectualization of the world, frustrated violence, disconnected unhappiness and rebellion in search of power. The teaching of values in schools, workplaces, institutions will provide a values framework from which to see the human and will nullify the need for human rights, as all humans have a right to be human, this will be a given. Moreover the intellect may be effective in physical constructions but it does not cater to the emotional landscape that drives the world and frames morality and what is valued. The reality of developing universal values enables people to see the value of other human beings, this is the invisible becoming visible. In addition, this imbalance brings to the fore the notion of spirituality, unseen forces from what can be termed the unmanifest. This is best understood in the questions – At the point of conception where is the spirit of the child coming from? When a human dies where does the spirit go? What do people say about life after death, those who have experienced it? The spiritual reality can emerge as deep connection to feeling states, direct connection with the whole, desires to work for the wellbeing of humanity, selflessness, compassion or any human emotion that inspires a joining with others thus mirroring the natural system of interconnection and flow. In its purist form there is no rejection of the ‘other’ it is fully accepted as part of the ‘self’. We see our selves in each other, if there is something we don´t like in the other, you turn your focus toward yourselves, as you are seeing yourself. The spiritual awakened person sees the interconnections between all life and works for all as the one Self. Human values are the glue that bind all humanity it moves humanity toward harmony rather than division. Love is the centre of world peace.

• DIVERSITY AND PREJUDICE: The imbalance caused by nationalism, religion, gender, age, ethnicity, politics, philosophy that lead to divisions that empower prejudice. Within an economic and ethnic context segregation is evident in professional and blue collar work, geographic segregation on rents or investments (poor/rich neighborhoods), language barriers and socializing with only those that are similar, creates cultures of conformity that do not tolerate differences or view them as disrespectful of accepted beliefs. Rather than learning from differences, humans have a tendency to congregate with similar beliefs systems rather than be challenged by diversity and simply accept this as a diversity rather than difference. This prejudice is exacerbated by mono-cultures that do not integrate with other cultures but hold sameness as central to security and preservation of beliefs. The fear being a loss of identity at the centre. This creates pockets of reinforcing prejudices that can easily turn into notions of them and us and allow conflict to escalate to cultural exclusion and outbursts of violence. This phenomenon is noted on social networking and other like minded access points for agreement rather than the evolution of ideas through conflict and exchange. A philosophy of diversity is central to developing acceptance (rather than tolerance), learning new ways of being, experiencing richness of culture, providing new and diverse perspectives which lead to expanding possibilities and culture change. The purpose of human life is to change, it is not to remain stuck in unchallenged ideas. Therefore, dialogue and conflict resolution are extremely important tools for facing challenges and developing a capacity to overcome problems nonviolently.