Excuse me, this may be long for facebook, The time has come, and ultimately passed, when hedonic ways no longer serve us. This is not to say that they havent served us well, rather, I would blame hedonism for much of the progression of humanity (that and fear). The problem, as I see it, is that hedonism is like a regulator. Historically, people accomplish greater things when they are serving something other than themselves. While we certainly are whirling through evolution, imagine what could be if we remove that limiter. I believe the ideal that will emerge when we remove this restriction will be that of service. It is, in effect, the opposite of hedonism. Ask yourself this, who are the ones that truly succeed in life? Is it those who strive for material possessions and wealth? While the markers of success are often these totems, what lies behind the actions is far more important. Ask anyone you consider wildly successful what they do and youll probably get a very excited answer. What Im getting at here are Purpose and Passion. Did Bill Gates get involved in the science of computers to make himself wealthy? I would argue that he did so out of love of the work or the potential he saw in its utility. He wanted to do something great for the world. The next point of issue then becomes personal utility. Who then, if everyone is following their passions will clean and cook and do the jobs nobody wants to do? Well, you see there are a few simple solutions to this. The first is technology. To quote Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983), We must do away with the absolutely specious notion that everybody has to earn a living. It is a fact today that one in ten thousand of us can make a technological breakthrough capable of supporting all the rest. The youth of today are absolutely right in recognizing this nonsense of earning a living. As we continue to develop ideas and technologies that make people obsolete, we simultaneously need to shed the idea that these same people we are taking the utility away from need to have the same level of productivity they once did. The second is culture. Things change so rapidly in the world of today. If we foster a culture of service and gifting, so long as the needs of the people are met, people will be happy to do what needs to be done to continue the system that supports all fellow beings. One only needs to look to any recent disaster. People, again and again, show up to help. It wasn’t only professionals that showed up to help after Hurricane Sandy, the Haitian Earthquake or the Tsunami in Japan for example. Again, go back to the person who you asked what they do, do you think they would still do this job if the same financial system didn’t exist? If there was no such concept as money, and you didn’t need it to get what you wanted, would people still develop ideas? Would people still create? What would come of those who need to work a job they hate just to pay their bills? Where would humanity be if people didn’t have to work, instead, they were let to follow their passions? As we move away from hedonism into service, there will be an un-stifling of the creative and passionate side of the majority of the human race. This is where the real evolution will arise. These ideas may be a leap, I understand, but realize that understanding is not linear. Just because we understand more now than we did a century ago, does not mean we have reached the pinnacle of knowledge. It seems to me, that there is plague in the halls of cannon. This plague is a methodology of communication. Seemingly, most institutions of prominence speak, or disseminate, their information as though it is fact. Remember, the earth was once flat and the sun used to revolve around this flat earth. Things change and yet we are not always made aware of the whole picture. It regularly feels like things are coming to a head. We, as a society, look to the violence around the world and say things like “how could I bring a baby into this world?” The reality is that information is pliable. While you are made to believe that the world is in tatters, don’t believe everything you hear. To back this claim up, look to the work of Mr. Steven Pinker. Watch his TED talk or read his book “The Better Angels of Our Nature”. We need no longer look to the politicians and wealthy for answers. Right now the 85 richest people on the planet own half of the wealth. Who do you think the politicians are listening to? You have as much right to each breath and drop of water as they do. Wealth and Political power don’t create value. Stand up and lead the world where you want it to go. Believe it or not, there is greatness coming. Humanity is evolving toward this greatness. Those who benefit from your belief that things are bad are clinging to their last straws. I urge you to try this, what can it hurt? Try on the belief that when you wake up tomorrow, we will all be one day closer to a beautiful reality filled with love.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 19:46:50 +0000