Comment on Reddit (Showerthoughts)
Humans have been trying to scare each other with myths and stories since the dawn of civilization, but many people fail to realize that truth is far more terrifying than fiction ever could be.
Heaven or Hell
The truth is more terrifying, because hell is here.
Listen to the news. Bad things are happening all the time. Instead of figuring out the truth behind why things have gotten so bad, we attribute it to others. It is my parents fault, the school system, my company, the government, religion.
What exactly are they doing wrong? Don’t they all have good intentions? The economy has to flow. We need to get kids ready for the ‘dog eat dog’ world. If I don’t take it, someone else will.
Every system has been disregarding the individual, their feelings and their value.
Look at the Golden Rule that is espoused by every major religion, which essentially says.’ Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. What exactly does that mean?
Don Miguel Ruiz speaks of four agreements one should make when interacting with others: Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best.
These considerations ‘smooth the waters ahead’ by eliminating as many barriers as possible towards positive connections.
Education is key to learning how people need to treat each other. This behavior is modeled first in the home and then continues on into the school system. These systems have broken down in many cultures. There has been a shift in values and what is important in life. We have been pulled into the mindset that personal desires are more important than anyone else’s. Our desires define our lifestyle. Much is left to the schools to feed and socialize children. Counseling and support for families in need, be it financial or psychological, could mitigate long term harm. The need for counseling and therapy is projected to rise significantly in the next decade.
A good educational system should teach nature’s laws of connection from the important role of fungi in a healthy ecosystem to the management and conservation of resources that feeds rather than harms the soil, the farmers and the consumers.
The key point in this connection-enriching education is to understand that our attitude to other people and nature is an ongoing relationship. We can then understand the reciprocity in nature. Thriving relationships, whether in families, friendships, couples, work relations, or in society at large, require mutual consideration. The advantages of reaching genuine friendship and even love in a relationship always override the efforts we apply to get there. Therefore, gaining awareness of our interconnectedness and interdependence should lead us to the conclusion that we should invest in our connections to realize our interdependence positively. (Dr Michael Laitman)
Prison reform: How we treat law breakers also needs to be reformed. The internet is a helpful link to those countries who have invested in the correct and humane way of dealing with people. In Norwegian prisons for instance, the aim is not to punish but to educate in order to safely reintegrate inmates back into society, healthier and able to contribute in a positive manner.
Depending on the crime, there should be restitution or financial compensation for the victims. Ideally, prisons should be self supporting, from food production to building maintenance. With the intention to benefit as opposed to being a profit driven organization, prisons could become places for healing and growth. Inmates should be offered therapies in order to ensure that when they serve their term, they can be better people going out than they were coming in. If they aren’t safe to release, they should remain incarcerated.
The workplace is an area that needs greater attention since we spend more time at work than we do at in any other activity. Forbes lists many companies that consider their employees needs as being important to them. This companies are listed globally and by country.
As leaders, you need to look at the fundamental psychological needs of your employees. When your company satisfies your workers’ needs at work, they’re more likely to be engaged, productive, healthy, and loyal. However, when you fail to meet the needs of your workers, you’ll see them exhibit low morale and high turnover. (Fast Company)
Regardless of the company or institution, many good ideas already exist as solutions and best practices. We forget that we exist in a connected system and need only tap into the vast intellectual resources that already exist. More often than not these measures for safety or prevention simply need to be implemented. Committees waste time and resources hiring consultants to come up with costly solutions that often exceed the simpler needs of an issue or situation that could be solved if people were the first consideration.
There is ‘nothing new under the sun’. We already have the answers to solving issues in every societal system when we keep the individual in mind in light of the imperative to live a productive and happy life. We already have the answers to a better way of life for all. We only need the collective will to support the good methods and curtail the inclinations of those who thirst for power or fame and/or fortune.
Honor, pride, greed, lust, jealousy, retribution, vindictiveness, and punishment, all lead to circumstances contributing to hell on earth, be it experienced in the family, school, workplace or prison.
The truth is that we still choose to think of our own desires above all else. Education throughout our lives is our only hope for a future that benefits all of humanity.
I am not suggesting that everyone must be equal in what they get to do or own. Just as our looks are different, so will our preferences and needs be different. However the value of things and their acquisition must be replaced with the value of people and positive connections, despite our differences.
We have created hell on earth through our insatiable thirst for more, no matter the cost to the lives of others. New technologies will not help us.
Through education, on TV, the media and schools, we will come to understand the importance of global connection and consideration and how we can transform the world into heaven on earth.