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[i]I could really write an essay on this. I'll give you the short, very incomplete version: [/i]
Well, that depends on what you believe human nature is. Are we naturally destructive, or do we have the potential to care for our small groups and surrounding environment knowing we can also benefit ourselves? Are we naturally vicious, or are we pitted against each other? People are selfish, but especially so when they're sold the idea that success is having the most shiny toys and the lightest skin and they're told to do whatever it takes to attain a contrived, impossible image of perfection. The culture of individualism and consumption and the attitude of "every man for himself" and not needing others is totally against what is good for people both individually and as a global collective population.
I think of Native American and other indigenous populations that found/find ways to live within their natural limits "as one" with their environments and small groups. They look out for each other and think as a group, ensuring everyone has a fair advantage. Some say that's impossible to do in the modern world, and with the aid of modern healthcare, people are living way beyond their limits, but it is possible if everyone were to challenge their environment instead of accepting an easy version of reality. And [i]that's[/i] where the crucial divide is, where science says that people (and all living organisms) are always going to take the easy way, the most efficient way to selfishly most-benefit from any given environmental condition and situation at the direct cost of other, weaker organisms. We humans are an animal species, and we follow the same natural trend as other animal species, naturally, BUT! ! ! [b]we have the mindpower to consider different realities and to challenge our own negative habits and unhealthy, selfish behaviors[/b].
Education, not propaganda, is the catalyst to ignite change to the global issues we're facing: wars, environmental detriment, social issues, poverty, senseless suffering. That, and for people to [i]feel and understand[/i] their true discomfort by connecting with the harsh realities of suffering and detriment around the world. People feel safe when they are not exposed to new situations and are able to live in their safe bubble of unfeeling, unseeing ignorance. Watching a documentary on TV about wars and suffering happening now is not enough for people anymore, nor is reading about giant trash mounds cycling in the oceans. It's become "just entertainment," like the nightly news, hearing about murders that happen in our neighborhoods, and yet, our false sense of security remains intact, while we watch murders on TV series for pleasure. What needs to happen is [i]direct exposure[/i] to understand suffering and to [i]feel[/i] different realities.
Change for the future starts with the young. High school and college courses in subjects like Environmental Science and Humanities should include field trips to the local trash dump and maybe a food bank/homeless shelter. Impressionable kids will see and feel the true environment beyond their living rooms and will be more likely to enact positive changes in their own lives, flowing outward to influence all areas of life, personal conduct, personal choices, encompassing a group mentality while still finding individual and personal lifestyles and having the freedom to live within their means [i]while helping others[/i]. It feels good to feel needed and important, and if we, as a global collective, emphasized that in more healthy ways rather than judging the health of our populations and planet by only the Gross Domestic Product, [i]everyone[/i] would be better off. Not just in terms of general comfort, but in health and wellness of mind and body. People need other people to thrive, and life on Earth would be much more pleasant and rewarding if people could give up their giant houses and toys and accept it, having a wealth of friends and tangible experiences instead of a lavish house full of emptiness.
Do you think we can pull it off? I'd say, probably never in my lifetime, but I'm going to try and live honestly, regardless.
Well, that depends on what you believe human nature is. Are we naturally destructive, or do we have the potential to care for our small groups and surrounding environment knowing we can also benefit ourselves? Are we naturally vicious, or are we pitted against each other? People are selfish, but especially so when they're sold the idea that success is having the most shiny toys and the lightest skin and they're told to do whatever it takes to attain a contrived, impossible image of perfection. The culture of individualism and consumption and the attitude of "every man for himself" and not needing others is totally against what is good for people both individually and as a global collective population.
I think of Native American and other indigenous populations that found/find ways to live within their natural limits "as one" with their environments and small groups. They look out for each other and think as a group, ensuring everyone has a fair advantage. Some say that's impossible to do in the modern world, and with the aid of modern healthcare, people are living way beyond their limits, but it is possible if everyone were to challenge their environment instead of accepting an easy version of reality. And [i]that's[/i] where the crucial divide is, where science says that people (and all living organisms) are always going to take the easy way, the most efficient way to selfishly most-benefit from any given environmental condition and situation at the direct cost of other, weaker organisms. We humans are an animal species, and we follow the same natural trend as other animal species, naturally, BUT! ! ! [b]we have the mindpower to consider different realities and to challenge our own negative habits and unhealthy, selfish behaviors[/b].
Education, not propaganda, is the catalyst to ignite change to the global issues we're facing: wars, environmental detriment, social issues, poverty, senseless suffering. That, and for people to [i]feel and understand[/i] their true discomfort by connecting with the harsh realities of suffering and detriment around the world. People feel safe when they are not exposed to new situations and are able to live in their safe bubble of unfeeling, unseeing ignorance. Watching a documentary on TV about wars and suffering happening now is not enough for people anymore, nor is reading about giant trash mounds cycling in the oceans. It's become "just entertainment," like the nightly news, hearing about murders that happen in our neighborhoods, and yet, our false sense of security remains intact, while we watch murders on TV series for pleasure. What needs to happen is [i]direct exposure[/i] to understand suffering and to [i]feel[/i] different realities.
Change for the future starts with the young. High school and college courses in subjects like Environmental Science and Humanities should include field trips to the local trash dump and maybe a food bank/homeless shelter. Impressionable kids will see and feel the true environment beyond their living rooms and will be more likely to enact positive changes in their own lives, flowing outward to influence all areas of life, personal conduct, personal choices, encompassing a group mentality while still finding individual and personal lifestyles and having the freedom to live within their means [i]while helping others[/i]. It feels good to feel needed and important, and if we, as a global collective, emphasized that in more healthy ways rather than judging the health of our populations and planet by only the Gross Domestic Product, [i]everyone[/i] would be better off. Not just in terms of general comfort, but in health and wellness of mind and body. People need other people to thrive, and life on Earth would be much more pleasant and rewarding if people could give up their giant houses and toys and accept it, having a wealth of friends and tangible experiences instead of a lavish house full of emptiness.
Do you think we can pull it off? I'd say, probably never in my lifetime, but I'm going to try and live honestly, regardless.
SW-User
@lovelywarpedlemon: Wow, that was quite a read! I don't think we could pull it off, honestly.
What's worse than ignorance these days is people becoming emboldened by echo chambers. There's so much information out there, but the vast majority of those sources are fueled by agendas and filled with half-truths, misinformation, and self-righteous dogmatism. Everybody will just find the information they agree with, never question their reality, and disparage those views that conflict with theirs.
When you rely on education to change things, there will always be people trying to undermine those efforts because of ideological differences. If they make enough noise, it can derail efforts to create any progress. Parents will always have the unwavering belief that they know what's best for their children, regardless of how varied their actual parenting abilities are. When you have somebody coming along trying to instill a new paradigm into their precious little angels, you can bet they'll be up in arms. They'll raise hell and start a crusade against the school or the teachers just because they don't want to change the way they do things. No one does
That's the sad part about all this. We can save the world if we change our ways, but not enough people are ever willing to change. Materialism isn't even all that bad in comparison to our own inability to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We still have children when we could adopt, we still eat meat when we don't have to, we still base our love on superficial traits instead of looking deeper, and we ultimately care more about our pleasure than our growth. We're all fucked in my view. You can't be a hero to people that don't think they need saving
What's worse than ignorance these days is people becoming emboldened by echo chambers. There's so much information out there, but the vast majority of those sources are fueled by agendas and filled with half-truths, misinformation, and self-righteous dogmatism. Everybody will just find the information they agree with, never question their reality, and disparage those views that conflict with theirs.
When you rely on education to change things, there will always be people trying to undermine those efforts because of ideological differences. If they make enough noise, it can derail efforts to create any progress. Parents will always have the unwavering belief that they know what's best for their children, regardless of how varied their actual parenting abilities are. When you have somebody coming along trying to instill a new paradigm into their precious little angels, you can bet they'll be up in arms. They'll raise hell and start a crusade against the school or the teachers just because they don't want to change the way they do things. No one does
That's the sad part about all this. We can save the world if we change our ways, but not enough people are ever willing to change. Materialism isn't even all that bad in comparison to our own inability to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We still have children when we could adopt, we still eat meat when we don't have to, we still base our love on superficial traits instead of looking deeper, and we ultimately care more about our pleasure than our growth. We're all fucked in my view. You can't be a hero to people that don't think they need saving