Flash forward
There is no need to further dwell in the past. Life emerges in ways you cannot predict and it is futile to try to predict life. Life is a game and the purpose of life is living it even though in the end, there is no purpose, which makes all the difference. It is truly liberating to detach from outcome. This does not mean one needs to be nihilistic, on the contrary. Knowing that the goal lies in the journey means you can create, explore and love anyway you want to. To me, it is a self-contained process: the creation is the goal.
That being said, over the last years, I personally found deep meaning in awareness that I am contributing to the whole. Admittedly, not yet in a totally detached way, as I am still working through the real acceptance that humanity’s faith is in its own hands and I cannot and need not to try to steer or control it: my heart tells me the mesh of consciousness levels across the globe is perfect as it is, even though my brain tells me differently. I’m still coping with an attachment to collective survival and a glimmer of hope that the contributions I am able to make will help steer humanity into calmer waters positively affecting our entire biosphere.
What follows are my thoughts on an integral frame to positively impact attitudes towards a more humane humanity, more social, environmentally aware consciousness and life experience. Time will tell whether or not these thoughts are deemed to be prodigy or foolishness.
The state of humanity
Trying to describe a monolithic idea about the state of humanity would be both wrong and impossible. The state of humanity is a highly nuanced thing with many dynamics at play. To be able to even discuss the current state of affairs, one needs to have a leading framework for debate. I ended up in the realm of adult developmental psychology to find words, a model, to describe where people are in their word view and development. I decided to work with the ECLET theory of Graves as it offers a dynamic, contextually driven theory how humans evolve. It has also been a theory which I was able to apply to my personal development and as such helps me to apply a framework on humanity as a whole.
Of course, realizing that details make all the difference, the description below are just broad strokes on the canvas, true but not detailed. With this limitation in mind, let’s dive in.
Key to understanding the state of humanity is the fact that people are born with their own unique mix of hereditary traits and cognitive capabilities in a family, in a city or village, country or continent. The societal context shapes, conditions if you will, attitudes and norms which become part of one’s identity. Of course, there is an interplay between the context and the person, a similar context can drive different outcomes, depending on the person. It is my conviction that cognitive strength, a biological marker, is a key variable in impacting your world view. If you are able to understand complex systems like societies, you will at least understand why things happen and be conscious about your potential choices within that context. If you cannot, then you’ll react instinctively, driven by automated processes of survival, you’re part of the matrix if you will. Understanding this complexity though, does not entail thriving in that particular system. One needs to be detached from the limitations, sometimes even cruelty of a particular societal context in order to thrive as an individual and be able to self-actualize. Also, our need for psychological and physical security, rooted in our biology will be integral to our own development of value and worldview. If one struggles to feel safe, you’ll regress into survivalist values.
With this in mind one can look at the different leading cultures and continents on our planet and see where we are today.
Europe
Europe consists of a couple of building blocks. The EU being its most advanced political construction is the most interesting experiment happening on the globe today. It meshes countries of different tier 1 value systems: red, blue, orange ànd specs of green in a single construction. Scandinavia mainly mixes green with orange, the West of the EU are orange with less green and more blue, while the South of the EU is more rooted in blue with some specs of red. Turning our gaze to Eastern-Europe you see blue is not as steady yet and red is looking to overpower the blue value system. The EU as such is a blue/orange construct with the rule of law to avoid any catastrophic events like the second world war and orange, trade and self-interest as a mechanism to ensure smooth cooperation. This is what the UK got wrong, not understanding the in essence blue DNA of the EU, thinking mercantile orange prevailed. Brexit was not a coincidence…
Russia & China
It would take me too far to try to describe every single country, so for the sake of analysis, I selected a few global powerhouses. Russia & China are clashing between red and secular blue value systems. It is clear religion offers blue frameworks, trade drives orange, but nowadays, secular blue is under pressure and expansive red and religious blue are pushing outwards. Both countries are acting increasingly hostile being scolded for basic human right violations and military agression. One needs to
India
Heavy blue with orange in the most developed parts and red and even some purple still in rural areas.
Northern-America
Southern-America
Oceania
Now what?
The key is the fact that people in tier 1 value systems do not understand the relativity of their value system: they are unwilling to accept that the other’s view on the same reality is equally valuable as theirs. Whether that’s extreme-right wing nationalists rooted in red, civil servants in blue, fast-living entrepreneurs in orange or political correct activists in green, all claim they have the truth and the other is wrong.
This leaves me at an end point, a cape which I am turning. I’ve had enough. Enough with the lack of leadership, enough with a lack of intelligent, conscious choices. Day in, day out, I see human potential squandered. Drowned in simplicity, stupidity, insecurity or an inability to understand the relativity of one’s opinion.
Political correct wokes are claiming the ethical high-ground while being oblivious of the fact their absolutist judgement is far from inclusive. Others are fiercely defending a system which is long overdue, others inject fear in the minds of the masses, bound to their own insecurity and need for control. Red values, a value system for which I need to vey deep to align with, is growing at the edges of our own society and is expanding across the world, all mixed with an acceleration of available technology.
The solutions presented today are not adequate. They try to mitigate the symptoms while root causes are not even mentioned. It is feels deeply frustrating to have a thorough understanding of the needs of people but — for now — lacking the tools to achieve change. It truly stymies my own quality of life, and occasionally, I wish I was Cypher, the person who chose to not know. In case anyone would read this, let me spell it out again:
Helping to change the value patterns of people will enable change in the systems humans create. Intrinsically it is that simple. However, our existing systems interact with our value patterns, meaning you need to work simultaneously on transforming our existing societal systems, starting from the dominant value system. In societies where red is dominant, focus on strengthening secular blue. In societies which drive on orange, foster green. In those who embrace green, nurture yellow value systems.
As for my personal struggle, this can be solved as well, I need to embrace and empathize with the insecurity of human beings, realize I’m fine in the moment myself, put myself first and accept the future as it will enfold.
Onwards!
