Humans are artifact adoring artisans

[coberst]

Humans are artifact adoring artisans

 

Humans are meme (idea) adoring creators.

 

Humans create symbols (abstract ideas) upon which they place value sufficient for killing and dying.

 

Americans create a flag (an artifact of cloth) which symbolizes the value they place in a nation (artifact, idea, meme) for which they will really kill and die (nothing artificial here).

 

Humans require meaningful symbols upon which to give life sufficient purpose for living, dying, and killing.

 

Because humans can create their own meaningful artifacts why does our species place meaning into such dangerous artifacts (memes, ideologies) as religion, nation, capitalism, communism, etc?

 

The freedom we have to create that which is meaningful to us is poorly used, why?

 

Why do we waste such a precious freedom on such dangerous toys?

 

We do so because we lack the courage (self-reliance) to go against the flow.

 

Our adaptation to society as infants and children has left us without the courage and confidence required to go against the flow of society. We have the freedom but not the energy and courage to overcome the blind habit of conformity.

 

We are not determined atoms; we do have the potential to do much better. How can we overcome what we have become and thus become something better?

 

We can overcome our present predicament by creating a new reality, a new set of meaningful symbols that we choose to give value.

 

Imagination is the instrument by which we can overcome.

[Queso]

Imagination is the instrument by which we can overcome.

 

 

:hyper: ascension.

[coberst]

ascension.

 

It seems to me that we agree generally on the problems that exist in our present situation. The question I would like to focus upon is what can be done to make things better in the long run. What can be started now that will eventually lead to a world where dialogue trumps war?

 

I think that dialogue becomes an important prospect only if our world level of intellectual sophistication is greatly enhanced. We are in the present situation because few citizens comprehend why we do what we do.

 

Of course increasing the intellectual sophistication of the world is a job for centuries but we can begin to take the first step. The first step is for individuals who recognize the problem to begin the process of becoming self-actualizing self-learners.

 

The type of comprehension required to become critical individuals in critical societies will not be found in our present day educational institutions. Our educational institutions are designed to prepare students to become efficient producers and consumers. Our present educational institutions are designed to invigorate the status quo and not to create critical thinking citizens.

 

Our first step is to convince adults to become self-actualizing, self-learning, independent, and critical thinking citizens.