We as a people and as a nation have things we need to work on and that rests in our values as a people who seek the strongest society we can create. Everyone has an opinion and based on our ability to see the bigger picture most of our opinions are self beneficial. However, while each person in society acts in either their or society's collective interest they must find the balance between the two so as to maximize gain for everyone. It is in our best interest to preserve the whole and the higher order values systems that have kept a nation striving from generation to generation toward a collective benefit.
As with all things there will be some who care little about others and there are some who care a little too much about their fellow man (I like the later more but balance is more healthy.). Society carries with it a collective wisdom that helps us learn why its important to keep a balance in individual and collective rights and gain. Don't be too selfish and don't be too selfless so as to not take care of yourself. Balance leads to the greatest gain. (Such beliefs delve back way into history and in almost every society and this is why America has a place in teaching the world. Ying and Yang.)
On a deeper level our existence is only possible through collective effort. Civilization is a process of ensuring society is developing to higher states of functioning and in turn protecting our individual and collective self interest. This is also why I like democracy in general because if it is run well and moving toward a universal democracy everyone has a touch of influence in collective decision making. Those who are too selfish create conflict and disparity and should not be supported by word or vote.
(A lesson here could be not to support those who we know on a deeper level are not capable of supporting society through mental health or through darker values. i.e. quick to attack and slow to understand. Psychological Distance and Self Control. Good values and moral conscious be your guide. On a deep biological level we are designed to know the difference between helpful and unhelpful behaviors. Just about every religion and moral code teaches us that. i.e. they tap into our collective conscious.)
Hypothetical Situation 1: Someone(s) is considered a minority and a group of people spread rumors about that person and misuse their close connection with authorities in order to intimidate and threaten for illicit gain. Instead of checking into facts it sets off a chain effect of potential violence by lower order individuals that cannot think for themselves. Freedom of speech and religion are quickly violated.
(Lesson: Never support those who support destructive violence or manipulation and especially not those who support zero-sum self-interested outcomes. There are almost always paths to win-win A developed person would never do that because they can see the balance.)
What we find in this hypothetical is that it is easy to misuse close connection of authority in order to enrich oneself but it comes with a cost to society. It begins to break down the moral order and reflect negatively on those institutions where there are not appropriate checks and balances on such powers. Power is neither good or bad but is best used to help everyone; at least in the moral person.
Hypothetical Situation 2: Someone is elected to a high position in office and the begins to manipulate others, encourage violence, self-enrich through divisionary tactics and blind followership. It makes no difference the place or country. The more people fail to stand for their central values, oaths, and moral conscious, the more pressure to damage the checks and balances that come from institutions in an effort to gain ultimate authority (i.e. good for that person, or a small group, but not for everyone else.)
Thus, an advanced person can recognize the need for the greater good of society by ensuring that the intent of our laws and the purpose of our laws help to protect the greater good of everyone as well as him/herself. That requires a sense of common good for one's fellow man. Where higher moral purpose declines such individuals can easily put undue pressure on their social networks to undermine the collective good of our institutions (i.e. notice the difference between discussing improving institutions and undermining their purpose.)
Each person in his natural state wants to do what leads to the best outcomes (homme naturel vs. homme artificiel). This is why we as a society create oaths, values, artifacts and other things to provide us a guide on how to handle these destructive situations. Oaths and social contracts help us maintain the balance between our own individual liberties and those of society. Where there is social pressure there are sometimes defaults. Stand fast to your values and oaths and that won't happen because we ensure the balance is maintained.
To correct means to stand by those oaths as a collective whole because deep down we know that that society benefits the most from environments of freedom, safety, opportunity, and other individual and collective issues. As a collective people we know our most strategic path forward is to maintain the highest levels of integrity of person and society. We strengthen our institutions and ensure that such individuals are held to account so as to maintain the social order of things for the best interest of all. (i.e. individual and society benefit versus only an individual and not society.)
The higher states of individualized man understand his/her natural needs and seeks to support the collective good because it is the best way to achieve his/her own needs. In the U.S. we have the Judicial, Executive, and Legislative branches and these work well in so long as we profess faith to our centralized values and act in good moral conscious when dispensing their duties (Oaths are important to the whole because they are important to use as individuals.).
(Keep in mind freedom of speech/press is used to support these institutions by criticizing what is bad and encouraging what is good. Even more important to individuals that step outside of a conversation without fully exploring improvement within as profess in their sworn oaths and values. When people talk and learn from each other, violence and/or the encouragement thereof is against one's sacred oaths to society. Makes no difference ones role or position..)
Those who seek to gain unfairly through intimidation or violence from others are damaging to the whole of society and should be brought back into the fold of collective order through all three branches of government if necessary. We do that through supporting what is good in our institutions (including upward adaptation of such institutions to be more inclusive of the collective whole) to ensure that the wants and needs of selfish individuals do not have undo influence over the healthy trajectory of society (i.e. tyrants, dishonesty, manipulation, etc.)
Leadership is important for adjusting society to navigate immediate issues but societal structure ensures that leadership works in the best interest of society from generation to generation. Power with is much better than power over. Society is slow but when it acts it can check the misuse of power for self gain by pulling it back to collective interest (One could argue its rooted in our biology to find ways to coexist through societal order. )
In other words, support your society so to support yourself by encouraging higher moral conscious and those leaders that can walk that talk. One path and one indivisible people with liberty and justice for all. A sign of leadership comes from respecting the past to protect the future. If you can't do that, you are too far into the selfish and not enough into the needs of society. In the past and in the future. Be brave and bold Americans in preserving your freedom in word and most importantly with your conscience. We the People. Yin and Yang. 😬🙈
No comments:
Post a Comment