Another brilliant, brilliant "Report," Thom ! I will go even one step further and suggest that the actual, real contest here resides in the "actor" behind all this--the human mind. A human who chooses to work with others, cooperate, think collectively for the good of all....will tend to make decisions that do actually benefit all--an e…
Another brilliant, brilliant "Report," Thom ! I will go even one step further and suggest that the actual, real contest here resides in the "actor" behind all this--the human mind. A human who chooses to work with others, cooperate, think collectively for the good of all....will tend to make decisions that do actually benefit all--an egalitarian. A human who chooses to fill his own wants, needs, and desires first and foremost---and to heck with everyone else--tends to make authoritarian-type decisions. After all these years we lack the simplest psychological terms to readily communicate our largely dichotomous inner nature. Some like the terms ego, small self, or just plain "self" to represent our self-oriented, selfish, even narcissistic nature, whereas some use the terms "Higher Self, Big Self, or SELF to point to our larger, wider-oriented thinking. I propose that those who predominantly take the "small ego" path end up very self-absorbed, narrow-minded, and even with a siege mentality--Putin & Trump, anyone? But those who take the latter path toward a "Higher Self" are much more likely to wind up being a saint or Mother Theresa. So, yes, people coming together to offer their input automatically removes them from solitary isolation as they participate in a collective endeavor. Those who believe "I Alone Can Fix It"or "I Alone Can Rule the World" end up in their gold-plated mansions...or dungeons. Socially & politically, yes, it's a contest between totalitarianism and democracy. Psychologically it's a struggle between the two aspects of our inner selves. Fortunately, the outcomes of the last 6 Fourth Turnings have been on the side of the egalitarians....while the totalitarians lost. This current 4th Turning involves a new element: both top powers--the USA & Russia--have nukes. As Strauss & Howe pointed out in their 1997 book "The Fourth Turning," there is no way to predict which side will win....and there is guarantee it will be a happy outcome. May the Force be with you, Ukraine ! (with more than a little bit of help from your democratic friends !)
Another brilliant, brilliant "Report," Thom ! I will go even one step further and suggest that the actual, real contest here resides in the "actor" behind all this--the human mind. A human who chooses to work with others, cooperate, think collectively for the good of all....will tend to make decisions that do actually benefit all--an egalitarian. A human who chooses to fill his own wants, needs, and desires first and foremost---and to heck with everyone else--tends to make authoritarian-type decisions. After all these years we lack the simplest psychological terms to readily communicate our largely dichotomous inner nature. Some like the terms ego, small self, or just plain "self" to represent our self-oriented, selfish, even narcissistic nature, whereas some use the terms "Higher Self, Big Self, or SELF to point to our larger, wider-oriented thinking. I propose that those who predominantly take the "small ego" path end up very self-absorbed, narrow-minded, and even with a siege mentality--Putin & Trump, anyone? But those who take the latter path toward a "Higher Self" are much more likely to wind up being a saint or Mother Theresa. So, yes, people coming together to offer their input automatically removes them from solitary isolation as they participate in a collective endeavor. Those who believe "I Alone Can Fix It"or "I Alone Can Rule the World" end up in their gold-plated mansions...or dungeons. Socially & politically, yes, it's a contest between totalitarianism and democracy. Psychologically it's a struggle between the two aspects of our inner selves. Fortunately, the outcomes of the last 6 Fourth Turnings have been on the side of the egalitarians....while the totalitarians lost. This current 4th Turning involves a new element: both top powers--the USA & Russia--have nukes. As Strauss & Howe pointed out in their 1997 book "The Fourth Turning," there is no way to predict which side will win....and there is guarantee it will be a happy outcome. May the Force be with you, Ukraine ! (with more than a little bit of help from your democratic friends !)