Basic information on how culture works, respect for knowledge, and understanding of science is sorely missing from today’s world. Even those who purportedly are educated people doing science or creating complex global policies do not understand even the basic concepts of social science.
We cannot fight ignorance with ignorance… for oh so many reasons.
Social science does not work from ideology. Marxism and Supply-side economics both have ideology at the core of their understanding. Perhaps Keynes missed things, but he attempted to look at and describe the operation of economic systems.
Objectivity
Real reporting of news and reporting of scientific findings does not have a political viewpoint. If you see these topics mixed with politics, you are not really looking at news or science.
Reinforcement
Paying attention to things you want to lessen will probably have the opposite of the intended impact. For example, this is why I am not anti-war and instead am pro-peace. Opposition puts as much energy into the system as support. This is part of why the status quo is so difficult to alter.
Paradigm Shift
You may have heard of paradigm shift. The paradigm is the overarching premise that unites and generates thought about an organizing principle. Changing what people do cannot really happen if the beliefs that motivate and promulgate a behavior remain as they have always been.
Pressure from the outside and working from the inside will not change an organizing principle at a systems level.
What We Have
Hierarchy and territoriality typify the way almost everything works in human society. Contemporary governance, economics, infrastructure, religious practice, and almost everything else assumes competition between, unequal access, and differential worth of different types of people.
I would say things are not going so well when our religion and politics creates war, and when health, education and happiness are afterthoughts once profit is taken.
These are real pressing concerns and I would love to know what other intelligent bloggers and readers think might work to introduce real change.
Stay tuned. More is coming on this topic this week. I have a plan.
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Answer to yesterday’s question. 2000 people in Nigeria died last week in Boko Haram attacks.
You got me thinking yesterday and I am now hanging on every word Nancy — especially with that final statement that you have a plan… and I so want to be part of that plan!
Paradigm shift…. I don’t think we can gently nudge the energy of the world in another direction. But…is using force counter-intuitive? You have my full attention!
Using force is counter-intuitive, and slight changes at the beginning of a new process can multiple over time… You may just have to come to Tucson to get the full mindmap of my nefarious plan.
I wish I could disagree, but I can’t. I have been very troubled by the very situation you describe and how otherwise bright people simply do not think it through. They’re spoon fed and that seems to be ok…i don’t know why this is, but yep, it is.
I know Carol, I know. That is why I am carefully laying out the problem as I see it and then writing about it. Someone has to!!!
I totally agree that we cannot fight ignorance with ignorance. I must say, usually I am a very optimistic person, but these days I am so very sad about the intolerance in the world. I am anxious to hear your plan!
I am ultimately positive and my plan is positive. Too many folks mix-up awareness and negativity. Closed eyes are not positive.
Such wise words, this: “I would say things are not going so well when our religion and politics creates war, and when health, education and happiness are afterthoughts once profit is taken.” Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
I look forward to hearing more. Your posts kick my head into high gear. Thank you!
I just hope my kicks don’t bruise you Lisa, I’m a pacifist!
I try to figure out the state of the world today and listen to both sides, but I just can’t seem to make sense of any of it. I don’t think any of us truly know what to do – not even the president! Great post though…made me think some more!
No one can know for sure, but we have to follow our guts and act. At least that is my motto!
I’m a firm believer in the concept behind your example of being pro peace, rather than anti-war. Putting energy toward the intended result is always more fruitful than fighting against something.
It makes so much sense, doesn’t it Angela? Build it. Nurture it. It is what we women do best.
So true! I think about these things often myself. What I can do for now is to be an example and treat others as I would like to be treated myself.
Just think of what the world would be if we could all to that. What a wonderful world it would be if we could all do that.