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Is Humankind Drunk Or Something?The first thing I notice when travelling to another state or even another continent is the unique behaviours and mannerisms of the culture. Some of them leave a positive impression and some a negative one. Some of them make life more comfortable and some of them make things difficult. But the one thing that I can never get over is how ardent people's attachments to their social conventions are. Then after a while of noticing the peculiarities I stop and think - Is Humankind Drunk Or Something? In creating our own benchmark for "normal" behaviour we ostracize all else that seems different. It's almost pathological behaviour since what we perceive in the circle of "normal" now was out of the circle at one point in time. In the end it seems to me like the 'different' ends up becoming the standard of "normal" behaviour. This is just how things seem to go. That's quite a paradox – but it does explain the need most of us have to define a clear benchmark for where the boundaries of our world exist. There have to be boundaries that define what we're willing to let into our frame of perception. Otherwise there would be chaos, right? Perhaps. But isn't the alternative a Societal Matrix for our minds?
Unplugging from the Societal MatrixThe first question that we should perhaps ask is what is a Societal Matrix and how does one form? On a practical level human beings are prone to falling into patterns of behaviour and sometimes we feel the need to create justification for our actions. This continued process ends up growing into an entire structure that reflects this behaviour as the norm. I have been listening to Rich Jones' podcasts since their first release back in 2006 and one of the ideas presented still sticks with me whenever I look at how our societal structures tend to arrange themselves. BTW this is a podcast I recommend to all interested in alternative philosophies. The principle that Rich Jones talks about is human beings externalising their internal state onto that greater structure of social norms. The reason that I see this structure as a Societal Matrix of sorts is that people appear brainwashed – almost as though being swept into a specific current of consciousness. To further the examples that Rich Jones gives – societies are often products of a mass process of behavioural development. This is one of the theories I'm inclined to agree with. Mass ConsciousnessOne of the questions asked in a podcast back in 2008 was what would happen if we attempted adapting a model of behavioural development to an entire group or even an entire culture. If we attempt to adapt Erikson's model of behavioural development to an entire culture rather than the individual then the results are surprising in how well their fit is. How about if we adapt Freud's stages of sexual development to the development of a nation? Each of the crises we encounter in our lives … in our relationships … at work … have the same blueprint as crises that occur on a global scale. How do we minimise wars? Reduce internal conflict. I didn't take this one from "what the bleep?" either. For those who have lost me – "what the bleep?" is a film that alludes to a large group of individuals who meditated together over a course of weeks in an attempt to reduce crime in a major metropolitan area. The supposed result was successful. The main premise I have however is more to do with looking at ourselves as important parts of world events. No-one is insignificant. Two nations cannot go to war when their leaders are at peace with themselves. Two nations cannot forge a strong relationship when there is no trust between them. It sounds like I'm talking about interpersonal relationships here … the same principles of human behaviour can be applied to global behaviour. Thinking For OurselvesThis leads me back to the question of "are we all drunk?" Have we lost ourselves in the current of our societal development? It seems as soon as there is a major crisis on a national level individuals pick sides and take on the development of a nation as though it is their own. Sure – we are all development and evolving as a human race. But that doesn't mean we can't think for ourselves. Too often people act as a product of their societal environment. This is dangerous for our personal evolution when we cloud our personal values with the ideals of the culture or Government at the time. I am still surprised at how I can take a trip 10000KM to find people asserting … defending and fighting for laws and customs that are 180-degrees different to the ones that people assert … defend and fight for over here. It is almost saddening that social … religious and national principles are more important to someone than their own genuine personal values. In our cultures we seem to pick up the negative behavioural habits of the culture itself much like a couple picks up each other's habits after a few months in an intimate relationship. It's far more important for our personal evolution to avoid being clouded with the habits and ideals that we pick up from others – whether those are the norms in our homes or in our countries. Seek and Find Your Own Truth First. |
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