3 ms·

What if we all treated each other with respect and compassion? What if creating happiness in others was our fundamental objective as individuals and societies?

What if we all treated each other with respect and compassion? What if creating happiness in others was our fundamental objective as individuals and societies? Only with compassionate honesty can we root out the truly bad seeds and strip them of their power to harm others. Without compassion as our basis, our prejudices blind us and lead to callous, destructive competition via blind ambition. Only in compassionately equal cooperation can we determine which individuals and groups seek to oppress others, for cooperation is anathema to those filled with hatred and cruel self-superiority. Our callous attitudes and systems of competition are destroying the Earth and inflicting misery upon the vast majority of humanity for the benefit of the few. Committing oneself to become consumed by selfless compassion that motivates us to shape our societies into compassionate systems of mutual benefit and cooperation for ALL human beings is the ONLY path to happiness. Happiness for the individual begins in every interaction we have with each other and the Earth itself. The goal of that happiness is to spread this wisdom far and wide. To achieve that ideal we must strip the cruel, hypocritical, hateful liars of their power to cause misery for others. And this unfettered capitalism must be tamed to serve everyone while allowing the ambitious to reap the benefits of their hard work. Happiness is not pleasure and is so rare these days because very few people learn to selflessly, compassionately serve others' happiness. Worse yet, the most ruthless, amoral people have usurped the power structures of the world: governments, corporations and religious institutions. Selfless compassion is the root of happiness and we much each hurry up and implement it because the evil bastards are running rampant over our precious, beautiful Earth and the vast sea of poors. As with all things human, it is equally each our choice.

malvosenior 7y ago
Happiness is here today, you just have to find it in yourself. The most ruthless people didn't usurp the power structures, they created them. Before they existed we had lawless anarchy. We can live in harmony with the earth until a comet hits or a super volcano erupts at which point humanity goes extinct. To survive as a species we must continue to push technology forward as fast as we can. That's where capitalism, ambition and competition come into play. They are positive forces that are human's only path to long term survival.
- OneWordSoln 7y ago
  The corporations have bought our governments and are destroying the environment for their short-term enrichment. The obvious positives of technology and capitalism must be weighed against their long-term drawbacks. The unfettered capitalism the corporations have put into place via their lawyers and lobbyists has kept the negative outcomes from public view while shielding their owners from responsibility. Boeing, Tanaka, Monsanto, Exxon, Facebook, ... The system as it exists is far more destructive than constructive. Only a fool or a liar says otherwise. ETA: So, "Civilization Accelerating Extinction at Unprecedented Pace" is not caused by technology, corporations and unfettered capitalism? ETA2: And every civilization was created by the most ruthless? You only see yourself in everything you perceive, which is fundamental to ignorance.
  - malvosenior 7y ago
    The long term survival of humanity absolutely depends on technology. Aside from the existential threats I listed, all medicine, electricity, clean water... all depend on technological advancement. I'll take Boeing and Facebook over plague, constant war and lack of rule of law any day of the week. I'm not sure which period in time you're glamorizing to be much better than today, but the vast majority of humans alive in 2019 have a better life than the humans that came before them.
    - OneWordSoln 7y ago
      I didn't say any previous time period was better than today; I said that our societies being created by the most ruthless is absurd, and it is. Humans at their best work cooperatively and it happens all the time and has happened at all times. But when power structures can be subverted by the amoral, they will be, have been, are being. That does not mean that structures that facilitate such power grabs were created by the amoral. To suggest so is plainly illogical and ridiculous. We need to work in societies to prosper and survive, and cooperation is the best way to achieve that. Our failure is that, at larger scales, we have not applied the proper systems thinking to ensure that the ruthless and amoral cannot game the system for their own personal gain at the expense of the society and the Earth itself. Those with power will always promote competition because they have all the advantages; as well, they will denigrate cooperation because their excesses will be seen for the unnecessary drain on resources they are. Thus, we have the corporate lawyers and lobbyists making the laws and regulations that are supposed to rein them in.
peterwwillis 7y ago
Fwiw, I think you've been downvoted because of the dissonance between being selflessly compassionate and being preoccupied with "cruel, hypocritical, hateful liars". Ultimately we're all the same, so if you really want to be selflessly compassionate, that should apply to those people you dislike, too.
- OneWordSoln 7y ago
  How would Gandhi have fared against the Nazis? We must have more compassion for the persecuted innocents than for the brutal oppressors. Compassion requires discernment and, at times, vigorous action. ETA: Not all human beings are the same. We each choose our path of self-evolution, ergo: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not equal to Trump. We all have the same potential, but what we reify of ourselves in this life is what is important. Have you become more like Gandhi or Pol Pot?
- jlokier 7y ago
  Hmm to "ultimately we're all the same". A quote I like says, paraphrasing, "as soon as you realise you and I are different people, then we will start to get along much better".
  - OneWordSoln 7y ago
    And related: "Know your enemy."

malvosenior 7y ago

Happiness is here today, you just have to find it in yourself. The most ruthless people didn't usurp the power structures, they created them. Before they existed we had lawless anarchy. We can live in harmony with the earth until a comet hits or a super volcano erupts at which point humanity goes extinct. To survive as a species we must continue to push technology forward as fast as we can. That's where capitalism, ambition and competition come into play. They are positive forces that are human's only path to long term survival.

OneWordSoln 7y ago
The corporations have bought our governments and are destroying the environment for their short-term enrichment. The obvious positives of technology and capitalism must be weighed against their long-term drawbacks. The unfettered capitalism the corporations have put into place via their lawyers and lobbyists has kept the negative outcomes from public view while shielding their owners from responsibility. Boeing, Tanaka, Monsanto, Exxon, Facebook, ... The system as it exists is far more destructive than constructive. Only a fool or a liar says otherwise. ETA: So, "Civilization Accelerating Extinction at Unprecedented Pace" is not caused by technology, corporations and unfettered capitalism? ETA2: And every civilization was created by the most ruthless? You only see yourself in everything you perceive, which is fundamental to ignorance.
- malvosenior 7y ago
  The long term survival of humanity absolutely depends on technology. Aside from the existential threats I listed, all medicine, electricity, clean water... all depend on technological advancement. I'll take Boeing and Facebook over plague, constant war and lack of rule of law any day of the week. I'm not sure which period in time you're glamorizing to be much better than today, but the vast majority of humans alive in 2019 have a better life than the humans that came before them.
  - OneWordSoln 7y ago
    I didn't say any previous time period was better than today; I said that our societies being created by the most ruthless is absurd, and it is. Humans at their best work cooperatively and it happens all the time and has happened at all times. But when power structures can be subverted by the amoral, they will be, have been, are being. That does not mean that structures that facilitate such power grabs were created by the amoral. To suggest so is plainly illogical and ridiculous. We need to work in societies to prosper and survive, and cooperation is the best way to achieve that. Our failure is that, at larger scales, we have not applied the proper systems thinking to ensure that the ruthless and amoral cannot game the system for their own personal gain at the expense of the society and the Earth itself. Those with power will always promote competition because they have all the advantages; as well, they will denigrate cooperation because their excesses will be seen for the unnecessary drain on resources they are. Thus, we have the corporate lawyers and lobbyists making the laws and regulations that are supposed to rein them in.

peterwwillis 7y ago

Fwiw, I think you've been downvoted because of the dissonance between being selflessly compassionate and being preoccupied with "cruel, hypocritical, hateful liars". Ultimately we're all the same, so if you really want to be selflessly compassionate, that should apply to those people you dislike, too.

OneWordSoln 7y ago
How would Gandhi have fared against the Nazis? We must have more compassion for the persecuted innocents than for the brutal oppressors. Compassion requires discernment and, at times, vigorous action. ETA: Not all human beings are the same. We each choose our path of self-evolution, ergo: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not equal to Trump. We all have the same potential, but what we reify of ourselves in this life is what is important. Have you become more like Gandhi or Pol Pot?
jlokier 7y ago
Hmm to "ultimately we're all the same". A quote I like says, paraphrasing, "as soon as you realise you and I are different people, then we will start to get along much better".
- OneWordSoln 7y ago
  And related: "Know your enemy."