Creating Lasting Change by Getting People to Change

in #philosophy6 years ago (edited)

Humanity has been in conflict for centuries, millennia even. Faith has often been used to try to unite people towards a common goal. Some have used faith as a bridge for non-violence, while others use it as a tool to initiate violence.

Faith can be used as a form of control of the mind, in order to control the actions and behaviors of individuals. But it works better than physical control to make people do something or try to forcibly create change that people don't do themselves. For change to last in the long term, people have to change themselves, not only to have a change forced upon them.

Faith is often religious, but it doesn't need to be. You can have faith, trust, loyalty and belief in any idea. Things are as they currently are, but they don't need to be this way. We can envision another way of living. We can see a potential for change towards something better. But that change doesn't exist yet. The better way isn't here yet. Yet, we can make it happen by changing what currently is, leaving what presently is behind and creating something new into the future.


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We don't need to have religious or "spiritual" faith in some make-believe afterlife or paradise somewhere else. That is a way to justify not doing things in the real world we live in, because we are waiting for something better after we die. We exist here and now, and our work is to be done in the here and now, in reality, if we want to create something better. We can have faith in ourselves to create a better world for ourselves and those who come after.

We don't need to accept the world as it is forever into the future. We can have faith in a vision for something better to come, for something better we can create. We can create a paradise on Earth if we want to. This vision of the future can be manifested into existence if we act to make it happen.

Various visions of what can be better exist. One such vision is anarchy. Anarchy is not chaos. Anarchy is an-archy, without-rulers. Anarchy is state of living where there are not rulers or masters over others. That doesn't mean there are no rules. That means no centralized authority to rule over you as a ruler and master over the masses. That means people have to develop personal responsibility and learn how to work together without a master/ruler telling them what to do.w

Maybe this idea hasn't been thought upon by many, because they can't even envision it being a possibility at any point, ever.

How to have rules without rulers? It's pretty easy. You need to understand principles, like moral ones, like the non-aggression principle and how it works. You talk to people and agree on the rules to have in common. If a rule goes against principle of morality, then the rule can't be adopted, unless everyone agrees to it and wants to incur the harm/damages that living that way will bring. No one can be forced to adopt a rule that harms them or others. This makes rules cooperatively adopted in a voluntary willful manner.


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And moral truth is moral law which are moral rules and are not voluntary, they are principles. Principles of morality are present and enforceable even if you don't agree to them. If you want to steal something from someone because you don't care about morality, then guess what, you can have consequences applied to your behavior for violating principles of morality, whether you like it or not. Moral law can always be applied to anyone whether they agree to it or not.

If people really want to live free and in peace with others, and be their own rulers in self-control rather than be rules by other through external control, then it's possible. I didn't say it was easy, or will happen in an instant. But it can happen, if we want it to.

It takes time to learn how this can be possible. If someone doesn't take the time to try to understand it, then they won't. Pretty simple. The vision for change towards a better future will not be a potential reality they can create, because they don't know how to create it, as they don't even see the vision or idea. They won't have faith in creating it, and won't be able to create it into existence. They will be stuck in the current condition, with masters and rulers of centralized authority as the "only" way to live.

For the aggregate collective world to change, we each need to change. For the world to change behavior, we each need to change our behavior. But, we need to change our way of thinking first. If we don't see and understand how things can be different, they won't be, and they will stay the same. It starts with each of us, and it starts within our thoughts and progresses outwards to our actions; from the individual behavior of one to the universal behavior of all.


Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.


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All the Archy's have their own pro's and con's on how they run things. Yet people continually yearn to have someone in control, someone to dictate to them what is right or wrong, that tells them how to live their lives.

Because true freedom is scary for most people because they will be ultimately responsible for their actions and the consequences of those actions.

They don't want to have that hanging over their heads. They want a way to be able to blame someone, society, the government, life even.

Change is not easy, keeping the status que is easy, doing how it has always been done is safe but more and more people are yearning for true freedom because they are seeing that life bound by the thoughts and rules of other people who are in it to make their own lives better is not the way to live.

Indeed, that's why I came up with the phrase: "We are our own worst enemies, we judge, offend and insult ourselves all by our own actions/behavior overall". Freedom is indeed scary for many. Figuring out how to live without rulers is scary too, because it's the unknown that they often ahven't thought deeply enough about or can't even imagine could work out...

My heart has always yearned for such a place as you describe. Yet as I grew older and saw the way things are I questioned that most want such a place. As I began studying history, I noticed that those whose energy drew others of like peaceful vibrations were usually met with a violent death by those who insist on rulers and coercion. As a teen/young man I ended up feeling the truth in this powerful statement here from the movie Billy Jack.

I do wish that place existed. But based on history I think the closest we can come to it is by making gestures to others that may provide a momentary respite from the violence the majority insists must be, either through their direct demand for it or their acquiescence to it.

The very nature of our individuality insists we already live in a world of anarchy despite the illusion of structure. The structure is but an illusion that is lent strength by the majority in return for benefits those with peace do not offer (housing/food/protection/etc). They could offer it, but those with violence in their hearts will always shed blood to make sure they control these structures.

Billy Jack is awesome! The acting might not be good, but the morality tale is great! Don't let immorality persist, put it down so that it doesn't harm any more innocents ;)

Rulers want to rule and control despite others not harming any innocent being.

lol, yeah the acting seemed a lot better when I was a kid. It was definitely inspiring though as I imagined I would one day be just like him. The magic of childhood where one believes their dreams will all come true.

I have been toying with the idea of faith as a means of control for a while now and I may eventually write about it.

You are right that it can be used to good ends also. I guess it depends on the idea and who is spinning it.

As to changing the world, I agree that it can work but getting people to listen is the trick and hell if I know how to do that. I mostly cover counter culture type of stuff, cannabis, psychedelics, my own view of things, et cetera. I can lay out a good case for some minor change in thought about drug laws or what have you and I often see a comment that says something like "but drugs are bad." That tells me that they stopped reading when they saw that I said we should stop locking people in cages for using those drugs and never considered the argument. A lot of people seem to turn their mind off when they disagree with an idea and that is a major issue for those of us who would like to see a better way of living.

Yeah, drugs might be bad (some more than others), but that doesn't mean people should go to jail for using them... :/

Haha I look at as a matter of how they are used. I would say that it isn't a great idea to snort a bunch of coke at a party but if I was having a tooth pulled and the choice was to put some on my gums or have nothing for the pain, I would take the cocaine every time. The problem though is that some people don't know how to see past the "drugs are bad" thing enough to see that the statement doesn't reflect reality. In that sense, the issue is getting them to cast off their faith in whatever authority told them that this was true and getting them to put into something that won't lie to them to for its own gains.

The way I see it, all things are what they are. They only have meaning because we choose to give it to them.

I think cryptocurrencies is the first step toward something like anarchy, I don't know if complete peaceful anarchy is achievable, but at least less power to central governments I think.

I agree, it's a good step towards greater freedom from centralized authority ;)

Its a great thought.

Very well said my friend - be the change you want to see in the world - that's my take away. Much love. E.

Resteemit done dear .I alwys see your post and follow you .

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Insightful and informative post you got their @krnel philosophy always fighting for it place!

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