Human behavior, individual or collective, has either psychological or genetic roots. Being mutually exclusive, we must choose one or the other. "Mind" is optimistic because we can change our minds. "Body" dooms us to more of the same. We cannot change what we were born to be.
Mankind's persistent inhumanity seems to prove the genetic source and there is no collective mind on which to work psychological magic. Fortunately, a large branch of psychology no longer deals in minds. Self Image Psychology, the notion individual behavior stems from the individual's perception of him or herself, turns behavior into a product of belief. Individually, at least, we are what we think we are.
We need no opinion poll to prove we take a dim view of humanity. Negative collective imagery seems insignificant until we see "human nature" as the collective equivalent of self image. Collective Image Psychology suggests we create hierarchical social arrangements because individuals and nations need to see themselves as superior. Were we to see ourselves as a bunch of jolly good fellows, the urge to prove superiority vanishes.
If Collective Image Psychology is correct, and there is no reason it is less significant than Self Image Psychology, we must renounce concepts that diminish us. In this scheme of things Religion; Sex; and Parents and the Past drag us down. Collective Image Psychology provides an explanation for present social unrest and points to a way out.
About forty years ago I read "Looking Backward" by Edward Bellamy. The author in 1860 or so, described events of the late twentieth century which culminated in Utopia. The society Bellamy described struck me as so perfect, I decided to try to make it happen. The idea now seems incredibly grandiose. All I can say is it seemed reasonable at the time.
My fantasy was to write a best selling book and use the royalties to buy a Corvette with "Utopia" vanity plates. It is an odd Utopian who dreams of Corvettes, but as the man said, consistency isn't everything. I wrote the book which an obscure, now defunct, university press published. After it folded, there being no other takers, I published it myself. If you wish to contribute to another's happiness, by all means do so. Otherwise, e-mail your comments, discussion or suggestions and I will respond.
I've collected a few sites whose proprietors seek social change. I disagree with them in that they expect spiritual change to just happen. If you know of other improve the world web pages, please point me to them.
You can move around this site with URL's. Those with a linear state of mind use the "next" button at the bottom of each page.
