The Myth Of The Self-Made Individual
Since the time humans first became aware of their ability to project
their thoughts beyond their immediate needs, and evolved a language that
enabled them to pass on information to future generations, they have excluded
themselves from the laws of all other natural phenomena. They have concluded
that their minds are influenced by extra physical entities, and that the
development and nurturing of this unique indwelling ethereal being is the
surest path to social awareness and cosmic union.
As comfortable as this notion may be to those who claim a special
individuality, and therefore a privileged place in the natural world, this
premise is irrelevant and a hindrance to harmonious social relations.
Large-scale armed conflicts are extensions of irreconcilable differences based
on egocentric, individualistic opinions.
In actuality, all known phenomenon is interdependent. In natural
systems, we call the interdependence symbiosis. Individuality is a myths, as
no development takes place independent of external experience. Every creative
person in human history, whether they are aware it or not, has built upon the
achievements of those who have gone before. The person who sits and meditates
on his or her navel will develop little more than a clear picture of their
navel. In the same manner, bringing up a child in an environment of limited
stimuli will result in cerebral insufficiency or neural bankruptcy.
In order to comprehend the nature of the physical world, we must
outgrow the archaic notion that the human brain and the process we refer to as
“mind” develops only within the cranial case. All living systems as we
understand them depend on associative memory for their growth and survival. If
the associative system that one retain does not correlated with physical
reality it will hinder survival.
Cumulative knowledge and experience that expands our system of
associative memory is essentially responsible for our intellectual and
technological achievements. The history of the technical aspects of human
progress is completely dependent upon the records and innovations of earlier
civilizations. It is through books, experimentation, and earnest investigation
of natural processes that we are better able to understand ourselves and the
world around us.
With this knowledge we obtain a deeper appreciation of our dependency
and obligation to other human beings through their untiring efforts they
helped prepare the way for future development. Those people that built the
chain of human interdependency deserve our deepest respect and makes our love
of humanity not an empty paper proclamation or an ethereal notion about how we
ought to love one another but instead is based upon realistic and genuine
contributions made by the past and present innovators and entrepreneurs who
have contributed to the well being of others.
Rather than abstract pretensions as to what is “good” and “right, we
advocate a functional morality or the translation of the best of human ideals
into a working reality. Our technical, literary, musical, artistic, and
scientific achievements genuinely can contribute to elevating human beings to
higher social and environmental achievements. This is done by outgrowing the
notion that we as individuals receive our intellect and ideas from some
non-physical “entity” inside our heads.
Unfortunately, these erroneous out worn notions tend to prevail due to
their simplistic nature. This is not meant in any derogatory sense. For the
reasons stated above, most people have insufficient information on cerebral
processes. Along with the ideas of individuality, we have inherited
superstitions, folkways, and habits of thought based on metaphysical
assumptions that have little correlation with the physical world.
These irrational concepts, largely based on emotional appeal, lead
people to honor and support comedians, athletes, television evangelists,
psychics, entertainers, politicians, war heroes, and the like. Very few people
know of or care about, those who developed the vacuum tube, the transistor,
the x-ray machine, or any of the thousands of innovations that have made our
world possible.
Many of us view rational, inquiring science as the evil that has
gotten us into our present mess. Rather, it is the abuse and misuse of science
and technology in our self centered money-oriented culture, that is
responsible for the present state of human and environmental neglect. The
Venus Project offers a design for a new civilization, based upon the methods
of science and technology with human and environmental concern in a resource
based economic system.
A new civilization calls for innovative methods of evaluation to be
applied in the conduct of human affairs. The Venus Project not only calls for
updating our values but for the redesign of our social institutions as well.
The words “new civilization “ without a descriptive process of workable
alternatives will only result in cosmetic changes rather than genuine social
change. It is impossible to explain in this brief note all of the necessary
procedures and modifications proposed by The Venus Project. The Venus Project
offers a very different approach and there is no doubt that our proposals may
seem threatening to some of our cherished beliefs. One of the prime measures
of a saner society is the ability to set aside cherished beliefs and values
that are no longer relevant. Those of you who are genuinely interested in a
realistic and operational social design, we invite your inquiry.
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