“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”RUMI
It is good to know that the world changes with us, when we change ourselves. We change the world by changing us. Many believe that changing themselves won’t be enough, and they want to directly improve the world. But successful are only those who work on themselves first and improve the world through this process. In todays world it is not easy to understand how it is possible that the entire world changes when I change myself. More so, the biggest impact we can have on the world is achieved by changing ourselves. Do I work on becoming a better person, then I will make the whole world better. We impact the world all the time, with everything we do. What effect we cause and how, that we are probably mostly unaware of.
We are so invested in objectiveness and measurability. When we improve the world, we want it to be visible and we want to be able to prove it to others and also to ourselves. And how would that be possible if we only change ourselves? That seems to be not enough for many. They want to end poverty. They want to fight corruption. They want to end wars. All these goals we can probably agree on, they make sense and make the world a better place. The more people help with it, the better. But we should also keep in mind that none of those goals can be achieved for the entire world with the effort of only a single person. To be fully achieved, those goals require every single human being to participate. Certainly we can do a bit more, compensate the inaction of some – but this can quickly turn into a situation of overexertion. Certainly we can inspire others to change and help – but it can quickly happen that we become intrusive. We have no right to force other adults into doing what we believe is the right thing. Everyone needs the possibility to get in touch with the devil. That is how we learn. Only when each and every one has evolved to perfection, the devil looses his job, and then there will be no more evil. Taking all stones out of the way is not a good idea to help a child growing up. The same is true for adults. We do not help them by removing the evil from the world, even if we had the power to do so. We help them – if there is an interest – by teaching how to recognize and handle the evil. If we meet someone how appears so entangled in and surrounded by evil that there is no way to get out alone – then we can make an offer to help. But we must not expect that we can always help whoever we chose. Help must be accepted and also our capabilities are limited. Some are not ready yet and want to take some more other steps. Supporting our own and other peoples growth is the best way to make the world better. The effect may not be as immediate and spectacular as when fighting and suppressing symptoms – but it is permanent.
We are constantly put under pressure and believe that we must speed things up. That is not generally wrong – often there is less damage to be fixed if we react sooner. But spreading too much stress and panic can have very negative results. Maybe you once heard about the small Gaulish village that successfully resisted the roman empire some two thousand years ago. They had no fear except for the sky falling on their heads. As a child I thought this fear was absurd, demonstrating that they really were afraid of nothing. Now I live in a world where the biggest fear of many is, that the sky might fall on their heads. Today we call this climate change, and the idea behind it is a change of global climate that results in the planet to be inhabitable. Somewhat like that the Gauls also might have pictured it when the sky falls on your head. It is thrilling to study how this fear was established, how it is maintained, and how it was and is used. If we allow such projects to seize us, because we cannot see the political method behind them, then we have less time and energy for our individual development and growth. Then we remain clever and do not become wise. That delays our progression. But this experience is also important, because it will eventually enable us to grow further.
For the critical reader I wish to clarify: when I write about seizure by “such projects”, then this is by no means an incitement to boycott or judge everything done in relation to those projects. In the wake of such projects many things are triggered and implemented, among them harmless and useful stuff as well. But when a project makes use of such a massive threat scenario, which is so drastic it can hardly be escalated any further, and presents it as a reality, then it can also be used to justify very extensive collateral damage. It is basically irrelevant how much damage I do, because the alternative is nothing less than the end of the world. That creates acceptance for things that otherwise would be opposed sharply and would not be possible to implement. And that results in a dilemma: If we judge the threat scenario as the truth, then we accept the damage caused by the efforts claiming to avert the scenario. We see it as a small price for preventing the extinction of mankind and possibly many other creatures. If we judge the threat as a lie, then any damage done with actions justified by it appear as an unnecessary damage and a burden to mankind and the entire planet. Like this we create a divided society, as we see it now on a global scale. Divisions created with the same method have a long tradition in human society and politics and enjoy an unbroken popularity. If you never heard of this, maybe you know the phrase “divide and conquer”. Lies spun from a grain of truth are best suited for a stable divide. A simple lie requires unnecessary high effort to get established and a simple truth would convince too many too quickly.
So how do I make the world a better place? Surely not by taking a position in a group resulting from a division established by powerful forces outside of me. And surely not by trying to force the entire world to change. Who really wants to contribute to an evolving world must work on individual growth. That is not an easy task. It is difficult to get the necessary distance from all the noise around us, so we can begin to get our own overview of the world. Who believes this to be impossible may consider the following: It is possible when we disconnect from all the projects and distractions that appear to be so important. When we focus on us, improve our logical thinking, make use of our intellect and then learn to be silent and patient. Learn to listen. The world is shining bright and flashy. Our sensory organs are constantly screamed at. It gets worst in front of a screen. But the nature of the world we experience with our mind. Here we must learn to observe our thinking. Every human can think independently, we don’t have to allow others to do it for us. It is possible by changing ourselves.