The Only Two Ways To Save Civilization
The Solutions
Contents
- A societal commitment to the early development of SELF-control (free will) in all citizens (this is the secular path), or …
- A significant and enthusiastic return to faith (the spiritual path) — though not blind faith (i.e., a belief in God outside a state of Grace).
Why is civilization failing?
Short answer: DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) over merit.
The relevant question is instead:
What is happening to Western Civilization’s capitalistic commitment to merit?
Individuals are increasingly trapped in a prison of their minds, chained immutably to what they already know (as told to them by others). They are held captive to their subconsciously held subjective truths. These individuals are thus complete strangers to objective truth (I know this is true because I ask them). Yet, humanity’s development and survival rely upon them discovering objective truth. Merit (problem-solving) is achieved only through the discovery of objective truth. Alternative promotion criterion, like DEI, inescapably motivates a collapse in individual competency, which leads to a collapse of complex systems, and then eventually to a collapse of civilization–see now South Africa (Why South Africa’s Collapse Finally Came Down to Eskom – The American Conservative).
With the decline of faith, and yet with no other practical mechanism to further individual intellectual development, many individuals come to be defined by their subjective truths. Bad habits remain bad habits. Misunderstood systems remain misunderstood. Religion (not faith) has, no doubt, let us down. It became authoritarian so that it might define objective truth so that humans do not misbehave. That was its goal. But authoritarianism is a reason-undermining shortcut, so it was wrong and counter-productive. Authoritarianism undermines free thought. Yet free thinking is key to finding objective truth. In this way, religion was a negative.
Instead, the Church should have helped young people learn SELF-control (AKA free will). This single and simple skill would have made them lifelong learners and, eventually, moral actors (b/c reason is incorruptible). The world today might have been radically different. Would Western Civilization have become a utopia? Definitely not. But would it have stumbled back onto a path toward dystopia? No.
Success always sews the seeds of collapse.
When life is good, subjective truths become entitlements. SELF-control (the momentary cessation of HABIT) is thereby not required, and objective truth never emerges. Yet, this is the problem civilization MUST fix. If individuals do not possess SELF-control, and thus they are otherwise unaware of the existence of objective truth, merit is beyond their reach. Learning growth (change of HABITS) is impossible. If left unaddressed, society’s complex systems will fall into disrepair or decline. Civilization will inescapably collapse. It has happened before (Late Bronze Age collapse – Wikipedia). It will happen again until we start systematically developing reason (critical thinking).
The bad news: The collapse is happening in South Africa, France, and China already.
Civilization’s Big Picture
Ordinarily, reality corrects human thinking. And before the advent of civilization, reality was ever-present. Then, humans could not excessively indulge their narcissistic SELFs without encountering serious personal consequences. Nevertheless, in time, humanity sought to understand WHY, and could there be a way to limit consequences? Subsequently, objective truth emerged. Humans exploited this knowledge and produced their civilizations.
Yet, with civilization, human thinking runs amuck. God’s “learning-framework” is no longer ever-present. This is, of course, the point of civilization–the elimination of consequences. This is also the meaning of the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. Without reality (i.e., the Garden), human knowledge is tragically unaccountable. Our understanding error is, thus, and consequently, our sin. Yet, this is also the point of Grace. God forgives our errors so long as humans recognize that they cannot know the truth absolutely. This keeps human reason alive (initiated by SELF-control). Unfortunately, some humans get it, yet many do not. Over time, the number who “get it” declines.
You see, “sin” is not necessarily bad. It is, at its base, a cognitive error. That’s all. This is the justification of God’s forgiveness. So long as you are correcting, God forgives. Evil arises when humans refuse to recognize their cognitive error. Ignorance and the human limbic system enable bad thoughts or behaviors to metastasize destructively.
The Only Two Options, and What Happens When Neither Path Is Taken
(1) SELF-Realization
Do three things until they are habit
- Practice SELF-control … on every decision;
- Look for a reason for everything;
- Do not presume to think you have the answer, even when you think you do. Continuously attempt to prove your belief wrong by testing it or by looking for alternative hypotheses.
If you find that you are emotionally reacting to some situation, you are not enjoying SELF-control.
(2) Faith
Seek a state of Divine Grace.
Divine grace is a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation; and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin.
Wikipedia
But Divine Grace is really the same as SELF-realization above.
SELF-Control (in part)
“to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation”
Look for a reason for everything;
“It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses”
Do not presume to think you have the answer, even when you think you do.
“[…] and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin.”
(3) Neither (1) or (2) — SELF-absorption & Hopeless Cognitive Rigidity
Without (1) or (2), humans will become ignorant. Here, the only way the individual learns is through the SELF-serving programming of others.
SELF-reliance and SELF-governance are impossible. Liberty evaporates.
To control the population, the authoritarian must rise.
Atheism: The invisibility of free will and objective truth
Atheists do not accept the premise: there is a reason for everything.
Atheists generally do not see objective truth. Some don’t see it at all. The following atheist, Twitter user “Reason,” perceives some order in reality, but it is only partial.
All of reality must be ordered for a person to perceive a creator.
Twitter user Reason accepted some truths as objective truth, but sensed that the rest of reality is likely chaotic. For reason, this cannot be true.
The well-known Greek Philosopher Aristotle believed that everything happens for a reason, always. And that every experience in your life, was designed to shape you and reform you into the ultimate and greatest version, that could ever imagine yourself to be. This is a common sentiment. See Proverbs 16:4 – The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
Without an absolute truth (see golden image), a truth that the thinker cannot ascertain absolutely, the individual cannot reason. Atheists will not enjoy this view. Therefore, reason is sometimes out of their reach.
This is the gift faith offers the thinker. It is so tempting for the subjective thinker, if they do not understand what they see, to presume observed results to be the product of chaotic systems.
I never have. I presume order, and that there is an explanation for everything. This thinking keeps my mind thinking and observing. If a thinker allows themselves to interpret reality as a product of chaotic systems, they will only know chaotic systems.
