The Global Predicament

The dreadful "evolution-or-extinction" predicament the world is facing has raised a fundamental question the world can no longer afford to ignore: Why is it that the better things (seemingly) are, the unhappier people are becoming?

Analysis of major world development indicators reveals a mixed blessing -- a rather disturbing a "balance sheet."

On the "assets" side, we have endless variety of goods and services to consume and enjoy; unprecedented levels of physical comfort and material well-being; healthier lives; longer life spans; instantaneous communications across the globe; and so many scientific and technological wonders.

On the "liabilities" side is a frightening array of mutually-reinforcing crises: alienation; anxiety; stress; boredom; fear; insecurity; cynicism; pessimism; disillusionment; poverty; hatred; prejudice; crime; incivility; rapacious consumption; inequality; ethnicity; armed violence; ecological degradation; and, as a result, widespread dissatisfaction with life.

Highly publicized indications of a growing dissatisfaction with life include:

So many "emotionally disturbed children" and "troubled young people?"
The thousands of young men and young women who have so much to live for, but decide to take their own lives every year?
So many students who say they "hate school" or describe their academic experience as "boring?"
So many "busy-yet-bored employees" whose hearts are not in the work they are doing?
So much alienation, stress, burnout, and nervous breakdown in modern workplaces?
So many "outwardly successful, and yet emotionally troubled" individuals. "Ever more people [today who] have the means to live but not the meaning to live for?"
So many "honored and well-educated but without ever having experienced what it means to be truly alive?"
So many individuals who have all they've ever wanted but still feel "empty inside," still look for "something" they say their money has not provided them?
Millions of people who are resorting to psychedelic drugs and other psycho-therapeutic procedures, purportedly to "restore balance" in their lives?
The spreading epidemic of depression and, concomitantly, the increasing popularity of anti-depressants and stress management drugs?
Prisons around the world that, reportedly, are "overflowing with inmates" and mental hospitals with "cases?"
"Most of us [who] go to our graves with our music still inside [unplayed and unheard]?"

Conventional wisdom regards the modern crises as separate problems, and attributes them to personal inadequacies of the afflicted people. Based on that explanation, tens of "behavior modification" approaches have been recommended and are being tried.

The limited success and, in many cases, total failure of behavior modification strategies challenge the validity of the assumptions upon which those "solutions" have been based.

Only now is it beginning to be realized that the root cause of the modern crises lie far deeper than the level at which the crises are traditionally understood and addressed. Only now are we beginning to realize that many of the great social reform initiatives and remedial action programs that have consumed so much time, resources, and effort are not tackling the real problem, but are merely treating the "symptoms" rather than the underlying "disease."

Overwhelming psychological, medical, and anecdotal evidence identifies the underlying problem as meaninglessness, resulting from the inability of the vast majority of people to realize their creative potentialities -- to develop and to contribute their special sets of abilities in socially and ecologically beneficial actions, and, thus, to feel themselves as participating and valued members of their respective communities, institutions, organizations, and societies.

To the extent that the foregoing observations are valid, they suggest fundamental rethinking of the prevailing conception of human nature and, specifically, new patterns of human living that (re)align our everyday decisions and actions with our true (creative) nature as human beings.




The Global Predicament The dreadful "evolution-or-extinction" predicament the world is facing has raised a fundamental question the world can no longer afford to ignore: Why is it that the better things (seemingly) are, the unhappier people are becoming? Analysis of major world development indicators reveals a mixed blessing -- a rather disturbing a "balance sheet." On the "assets" side, we have endless variety of goods and services to consume and enjoy; unprecedented levels of physical comfort and material well-being; healthier lives; longer life spans; instantaneous communications across the globe; and so many scientific and technological wonders. On the "liabilities" side is a frightening array of mutually-reinforcing crises: alienation; anxiety; stress; boredom; fear; insecurity; cynicism; pessimism; disillusionment; poverty; hatred; prejudice; crime; incivility; rapacious consumption; inequality; ethnicity; armed violence; ecological degradation; and, as a result, widespread dissatisfaction with life. Highly publicized indications of a growing dissatisfaction with life include: So many "emotionally disturbed children" and "troubled young people?" The thousands of young men and young women who have so much to live for, but decide to take their own lives every year? So many students who say they "hate school" or describe their academic experience as "boring?" So many "busy-yet-bored employees" whose hearts are not in the work they are doing? So much alienation, stress, burnout, and nervous breakdown in modern workplaces? So many "outwardly successful, and yet emotionally troubled" individuals. "Ever more people [today who] have the means to live but not the meaning to live for?" So many "honored and well-educated but without ever having experienced what it means to be truly alive?" So many individuals who have all they've ever wanted but still feel "empty inside," still look for "something" they say their money has not provided them? Millions of people who are resorting to psychedelic drugs and other psycho-therapeutic procedures, purportedly to "restore balance" in their lives? The spreading epidemic of depression and, concomitantly, the increasing popularity of anti-depressants and stress management drugs? Prisons around the world that, reportedly, are "overflowing with inmates" and mental hospitals with "cases?" "Most of us [who] go to our graves with our music still inside [unplayed and unheard]?" Conventional wisdom regards the modern crises as separate problems, and attributes them to personal inadequacies of the afflicted people. Based on that explanation, tens of "behavior modification" approaches have been recommended and are being tried. The limited success and, in many cases, total failure of behavior modification strategies challenge the validity of the assumptions upon which those "solutions" have been based. Only now is it beginning to be realized that the root cause of the modern crises lie far deeper than the level at which the crises are traditionally understood and addressed. Only now are we beginning to realize that many of the great social reform initiatives and remedial action programs that have consumed so much time, resources, and effort are not tackling the real problem, but are merely treating the "symptoms" rather than the underlying "disease." Overwhelming psychological, medical, and anecdotal evidence identifies the underlying problem as meaninglessness, resulting from the inability of the vast majority of people to realize their creative potentialities -- to develop and to contribute their special sets of abilities in socially and ecologically beneficial actions, and, thus, to feel themselves as participating and valued members of their respective communities, institutions, organizations, and societies. To the extent that the foregoing observations are valid, they suggest fundamental rethinking of the prevailing conception of human nature and, specifically, new patterns of human living that (re)align our everyday decisions and actions with our true (creative) nature as human beings.