Defining Utopia: Introduction

This essay is an introduction to the exploration of the human condition in the modern era. It is also an educational exercise and long-term thought experiment. I also hope to facilitate a probable course of action for building a unified and balanced society. (In a later essay, I will discuss globalization and the “myth of culture.”) This society will be demonstrated in a fiction novel, probably several years down the road. As it is impossible to observe humanity from a completely unbiased perspective, every attempt will be made to amend personally-held beliefs should a significant challenge be presented. This process is a difficult one, but registering challenges and letting the resulting discussion take its course eventually will lead to a stronger understanding of the problems that plague our global society, and in turn, a better platform when proposing solutions. Any and all inconsistencies within these essays that are brought to my attention will be analyzed, even if it means revisions to its core components.  Although the goal is to remain as neutral and open as possible, there will be several prominent themes and assumptions that should circumvent the fatalistic “There is no answer, so why even try?” conclusion. I will argue that trying is what brings happiness, and that we should try simply for the sake of trying. We're here, so we might as well make the best of it.

If it wasn't for innovators dreaming of a better world, we would be no different than animals acting on instincts alone with no concept of self. Since we have imagination, the ability to intelligently make changes to our environment on a grand scale, and a concept of linear time, we are set apart from animals. We have been separated from animals and yet, we are still a part of the natural environment. This is a fact; it is neither good nor bad. We must respect this fact and work within its confines.  It is my hope that at least one other person will be inspired enough to take the necessary actions to improve their life and/or the lives of others. To me, writing my thoughts on human nature is my penultimate goal in life, regardless of peer reception. Therefore, it is my intention to provide some suggestions for behavior, individual or group, that (on paper) could potentially have the ability to inspire the greatest number of people to work cooperatively with each other and move the human race forward.

The first assumption that will be present in my writing is that humanity should aspire to achieve balance and in no other way can we expect to experience a more rewarding existence. The reasoning behind this choice is that balance will bring about the most peace, both for the individual and for society, while continuing to acknowledge the role of “evil,” which we must never dismiss. Additionally, we can observe balance in the natural world, and we can see the peace it brings, whether to atoms or entire ecosystems. Balance is not a value judgment. Balance has value because it incorporates “good” and “evil” in discussions about what would work best for the society in question; however, the concept itself is neither good nor evil. “Good” and “evil” will be thoroughly discussed in a later essay as this is one of the most critical aspects of human behavior to consider when designing a functioning society. Human beings seem to have an innate need to categorize actions as “good” and “evil,” and this classification is not always conducive to the overall well-being of a society, even if an individual strives to perform those actions deemed the most admirable in the society in which they live. Although in the United States the common morality that the acquisition of personal material possessions is an admirable (“good”) course of action, there are many problems that arise with this mentality, not the least of which is the severe decrease in self-confidence that results from an individual's failure to achieve what they perceive to be financial success, after either a lot or very little effort. If it becomes too burdensome for a large enough number of people to achieve financial success, the perceived value in the acquisition of money and material possessions may eventually be challenged. Another value must fill the void, but that value may arise from the frustration of repeated failure, and it will not always be immediately productive. For example, violence has been known to erupt after a country reaches a significant level of financial depression. There are countless examples of this phenomenon in history. Rather than continue on with this cycle, it is important to spread an understanding of the nature of good and evil, as well as the appeal of balance, even if it is contrary to a society's commonly-held beliefs. The search for permanence in one's value system, rather than temporary bandages, will allow a society to truly progress with the least amount of resistance. We need a value system with high applicability in the face of explosive change which is virtually promised with the development of future technologies.

Another assumption that will be consistent throughout my writing is that violence, whether against oneself or against others, is the most abhorrent of all behaviors currently observed within human nature. Violence will also be discussed at length as it encompasses a wide range of topics that many belief systems ignore simply because they deal with society's “outliers,” or, those individuals that demonstrate severely antisocial behavior. Ignoring such a volatile force in the human condition will not make it go away.

Understanding the important role that violence has in society can help humanity significantly decrease (but never truly eliminate) violent acts. This is one of the main proponents of a properly balanced society. It is important to deal with violence that has occurred by a method devoid of emotion. There are usually hidden motives for violence that can be identified and amended by education. We mustn't always immediately pass judgment on individuals prone to violence because there may be reasons for their behavior, even if the reason isn't known right away, and even if the reason is maligned with society. It is my theory that a population that has the tools to properly express itself will be less inclined to violence, although I'm still researching this thought. This isn't to say that individuals who commit great acts of violence shouldn't be punished, but rather, we should focus on identifying the motivations behind this abhorrent behavior and work on eliminating the mentalities associated with violent tendencies on a large scale.

Finally, the impact of propaganda and conditioning will be discussed at length. Knowing immediately that propaganda has a negative connotation, it has proven to be effective in starting and maintaining mass movements long enough to produce significant changes in society. The problem lies within the motives of the ones implementing the campaigns. The fantasy of absolute power has been a great motivator of many leaders of the past; however, absolute power is a completely unbalanced motive. If we were to analyze the faults of the ruling class of past civilizations, the obsession with ultimate power may be right at the top of the list. (A later essay on this topic will be presented.) Alternatively, if mass media outlets were to be instructed to report the facts of a story and incorporate elements from multiple points of view, as journalistic integrity suggests should be the case, power would be distributed evenly among the population and progress would be made. We already have the technology to make crowd sourcing a real, viable alternative to more traditional (and tedious) means of problem-solving. (Hello, Steemit!) Progress is only made once problems are identified and steps are taken to overcome those problems. When this burden is left strictly to politicians, there is a mighty weight on the backs of very few people. If the ruling class were to be uninterested in identifying problems by keeping the masses satiated with misleading propaganda, either for their own selfish benefit or simply because of the massive workload it would entail to try to fix, then not much will be accomplished. Therefore, the ruling class should not be so quick to dismiss a problem if solving it has the entirety of human civilization in mind. The fleeting sensation of artificial absolute power built on a foundation of “negative” manipulation pales in comparison to the power of accomplishing something as truly meaningful and permanent as solving seemingly insurmountable obstacles within society. That being said, propaganda should be only be used as a tool to encourage the population to educate themselves and not depend solely on higher learning institutions to present us with passive information. The motive behind the use of propaganda must only be balance and not a perversion of it. I will also discuss this in more detail in a later essay.

It is said that the victors write history, but history will always repeat itself if it is not written truthfully. I cannot imagine a scenario where the truth, as hard as it may be to hear, would not eventually lead to the betterment of society if it were known to a majority of people. If the truth is powerful enough to illicit change, should that change not be permitted to take place to ensure we, as a species, can continue on the path to a sustainable lifestyle?

Also - verification picture above because it seems you guys want that. *shrug*

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