Well thought out reply.
Despite my belief that the governmental system established by our founding fathers was one of the best thought out and truest to humane goals...I also see that it can't overcome human behavior being what it is...power corrupts...systems never remain pure since gradually those in power spend their time performing acts to remain in power...
Hierarchical power structures, no matter what their original intent, eventually degrade because they attract paranoid psychopaths who have to be in positions of power to feel secure and respected. The power structure itself is the problem. Psychopaths without a power structure backing them have been defanged and declawed and present no danger to the rest of us.
But...I don't do it to "change the world"...I am powerless over that...I do it to keep my head on straight...to sharpen the principles and purposes that I want to live by....attempting to define me....
You are right about this too. We can only work on ourselves and we truly have no right to coerce others to change, to be like us. But that is exactly how we change the world.
“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.”
Gandhi
This is what Gandhi actually said that has been paraphrased to "Be the change you want to see in the world," but it amounts to the same thing. As long as people make their point of view more important than someone else's and unite to force their views upon the others there will be conflict. We can deconflict the world by simply letting others live their lives they way they choose and by following our own moral path.
Appreciate the feedback...powerful stuff...
Amazed at your ability to know so many famous quotes...love it..
So what came first...the power structure that attracted deranged individuals or deranged individuals that created the power structure...?
Deranged individuals came first. If you research psychopaths, you'll find that they have certain areas of their brains that don't function properly. This makes them paranoid, self-centered, delusional control freaks. It's genetic and therefore hereditary and can't be altered via conditioning. There is a niche for psychopaths, but it isn't in politics or any place where they can be in positions of authority backed by power administrations. Some of the best surgeons are psychopathic. They have no compassion for their patient and therefore forge ahead to cut them open and do what they can to repair whatever it is that needs repairing. But they are also self-centered and often brilliant and in need of praise, so they do the best job they can possibly do and that often results in success for them and for the patient (as an aside). If the patient happens to die, the surgeon doesn't have the capacity to feel much remorse but feels he did his best and that's enough. He can go on to cut open the next "body" and do what needs to be done without worry.
Unfortunately, some psychopaths have control of armies and world financial institutions. This is not a good thing for us little people.
Truth be known, I have a few traits of psychopathology. I'm pretty narcissistic and desire praise and acknowledgement. But I am not paranoid, nor do I want to be in any position of control, other than in complete control of my own actions. If I didn't have these psychopathic traits, no doubt I would not bother writing or posting my opinions. Good or bad? It is what it is.
Though I may be a psychopath, I am not schizophrenic and neither am I. ;-)
Fascinating...lol...