I've been thinking about systems and structures for a long time. Systems and structures existing or lacking in a society that address the following thoughts:
Fighting for survial vs. Survival needs being fully met
Base internal motivations in humans: self-interest vs. group interests
Good vs. bad . . . does this really exist? What does being good really mean . . . cooperative? In which context?
Trust--what are prerequisites to it?
In a difficult situation or emergency, what makes certain people hide and others step forward? Does altruism really exist in people or are there other systemic incentives that lead them to act altruistically?
This last question is puzzling to me. You know when you picture yourself in an emergency, you tend to think that you would be totally brave, risk your own wellbeing, and save the little boy who got stuck on the train tracks. I guess, the reality is, that most people would probably stand by and do nothing, and only a few people would actually act. What separates these few from the rest? The answer given may be bravery. But, what is bravery really? It's just a word that we use to describe the behaviour of some people in this situation. What is it made of? I remember Nelson Mandela explaining that he didn't feel like he had a choice in doing what he did. He said that he wouldn't want to or be able to go on living if he didn't do something about apartheid. So, does that mean that he didn't have a choice if he wanted to live? In his mind, was he choosing between life or death? As in, I could not live in this current system, so I have no choice but to try and change it. I wonder what it was in his upbringing or the people that influenced his formation as a person that created this intolerance for oppression? Maybe I should read the book again. There is some pretty extreme and cruel advice on this issue in the Art of War . . . something about destroying all your own food supplies and sinking your own ships before you start an offensive--essentially creating a situation of "die or win the war". I'm wondering, does it all come down to survival in the end? And what sort of systems, be it in family, government, or society, provide space for people like Nelson Mandela to flourish? More importantly, what sort of systems provide space for "average" people--the people who did not step up against oppression--to flourish?
Ok, that's enough.
