samedi 31 décembre 2011

The Problem of Arrested Development

Today there is urgent need for positive social change. We need to create a better world through cooperation and collaboration as the attributes of maturity rather than competition and conflict which are symptoms of immaturity. The problem with our world is that human development is arrested at the level of identification with the self or 'ego' . Arrested psychological development translates into the limited egocentric perception of 'ignorance'. The distorted perception of egocentricity creates thought patterns which contradict the interests of human development and devalues one's own humanity as well as that of others. It is the unbalanced value systems of immature adults which inflict grave harm on our species and our planet.

We need to understand our social and political problems in terms of the ill effects of social conditioning which inhibits complete psychological development. Physical growth to adulthood without psychological growth and spiritual development... generates irrational fears and negative emotions leading to beliefs which inhibit the cultivation of moral intuition of natural intelligence i.e. intuitive, moral, spiritual or 'creative intelligence'. Lack of creative intelligence results in non-adaptive and destructive human behaviour or 'evil'. Consequently we must set ourselves free, inwardly free, free from fear and inner conflict so that we can perceive beyond the limits of our personal desires... beyond our egocentric perception. We must perceive the wholeness of reality... the 'holistic reality'... see with 'holistic perception' and so and in this way understand the perception of the 'other'. Holistic perception generates empathy, compassion, desire for understanding and therefore allows for the positive, creative and therefore peaceful and adaptive approach to our human problems and conflicts of interest. However inner freedom, open-mindedness, holistic perception, morality of creative intelligence - depend on the 'right' education which allows for children's freedom to grow through learning. Children do not become integrated human beings with the human attributes of empathy and compassion or ‘integrity’ unless they are provided with an education which ensures their complete psychological development. Right education does not try to educate children to be what we would like them to be, does not condition them for mediocrity but trusts them to trust themselves, to trust their own sense of responsibility to themselves and their needs for the development of their own human personality and potential. Right education provides them with those conditions which are appropriate for growth through learning, for complete psychological development and for personal fulfillment. Right education respects children for who they really are - spiritual beings with the potential of becoming integrated, intelligent, ethical and therefore mature, responsible and civilized adults able to cooperate peacefully and effectively in their efforts to resolve their human problems.This is their natural human right. Consequently we must provide universal education which fosters the complete development of the person as a whole... self-actualisation and 'self-transcendance'... the development of human potential i.e. 'holistic education'. Holistic education for human excellence engages the psychological value of motivation by spiritual needs or 'metaneeds' ('metamotivation'). Metamotivation results in creativity and productiveness... 'work'... which is positive and meaningful. It is meaningful work which we need for the betterment of our world.