The failure of ideas about authority

[Greening]

One of the biggest mistakes, likely the biggest, that humanity has ever made is to create authority in their own image and then reverse it, creating monotheistic religions out of this delusion. It is a trap that makes humans confused and delusional, believing themselves to be some final managers, above nature instead of a part of it. It is a belief in authority that is doomed to failure, doomed to be self-destructive and therefore destructive to the whole world as well. And this idea, at first a religious one, suddenly trying to reduce everything to ONE authority directly linked to humans and no others, can be seen mirrored in other aspects of life, where pedestals and megalomania has free reign.

Thoughts like these, final manager thoughts, are what reduces amazing, mysterious forests to simplistic parks, amusement parks and supermarkets, with some people trying to pose in power positions, pointing "us" towards the delusion that being some "happy consumer" has much, if anything, to do with a rich, nuanced and vital life. A life that does not need consensus to be authentic and whole.

We live in a diverse, pluralistic world. It takes one look to notice that. And if someone tries to hijack this world with speech after speech about "why we are here" and "what or who we should believe", you can be certain that all they are really doing is trying to get themselves in a power position. If I had kids, I would teach them the importance of ignoring all such people, preachers and what else they are, and truly seek out, and go, their own way. Because that is love.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

@Greening agree.

To further elaborate. As long as human beings live in social groups, there will be a need for "order". We create cultural norms, virtues, philosophies, rules, etc. We also create leaders to maintain that order. For those individuals that do not have respect for the leaders, we create higher powers of authority, often Devine, that create consequences for our behaviors after death. If one is unable to maintain order by virtues of good, then maintain it by pain and suffering. Either way, when living within a society, we are never truly "free" to do whatever we want, whenever we want.

There are humans who desire power and authority. They desire to be leaders. They will pursue this endeavor at the expense of others, and are often the worst of leaders. There are others who are natural leaders, the true "alphas", that people put into power and authority, sometimes without the desire to lead. Some say the person who doesn't want to be king, will be the best king.

There is also a desire amongst humans for the accumulation of wealth and resources. It is a way of having some power over one's life, if not others, as well. It provides the family with security, it provides a "lifestyle", and also provides access to mating opportunities. With that in mind, owning land, natural resource extraction, land development, etc. is at odds with protection of land, natural resources, and conservation efforts. As a result, we often view ourselves as the "overseers, managers, or stewards" of all things on Earth. Despite a part of us that values pristine nature, as a species, we obviously are fighting a losing battle against greed. Roughly 96% of all the land animal species on Earth is comprised of humans and the animals we raise for food. Only 4% is left for all the rest. A sad state of affairs.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Don't forget the insects and bacteria, make up large proportion of life's mass.