The theme of Ecologism is a rejection of self interestedness and material greed. One that seeks to develop alternative philosophy that links personal fulfilment to a balance with nature.
Post materialism in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, places the need for esteem and self actualisation above material or economic needs. This implies that while conditions of material scarcity breed egoistical and acquisitive attitudes conditions of widespread prosperity allow individuals to express more of an interest in post material or quality of life issues such as morality, political justice, equality and personal fulfilment. This would act today as a rejection of hierarchical materialist and patriarchal values of a conventional industrial society.
We know how to fulfil material ambitions but we don’t seem to have the ability to question if they are sensible.
A key Buddhist doctrine of ‘no self’ is the notion that the individual ego is a myth or delusion and that awakening or enlightenment involves transcending the self and recognizing that each person is linked to all living things and the universe. Freedom becomes equated with the experience of being and the realization of organic wholeness.
Bringing it back to the ‘I’…..
Enjoying the feeling of change and rootlessness looking to find the security in myself rather than the things I know, or know to trust.
Reliance on tangible objects to give a sense of safety or security is illogical.
Rather wanting to rely on overcoming my own fears, hang ups to deal with problems. All the things that are necessarily abstract concepts or exaggerated or manipulated ideas. Part of being self sufficient is being able to adapt to whatever challenges we are faced with and use inner skills and tools to overcome them. Continual change; seen as a way of rationally learning about the world around me, entering situations with a combination of personal experience & knowledge rather than traditional stereotypes, traditions or conventions. To challenge the stereotypes and thoughts that I have and that have been passed before me. The world seems to move too fast for what was relevant in the past to be relevant today.
Clearly there are inherent risks with this strategy and there will always be those that can say I told you so. When I wander into Afghanistan and get my head chopped off but at least I tried to understand it for myself and use rationality rather than stereotypes to form an opinion.
Stereotypes enable us to categorise the world quickly and put everything into positions or boxes. Without them we would be in a“right old pickle” because we wouldn’t be able to manage our affairs without going through a rational thought process in every situation. I don’t mind the positive ones it’s the negative ones that I don’t get and the misunderstanding that they can create. Where did the stereotype come from? How far back does it go? We can’t seem to shrug off the past. We have a tendency to accept an authority’s view of a stereotype in an unquestioning fashion.
All Colombians are drug dealers.
The ironic situation is the conservatism that in even the most free spirited of people begins to manifest.
A belief that age somehow does not leave us room to continually adapt and remain open minded -perhaps through an inherent laziness ability to think for one’s self. It perhaps easier to just give in and take all the short cuts that are available. Stereotypes, Authority, Hierarchy, Tradition, etc. The problem is that it is those that have the finger on the pulse of the there and now the issues that are at hand who are perhaps better places to be able understand the needs of today.
It is a paradox of experience and youth.
An assumption of human imperfection and impossible imperfectability. If this were untrue, we would all be gods. We are of course psychologically limited and dependent (certainly as a youngster) very different to the idea of being self reliant enterprising utility maximising. Conservatives view that immoral or criminal behaviour is in the individual whereas liberals believe it is rooted in society. The problem we then have is where does the morality come from and who decides this. People must be deterred from expressing their instinctive characteristics of violence and anti-social behaviours ie strong law and punishment. Human individual intellect is limited we know we can’t deal with everything; our brains are not big enough.
Myles From Home 