What are we working toward and why does it matter? How do we get there? Should we give up comforts today in pursuit of an illusive utopia that we hope to bring about? These are the questions that need to be answered and understood at a deep level if we actually want to change the world. Will changing the world actually make our life better? Wouldn’t it simply be easier to just make as much money as we can, have as much fun as possible, and take the easiest road? Why bother with anything that could bring unnecessary pain and suffering with little probability of reward?
My Mission in Life
I have long held that my mission is to find free market solutions for securing life, liberty, and property. This mission is deeply rooted in the belief that initiation of violence is not necessary to live in a well ordered society and that everyone’s life would be better off if it could be achieved. This is a belief I choose because there is insufficient evidence to prove violence is necessary.
Many detractors claim non-violence solutions are not possible, but their arguments ultimately fail due to a fallacy known as argument from ignorance. In effect, they claim that because there is no known non-violent solutions (that they believe will work) that it is impossible. They decide to stop looking and/or working toward non-violent solutions. In other words, they choose to believe violence is necessary. In both cases, an individual’s belief shapes their reality and in both cases it is an article of faith.
My mission is a dangerous mission. If I am successful I will make enemies in the highest places of violent power. My very life is at risk the moment I discover any solution that is perceived as a real threat.
Changing the world is a mission that is bigger than any one person. It requires building a new social structure that binds all of society together in a non-violent way. It requires persuading a sufficiently large minority to organize an effective non-violent resistance to government violence. In short, it requires convincing people to take on some of the same risks I face.
If I am to be successful in convincing others to take these risks, then I must face my own demons and conquer my own fears. I must find and articulate an argument that is powerful enough to bring millions of people into a movement. I would be dishonest if I said I don’t struggle with these things. It is because of my own internal struggles that I sat down to organize my thoughts in this article.
Privatized Costs and Socialized Benefits
The core problem with absolutely every resistance movement is a tragedy of the commons. We all want to be free to live our lives in peace and no one wants to face jail time or death by government. The costs to the individual are immediate and potentially infinite, but the benefits they receive, if any, accrue to the masses of ungrateful strangers way in the future, if ever.
This economic reality means that most resistance movements do not gather supporters until the supporters have nothing left to lose. In other words, until the cost of participation falls below the perceived benefit (almost 0). At some point people are willing to die and at this point they are willing to take extreme risks with low probability of payout.
The economic and political enslavement of mankind will continue until Atlas is unable to carry the world on his shoulders and the whole world suffers an economic collapse. It is from the depth of this collapse that people have nothing left to lose and real change is possible.
The Bank of Evil - Despicable Me
Do we accept reality or resist it?
Those who practice meditation or follow Eckhart Tolle know that all suffering is something we put ourselves through by resisting the world as it is now, this very moment.
“Suffering begins when you mentally label a situation as bad. That causes an emotional contraction. When you let it be, without naming it, enormous power is available to you. The contraction cuts you off from that power, the power of life itself.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
From this perspective paying taxes, complying with regulations, and otherwise accepting our status as slaves makes the most sense. There is no point in getting angry or frustrated at the status quo. Our anger and frustration will only serve to further lower our enjoyment of life and have no impact at all on the quality of life of our slave masters.
“If you are in the habit of creating suffering for yourself, you are probably creating suffering for others too.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
When we approach life with a resistance to what is we are tempted to respond out of anger, frustration, and hate. Our actions in turn result in the suffering of others. Their suffering in turn causes more anger, frustration, and the circle of violence continues. The powers that be divide us by causing conflicts and manipulating our emotional responses.
Why should we label violence as bad and non-violence as good? Aren’t these very labels the source of our suffering? And if we remove these labels, what meaning is there in creating a non-violent society? Why should we suffer to bring it about?
Non-violence isn’t a Technique it is a result of Accepting Reality
What is the purpose of violence? Why do we use it? Violence is a response (resistance) to what is. It is a rejection of reality. Violence is the result of an inability to see the aliveness in others; an inability to feel connected with all of life.
Prejudice of any kind implies that you are identified with the thinking mind. It means you don't see the other human being anymore, but only your own concept of that human being. To reduce the aliveness of another human being to a concept is already a form of violence.
So without labeling violence as good or bad, we can see that its root cause is in lack of awareness. One cannot be connected with all of life and simultaneously advocate violence and destruction. If you have no internal resistance, then what basis is there for violence? Is initiation of violence not sufficient evidence of our own disconnect from our true nature, our own fear, and our own defense of ego?
In what situation can someone simultaneously claim they are at peace in the present moment and feel that initiating violence is necessary? What motive is there for violence that is not rooted in an attachment to outcomes? How much more do we suffer from our resistance and attachment than we do from whatever it is we think violence will solve?
When you find true freedom, you have nothing left to lose.
Once you master living in the moment then all of your self-inflicted emotional suffering ends. There is no more anger and no more attachment to things or outcomes. With this you also free yourself from manipulation by the powers that be.
“True freedom is living as if you had completely chosen whatever you feel or experience in this moment. This inner alignment with the Now is the end of suffering.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
This state of being creates a paradox for those with aims to change the world. If you are at complete peace with the way things are, then what motive is there to change the world? On what basis should you choose to act? This is the very heart of economics, the study of human action. This is the root of my current internal conflict.
Is Economic Thinking a Fallacy for Awakened Individuals?
If we view man as a purely economic creature we assume all actions are in someway tied to profit seeking activities. We assume that profit is the motive force. It might be fair to say that most of economics is based upon the assumption of an unenlightened individual stuck in a capitalist rat race.
All of economic calculation boils down to risk / reward or profit and loss. It is our desire for profit and our fear of loss that drive us to make the best decisions we can. An enlightened individual has no fear of loss nor need for more. Their actions are therefore much harder to predict and most economic models cannot fully account for them.
In awakened doing there is complete internal alignment with the present moment and whatever you are doing right now. The doing is then not primarily a means to an end, but an opening for consciousness to come into this world.
Basis for Acting
If we are not motivated by desire for profits or fear of loss, then how should we decide what actions to take each moment? Eckhart suggests that everything should be done from acceptance (fixing a flat tire in the rain), enjoyment, or enthusiasm (creating something).
You have a goal. You know where you are going. The goal has its importance. But the doing is what is truly fulfilling. Every enthusiastic person has a goal that may be important, but the doing is intensely fulfilling, and it is the essence of enthusiasm. ~ Eckhart Tolle
The Means is Everything - The End doesn’t Matter
All of a sudden we learn something profound. If our goal is a non-violent voluntarist society, then there is no point in using violence now. This moment is all there is and in this moment we can choose to use violence or not use violence. If your aim is to bring non-violence into the world, then it must be done by non violent means.
What I learned writing this Article
When I sat down to write this article I didn’t know what my conclusion would be. I just knew there was an internal, and unresolved conflict within. Now that I am 1700 words into it, I have rediscovered and reconnected with the motivation behind my mission.
Each day I act to bring about a non-violent solutions to world governance because I enjoy the creative problem solving process. I do not act out of resistance to the existing government, but in full acceptance of it. I do not act in fear of the existing government, but with rational self preservation as part of the creation process.
The accumulation of wealth, power, influence are tools, but I must not allow my identity to get caught up in it. The trappings of this world are just that, traps. The moment we are afraid to lose our trappings we become trapped in our own delusional ego.
I have learned that each action I take is more powerful if done in the moment, without resistance, and with full acceptance. I have also learned that for my vision to become a reality, I will need to help awaken others to the present moment.
Any economic system of voluntary rules and incentives I create will struggle to gain traction unless it is used and operated by enlightened individuals. Steem can be an incredibly powerful tool in the hands of aware individuals living in the moment, but it will utterly fail if it is overcome by unaware individuals trapped in their own ego.
Jealously, greed, envy, malice, spitefulness, and vengeance will destroy any community. Enlightened individuals living in the moment without any resistance to what is right now experience none of these things. I will keep this in mind as we work to build and grow Steem.
Mahayana (Great Vehicle) buddhism may have an answer to that apparent conflict you are experiencing. According to the Mahayana tradition, true enlightenment cannot be reached merely by cultivating inner peace and eliminating delusions and suffering in isolation of other people, because doing so remains a selfish endeavor that implies that one hasn't truly reached the state of selflessness that underlies enlightenment.
Instead, at some point along the path to enlightenment, one realizes that one's true nature is that of being conscious: a pure form of benevolent consciousness without shape and boundaries, and that permeates all that is. At that point, one doesn't seek anymore to deliver from suffering that fictious "ego" entity that has long been identified as a delusion, but instead seeks to deliver all of consciousness from suffering, including all sentient beings. This intrinsic benevolence of consciousness is what we call "compassion", and is the central tenet of Mahayana tradition. It is both the ultimate goal and the mean to reach that goal. By cultivating compassion, one reveals his compassionate nature, and this compassion is what will eventually lead to a contradiction with the ego and materialistic delusions, and their dissolution.
From that perspective, he who seeks enlightenment will first accept reality as it is, and reach what first feels as a form of blissful and permanent internal peace (this is typically what Hinayana / Small Vehicule buddhism think is enlightenment, and this includes some famous western self-help authors), but will soon realize that there is one type of suffering that transcends attachment and the delusion of self and that can't be addressed by meditation and spiritual practice alone but on the contrary become more and more sharp: the suffering of seeing others suffering within this reality. This is because suffering is a noble truth, a truth that can't be denied, ignored or accepted but simply acknowledged as being true. This leads to a paradox where embracing reality leads to embracing a form of suffering that can only be eliminated by altering reality which cannot be achieved if one simply embraces reality. The only solution to this apparent paradox is to realize that reality is impermanent and can be embraced while being altered. It should be accepted in the present so that one may live free from delusions and attachment, and reduce suffering to the prime denominator of the quintessential and universally experienced suffering of being alive, while being actively shaped with all one's will and energy into a future reality where other sentient beings suffer less.
Under the mahayana assumption that consciousness is intrinsically benevolent and unable not to experience compassion as it gets closer to enlightenment, acting with all one's will and energy against the corruption that permeates reality and increases suffering of other sentient beings is not only consistent, but the one and only true way to enlightenment.
Arguably, government is one such big chunk of pervasive corruption that has spread like weed in our consensual reality, and creates an inordinate amount of suffering. From that perspective, being anarchist isn't only a political view, it is a statement of compassion. Ask the Dalai Lama what he thinks about governments...
Well written!
they say people whose name starts with d are special, sensitive and good....that's because those guys don't know me or they would change their minds
"Once you master living in the moment then all of your self-inflicted emotional suffering ends. There is no more anger and no more attachment to things or outcomes. With this you also free yourself from manipulation by the powers that be."
One of the most powerful, clear and true statements I have come across. Thank you! I cannot agree with you more. I also really appreciate your advice on resistance to the status quo...I still to this day find myself getting distracted with fighting for people I see being harmed (even when they don't see it that way and support their oppressor). As I do it I become conscious I do it, but haven't totally understood why? Your words definitely bring some light on the topic for me.
What you resist persists! I've removed "fighting for" or "fighting against" from my vocabulary. I just keep setting intentions for what I do want and following my inspiration to move toward it more and more. If we want change, we really need to stop focusing on what we don't want and move our focus to what we do want to create.
Exactly. Acknowledge the existence of tremendous suffering, but know that is it is not permanent, and cannot be. Therefore the only thing that is logical is acceptance of that which you cannot change, and then changing that which you can.
If one continues to fight this system, they will fail inevitably.
The reason this system (governance) exists is because it is supported. When you retract the support, the system crumbles.
What we need to continue to do as enlightened individuals is create an interconnection of FREEDOM.
Meaning the freedom of moving without constraint or violence consequence.
We have begun the process of creating and using crypto currencies. now we have a decentralized social media platform and alternative media.
What we need to continue to do is to create new systems of living that do not FEED the old system, but are separate from it.
As the coming years unfold, their will be much suffering as the old systems WILL eventually collapse...for they clearly lack the skill to assume formlessness.
But as these systems collapse and the totalitarianism that is government is exposed to the masses to such a degree that they cannot deny it, I believe that those who support these systems now will turn their backs on it and join the cause of HUMANITY.
In the meantime, what is important is the creation of sovereign, tight knit communities all over the world that are completely off the grid...and this can be done legally.
One such legality is "squatting communities".
The main factor is that people need to stop joining the military industrial complex, police, and other violent institutions and the ones already in servitude to those systems need to wake up and bite the strings of their puppet masters.
At the end of the day its all about patience, resilience, and faith.
Gosh. How beautifully said. I love everything you said. It holds high energy.
Thank you...you seem a bright star yourself :)
The evil that plauges our world goes deeper than most realize.
But that is okay. People choose their path.
hey dan , please if u read this comment i have a problem with my reputation score , it used to be (5) before the reputation update feature , i have no downvote on any of my posts or comments it suppose to be above (50) , i tried steemit chat but no response! im very disappointed .thanks
You are not alone. @crezylisa had 6 several hours ago, and is now at -2, we checked steemd, and there were no downvotes on the first page. Here is her help request.
I feel a little lost too. I can't seem to get any traction on my posts and I'm not sure why that is? Is there something I'm missing? Please share any tips you may have, I'd be so grateful.
Your blog posts look well put together. Keep posting consistently with a focus on gaining followers rather than focusing on earning money. You will begin to see some success eventually.
I appreciate this post very much~
There are many reasons for this and though it may require a lot of words, NOW IS the time, obviously!
I appreciate this post because beyond right and wrong, or enlightened or not, it is a post that provides opportunity for self/inner reflection. To me this is the most valuable use of our NOW for conscious evolution.
Regardless of if everyone who reads this likes it or doesn't like it, agrees or does not agree, there is opportunity to re consider life, purpose and the experience of our existence. Ideally despite agreement or not everyone feels MORE clear about their relationship with life as a whole. This is ultimately the greatest gift~
What is really interesting though, is the paradox. Obviously anyone reading and writing here on Steemit is experiencing some kind of resistance/duality, time, have to, supposed to, judgement, disagreement etc etc...If people were truly present in the NOW, moment after moment, there would be no need or even desire for the internet as a whole, let alone Steemit. Yet we are all here playing a game!
The game--whatever that may be-only exists because of the "rules"; it is rules that dictate the game.
If we were existing without any resistance in pure now, we would not ever downvote or even need a downvote button. Yet we are, and so we do. There would also be no need for disagreement or even conversation because we are fully present, in the ALLNESS of NOW~;~
This is not right or wrong, good or bad, it just is what it is. We are living with rules, and it is the rules that dictate the game. We are all here playing the game.
One of the ULTIMATE games that many play is "changing the world". I can honestly say that this is a game I play often--purposefully doing things that I feel improve or help people and the world as a WHOLE~
This game would not be possible if it were not for something that I "Believed" to need improving or what I would call a "problem"
So this "problem" is not actually a problem. It just is what it is. It is only a problem to ME and even though there may be BILLIONS of people SUFFERING from a problem I don't have to experience or even see the problem. I am only seeing it so that I can play the game.
This is why despite the fact I feed over 40,000 free meals a year, run a community with a negative zero carbon footprint and every day of the week fund humanitarian projects, there are still people that don't like me or disagree with me or even hate/judge me.
I am wise enough to not take it personally, to not get to caught up in it, to continue living by the standards I feel best about fulfilling the greatest purpose I can imagine.
Yet it is still a game. I am aware enough to know it is a game yet I am playing it. I am playing it because it is fun. To have "fun" or "progress" or "change the world" there has to be contrast. Contrast is what makes the game!
So ultimately what really matters is not total oneness or presence of now-- because everything is nothing--
What really matters is our experience. Are we happy or unhappy.
Now happiness is relative, as is beauty. Yet I have found traveling the world that what most people actually experience the most enjoyment out of are love, health, freedom, creativity, honest expression, intimate communion...
What I can also say is that often it is not people with money who are the happiest, but people who don't. This is NOT because money is bad, which is like a gun--an inanimate object that results in how it is used. Yet it is common that people who make choices based on making money are not actually that happy. It is the people who make choices on love, health, freedom, truth, values, that are happy. Or as you put it people who have little resistance to life and embrace the NOW.
Even happiness is a game, it is an experience that REQUIRES contrast. Happiness does NOT EXIST without UNHAPPINESS!
Now that's a mind fuck! That is why we have the word 'paradox"
I don't disagree with anything you wrote here. In truth I find MUCH wisdom and power, perspective of benefit. Yet there is always more. That which is more is significant and insignificant at the same time.
Thank you for proving the opportunity for me to share and also for the many others to self reflect.
I love Steemit, I believe it is revolutionary and I am aware it is a game, yet it is a game that is based on many ideals/rules that I believe in. I am with you and grateful to be so!
Best Wishes~*~
Short self reflection after reading Dan's post and your comment:
Should decisions taken naturally, instinctual, by an individual be considered rules?
Obviously a set of individuals that naturally think the same don't regard them as rules. The hope is that each of us finds that group of individuals, in a community, that helps us fulfill and enrich our lives through a social aspect.
Specifically to Steemit, I believe the Feed we personally choose to make, formed by the people we follow should meet this expectation.
Does the effect of information lay with the receiver and not with the creator? Is the outcome of that information decided by an individual's reaction?
Asking it in a more realistic scenario: Does a bully act according to the response received on his actions? If there is no response, will the bullying stop?
#steemon
Thank you for your comment :)
I guess everything is a game?
Yes~
Everything is a game. To exist in total oneness, total peace, total presence is "beating the game" yet in total oneness there is NOTHING. Thus the game begins again if there is to be an experience of life it self~*~
#thegame, lol
@quinneaker, this is so poetic and beautifully written!
I'm attaching a post #thegame @thegame, and what is interesting to me is how everything is coming together. It's pretty awesome. Also, after reading @dantheman's post here and then some of these comments about self reflection it's inspiring me to do some self reflection -
Awesome Sauce! ~
peace and love, is there ever such a thing as too much love?
The answer seems to always be more love. I've found that this is perhaps one of the most challenging things in my own life. To extend truly unconditional love for everything, towards myself, towards others, towards all. To love the unlovable, yes! Because there is no such thing as unlovable. It's very challenging to love always, everyone, everything, at all times, or atleast sometimes this is how it can 'feel' at times. Does anyone else have anything to say about this stuff?
Ohh, all I want to do is just sing and dance and share links of songs I'm thinking of right now with you all because they are just beautiful and full of love. Perhaps, I'm going to have to start a post about music sometime. Ohh, there is just so much to be grateful for in life and it seems there is never enough time to express it (hence, the future is fast. I may be @fast2future, but right now, I'm choosing to live "IN THE MOMENT"!)
Awesome Sauce again! lol
peace everyone!
https://steemit.com/steemit/@thegame/welcome-to-the-game-come-play-and-make-the-rules-and-prizes-on-offline-1-to-start
Everything = nothing
@quinneaker , don't you guys all realize what is happening here!? Right in front of our eyes! This truly is a beautiful thing. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Stay cool!
Looking Forward to our future!
You are already there, looking back at yourself ;)
My intention when I first join steemit was to improve my way of life financially and while getting along with the flow of the community, it turns out that I will not only be changing my financial status but myself as a whole as well. I am learning a lot of things in steemit, first I have problem with writing but it turns out that I have so much to write.
Even though I am not gaining rewards like many are getting in the community, but Im learning a lot in expressing myself in writing.
I know my life will change here, so I need to hold on and keep on writing what I have in mind, share the experiences I had and will have.
@dantheman, thank you for creating this great community.
YES!
A multifaceted beneficial arrangement!
Many people including my self would say that there are many benefits to this platform. I love it so much and feel it is truly revolutionary. Yet there are many improvements that can be made and I hope we as a community will be able to fine tune so as to really create a platform that can create a whole new world~*~
Yep, There are always improvements to be made in life. AND Yeppers, we WILL create a whole new world ~we are doing it everyday, moment by moment~
I'm really digging this "living in the moment stuff", man, @dantheman, you really are "theman"
Keep it coming!
@juvyjabian, let us know how we can help you improve your financial life. I'm sure that there are many people that would love to help you. Keep writing!!! Your writing is not only going to continue to change your life, but you will be the catalyst of change to helping so many others change their lives to by reading what you have wrote.
Write on!
Right on, right on :)
I echo what @quinneaker said, "YES!"
Thank you, Dan. I've been here about two months and this is one of my favorite posts so far. One of my first posts ever was on non-violent communication, and you up voted it. That's when I knew this would be a place for me. I've since commented and posted almost 2,000 times. I've built a following who appreciate my ideas. I've come to call this my home on the Internet. In short, I believe in your vision of a non-violent world obtained through the process of connection and awareness.
You've tackled a very tough question here. How can a determinist "choose" to impact the world to improve it? How is that contradiction resolved? I don't have the perfect answer, but focusing on the moment and the process is certainly part of it. The best I've been able to do is encourage myself and others to go about building a world we all want to live in.
Thanks for being a great example of that through your work.
"While there’s no virtue in suffering itself, certain kinds of suffering are unavoidable if we want to change the world. (That is, to really change the world, not just to jabber about it.)
If you run away from suffering, anyone with a pin and a threat owns you.
Let’s be clear on this: Wanting to live in a new way opens you up to suffering. If you hope to avoid it and still attain liberty, you’re kidding yourself. It won’t happen. And to make this point very clearly, I’ll restate it:
Suffering is required; if you can’t hack that, stay home."
THE SPECTER OF SUFFERING
http://www.freemansperspective.com/the-specter-of-suffering/
hmmm, this is very interesting @onceuponatime -
"to achieve things that most people may only dream of, you may have to suffer in ways that you only wish that most people never will"
-thanks for sharing @onceuponatime (when, I first saw your handle @onceuponatime, for some reason my brain registered it a porcupine, lol -)
I hope you understand that I'm not making light of anything that is being said here. This is very serious and very real stuff that you/we all are talking about here. Make no mistake. My joking and laughter is meant to be contagious, so hopefully, you all will begin to live, laugh, and love more with me too :)
@onceuponatime, You said it best "(That is, to really change the world, not just to jabber about it.)"
Let's go change the world!
nice you are well intentioned
I also have this question because I see lot of these things happen in my country. Why need violence? Other said, violence is required to be heard and to point out a view. Is it really necessary? For some, they say it is but for me, I'm against violence.
I don't like people hurting other people just to show their eagerness of one thing. What is that, is that what they learn from their parents, I wonder why.
There is always a better way to resolve factions, and violence is not one of them.
Ultimately anyone can choose to never engage violence. OBVIOUSLY there is no NEED for violence. Logically in a perfect world it would all work out just fine with many solutions besides violence.
Yet the other part is that violence is real, in truth is is PREDOMINANT in the world we live in.
The problem comes when people or groups have ideals of non violence yet violence is used against them. What then? The problem is that there will always be those who USE violence as a way to get what they want. If there was no one else that used it likely that person could take almost whatever they want quite easily.
Can success be had with the principles of "Non Violence", YES of course!
Yet look at someone like Ghandi who is one of the best examples of such success. He spent HALF his life in JAIL. Violence was used against him despite his non violence. Also the violence he apposed despite his success is still alive and well today. He did not abolish anything.
Not necessarily...but its hard to explain why.
It all has to do with energetics...
Vibrations and collective consciousness.
Technically if our consciousnesses is raised to a certain level, there couldn't exist any reflections of fear...because everything is a reflection.
The law of attraction is a basic scientific law of the universe.
Yes~
Anything is possible and yes it ALL has to do with energetics.
It is great to see someone post about energetics as it is the way I view reality, yet we don't see much of that kind of consciousness here on Steemit.
So yes everything is a reflection, bust just the fact that any of us want to change the world or don't like the way government works proves we have resistance and thus will continue to experience various degrees of "violence"
hey @coloured-content and @quinneaker and @everyone, would you mind elaborating on "energetics"?
I'm very interested to hear and I think it may be helpful to others as well to hear your understanding of this. Sounds cool.
Also, @quinneaker, you mentioned that "yet we don't see much of that kind of consciousness here on Steemit." - Why might you suppose?
@coloured-content Woo-Woo!!! Love it! ~
We mean the basic principles of laws of energy, which everything consists of.
It is written into their psyche
The Power of Now!
Thanks for writing this @dantheman, personally I face these questions myself, and definitely falling in the same line in what you're trying to achieve - and thanks for coming up with Steemit. For me lookin forward to making a better tomorrow very much comes down to my view on our own existence as "unwilling" children (we're all the same in this fact of life), hence the fight to change world pretty much comes down to making the world a better place for everyone else.
And in good timing, I'm actually in the process of writing about labels/identities - totally agree with your thoughts on these points in the post!
Looking forward to that one. :)
timing is everything, or atleast that's what they say, or atleast that's what they tell me that that's what they say, and who is "they" that is supposedly saying all of this anyway?
well, I still like the saying "timing is everything", so I'm gonna keep on saying it regardless of what 'they' say, lol,lmao,rfml (oh, wait that last one doesn't belong here, hehe)
@kevinwong, nice to meet you man!
"timing is everything" - a quote from @fast2future on Steemit.com (a creation of @dantheman et al.)
@dantheman
Not really. Everything that happened around us so far it was because something more efficient was built, not because we came to a point were we had nothing to lose. Social structures allow pyramids so that revolutions never change anything other than replace a paradigm with something similar.
Compare for example the French Revolution and how today the Union leaders rule France. In America Blacks and Women got their rights only after the male population dropped significantly after the first and second world war. A new system with more obligations (and rights) allowed them to be equal. It was out of necessity, not revolution. This is why we still observe today, almost 100 year later similar discrimination across all layers of society. Revolutions only create narratives for college professors.
I believe that Bockchain technologies are the future simply because of efficiency. Nothing else. They are far better than what we currently have. The only curve we have to go over is educational. The current generation is not yet exposed to the workings of this technology. This coming one will understand it much like children today play with ipads.
...
I too share much of what you are saying and live my life by it. It's not about the destination but about the path. I found myself to be able to cheat my way through in previous leadership positions, and never did it because it felt that I was cheating myself at the end.
In Homer's Iliad Odysseus traveled through much hardship to get home, only to be dissapointed with what he found. The end of the rainbow was not what he was expecting. What mattered most was the trip. The long trip to Ithaca. If you haven't read it, do so, it fits much with what you are experiencing right now.
blockchain is not far better than what we currently have; it is another way; it is better at some things and not so good at others.
i wish everybody on earth think that way. thanks
That's exactly how I feel as well. I've decided to stop actively 'fighting' government as that takes too much energy and is a vexation. Instead, I've learned to accept reality as it is while firstly continuing being creative, doing things I like that are non-violent and enjoying life. From this enjoyment, I am opposing government. Therefore, I have stopped arguing over politics and actively participating in the political process. Instead, I love talking and writing about decentralization and Seasteading: things that make me joyful.
This blog post resonates so much with the way I live, it's like a copy of me entered Dan's mind and made him write it :)
I think I saw a commercial about that... ;)
lol... what I would say to get upvotes LOL
Now this is more like it, @dantheman! This is what we need from the leadership on this platform.
You are making changes in the world. You see it every day from the users on this site, willingly coming here, sharing their stories and beliefs. You hear the testimonials from those who have been able to earn some money and change a bad situation that they have found themselves in. You have given those of us who find no real outlet for revolutionary ideas a place to gather, exchange ideas, and freely contribute to each other to advance even better ideas.
Yes, it can be fulfilling and it can be scary - there certainly are a lot of people who do not want to see something like this succeed and flourish - to break down the walls of coercion and violence. It's a risky proposition and it takes a great deal of fortitude to even embark on such a journey. But you already know this:
You're not alone.
There are some of us who might have a lot to lose, there may be some of us with nothing to lose. But right now, we're here. We're with you and this project. We don't know what's going to happen, but we're enjoying the ride, that's for sure. Some things are definitely out of our control, so worrying about it won't do us any good. One thing we can hope for is this: by the time this grows big enough to get the attention of those who want to stop it, it may be too late for them.
We all have our own paths to walk in life, but the path of violence is being rejected more every day. Just know that you, @ned, the developers, and everyone here contributing to this site are great contributors to these new paths. We may not be heading in the same exact direction, but hopefully we're all going to the same place.
Thanks for this post. Let's see more like it!
(And thanks for upvoting my post the other day. I am extremely grateful for that. You're helping me fund my own start-up!)
One of the things I like MOST about Steemit is there really is "nothing to loose"
We are doing something we would be doing anyways, sharing our perspective, using social media, using the internet and we are being PAID for it!
Some of us obviously MUCH more so than others, yet we are all getting compensated for every vote, comment and post. This is AWESOME!
In a way, its all FREE money . Obviously it comes from somewhere, obviously we are USING TIME to create that value yet again it is something we are doing anyways and we are getting compensated for it way more than posting on FascistBook or Twatter.
As a BONUS if we are really paying attention there is a LOT to learn and we are also honing skills while creating content for our portfolios!
WIN WIN WIN******
I have brought my daughters up to talk and converse with people without swearing even if your angry, Someone swearing and being angry doesn't get heard but someone talking and getting there point across with good language will be heard. This world is a violent place, I wish you the best of luck in your mission
Eh, sometimes a little anger can be an effective tool for a message and can have it's place, but it is difficult to get just right. Same with swearing, it can be used to convey some things, but if not done quite right it just sounds vulgar. Me, I enjoy a bit of properly done swearing and angry ranting once in a while.
Anger does have its place it gets things done but violence comes from anger then it becomes scary. Instead of anger and violence why not talk, discuss the problem, Like they say the word is mightier than the sword.
why haven't we learned yet...
lol touche
Perfect!
That sums it up brilliantly!
I've been looking for an hour of free time to listen to this.
I believe it can be very relevant to this discussion.
ENJOY!
Alan Watts - Stop Trying To Change The World
Dan, the world needs more people like you. Problem-solvers. Doers. Innovators. Those who would be invited to Galt's Gulch.
I think the biggest problem in the world today is government and central bank control of the money supply. Steemit is the most practical platform I have seen to get cryptocurrency in the hands of millions; a step toward getting rid of that cancer.
Keep doing what you do.
The biggest problem is that people are ignorant complacent and submissive.
The banks would have no power over enlightened individuals.
With that being said YES the banks and governments indoctrinate from BIRTH and PERPETUATE the machine/ratrace/matrix to their agenda of power and control.
I agree with this statement since cryptocurrencies became a viable alternative. I would disagree with the declaration if cryptos were not yet around. Because without an alternate way to transmit value, whoever controls the currency has enormous control over users of said fiat currency.
Since cryptocurrencies are indeed a feasible alternative to government and central bank issued money, we have to ask the question "Is it easier to get cryptocurrency widespread, or does the least challenging path involve making the majority of people enlightened?"
I don't see why we can't tackle it from both ends, but I think the former is the most expedient path.
Well, as far as I see, the biggest problem is modern education system. After all, these rotten leaders were made by the modern education system. They're full of greed and envy. They're acting like animals, I mean they're trying to become more powerful in order to "eat" others. That's what we call "selfishness". When one man doesn't care about other.
And this is my quiestion, "How and when this "leader" became so selfish and so rotten?"
And my own answer is - education system. That's what we've missed. And do we know how to educate a leader that can selflessly serve his community?
I agree the education system is a disaster. I think control of the money supply is the biggest of all issues because whoever has control over the issuance of money becomes the most influential person(s) on earth.
Funny... That this saying is said to have started in a comic strip --
It was nice reading about your mission in life and your ratification of your belief in non-violence. I feel you because not only do I feel the same and have lived my life accordingly, I have also faced the brunt of the "violent power" and almost lost my life in the process!
I too had wanted to change the world around me, and at a younger age, stood up to a dictator. I was tortured in official custody and nearly lost my life, but I never gave up till we got the change we wanted ultimately.
It was possible because there were good people, and institutions, who were always ready to stand up for certain ideals , and went out of their way to help out. One of them was Amnesty International, who published a paper regarding my illegal detention and torture, who gave me courage to carry on without retaliatory violence. And though it took some time, with everyone's help we could finally get the change we wanted.
One thing I learned from that ordeal was: If you are clear in your goals and plod on with honest intent, you will see there are enough people who want change without violence, and will stand by you. But only if they believe in you and your outlook. A belief which is built over time, and minute scrutiny of your actions. I, for one, will stand up if such a situation arises as I am pretty impressed with your work and your vision so far on steemit, and believe it will change a lot in the world. And history will judge your creation one day.
So best of luck and a huge head up from a guy who's sort of "been there, done that!" 😊
Dan!!! You actually are "The Man", this post proves to me in writing what I already knew about you intuitively from watching a few Youtube clips. You have my full support... and by that I mean... if you go to jail than I go to jail (which doesn't seem so bad after reading Charlie's posts, lol... at least so far).
I may not be a computer programmer, but I am a life programmer and I understand what you are going through. I feel like I've been sent here from some other reality and you're the first person to start making sense.
I'm devoted to your vision because I am also "The Man".
Great times ahead!!!
It's nice to know one of the creators of steemit thinks this way.
Sharing visions is the only way we're going to get out of this mess...
Thanks for sharing a piece of yours Dan.
:)
Again and even more so, a great article Dan, thanks for the sharing of such potency injecting this community with more empowering forces. all for one and one for all! Namaste :)
@dantheman: Someone has to push the boundaries, test the waters, tempt fate or in my case piss people off - but make them think. It is what I am good at and what I will endeavor to keep doing no matter how many times I get flagged or banned.
I don't care if people like me and thanks to your previous articles I don't care if I am treated "fairly". What I care about is expression (self-expression) that makes people think. If they choose to act irrationally after something I say then that is on them and it is their loss and their problem.....NOT MINE!
Oh and I have a suggestion for you @dantheman, @ned and the devs!
Distribution of Steem Power via "Gifting" to create a more level playing field - My 2 Cents!
@dantheman I really admire you so much that you really have my full support in any way I can contribute to your cause, to steemit, and to what you're trying to achieve... A system, a platform that to my understanding will help free the world from oppresive governments through non-violence. I'm a man of passion, when I read Atlash Shrugged by Ayn Rand, I set out to produce the Audiobook in Spanish so that more people could be influenced by her work. I wish I had her brain or yours, but I'll do whatever is within my power and abilities to help you and people like you who want to better humanity in new and creative ways.
I recently made a post in which I said I would start putting a steemit advertisment in the label of one of my best selling products so that more and more people can learn about what steemit is and how it can help change the world for the better.
Here is the post
For now, this is what I can do, but more will come as I figure out ways in which I can help and make this a bigger community.
I have children now and I do want to help make this world better for me, and for them.
Thank you!
Thanks, I had a similar revelation to the statement that you shared:
I was realizing that momentum in doing tasks was really important. I had read a bit of Faust (by Goethe) where he explained that (not doing) was detrimental. Then finally I found a picture of the universe and I noticed that the pathways look really similar to neurons in the brain and scale didn't matter. I realized that process is everything, it creates Phi flow (constructural law) from entropy at low order to entropy at high order. That Phi flow is evident in complex natural ecosystems all around us in nature. Humans, and our processes are a subset of that, therefore, if we want to enjoy and feel fulfilled on our subconscious levels, then we should sync up with this process flow. So I coined the term with myself "Keep processing...." Also keep processing on positive things.
A pleasure to read as usual, BM.
May I ask, if you do not fear for your life / safety / liberty while still living in the US, as a US citizen?
The stuff you advocate very publicly goes against the status quo, and it takes a lot of courage (maybe some foolishness too) to have it publicly tied to your name. At the level you play, I guess that was an inevitability.
Do such considerations affect your day-to-day living at all? Or have you found solace in framing this in some different way?
Dan! I could fucking hug you.
The MEANS is everything, indeed. I have dramatically had shifts in my consciousness the last couple years, and right where you are is right where I am. It is happening for hundreds, thousands even, and this is why Steemit, as a concept, can very well succeed.
YES YES YES!
This is what I have addressed in my writings about the undergirding of FEAR, that is: that the goal can have its importance, and you can strategize to reach that goal, but the journey is fulfilling and you hold no emotional turmoil linked to an outcome, no stress related to "IT MUST HAPPEN THIS WAY, OR ELSE."
One of the most powerful concepts I learned to understand very slowly over time is "stay flexible in your approach".
If the journey is all that matters in the end, then you can see multiple paths, and adjust your moves rather effortlessly in order to get to the same goal (while also being open to adjusting the goal if need be)-- rigidity and neurotic obsession vacate the mind and heart entirely.
Is that your father in the picture @dantheman?
I think that this post should stay the whole week pinned in the home page. And you should know that there are many of us who will be there to help if needed because as you said it's bigger than one person.
And meanwhile we all continue doing our best to spread the idea of voluntarism in our own way, and contribute to assist steemit.
A lot of us want to help even with a tiny bit to change the world, and I really hope that envy and spitefulness don't infect this great community.
I want to say that I found this to be your best post to date, but I've said that three times already.. I guess we are all improving and learning :) Those thoughts about resistance for example, that quality of steemit :)
Wishing you all the best!
The picture is Eckhart Tolle.
gettng angry or upset gets you no where in an argument. if some one raises their voice at me durng an argument i just shut off.
Pretty sure Eckhart Tolle could win any staring contest.
I downvoted with 1% as a yellow flag. I don't think this post is bad (it has sparked engaged discussion from interested users and that is a very good thing), nor are occasional philosophy posts from Dan bad but I very much do not want to see a repeat of the voting series debacle that milked/drained high rewards from the pool for a week and then ended up turning into a proposal, already implemented i code, that was pushed from the top on the basis of one person's philosophy but so hugely unpopular that it had to be abandoned.
Watching to see if this is a one-off or not.
I upvoted today because this article and insight deserves my vote . Doesn't matter who wrote it and how much it makes on rewards .
I applaud your use of your votes as you see fit.
Danke Schön. Eckhart Tolle always wins me over :)
"I have long held that my mission is to find free market solutions for securing life, liberty, and property". Thank you Dan for sharing your mission in life. I personally strive for a fair and well-balanced society where everyone can develop towards their full potential. Therefore I very much embrace any solution that brings about the wisdom of the crowds (us) and full (people) democracy.
@steempowerwhale 🐳
🌞 upvoting your lifetime dreams!
This is profound. The pool or ocean happens at the end of the river as a natural result of the flow. Not because of any violence or striving.
If I may be so bold, I think you would really enjoy a short book called: Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality by Anthony DeMello.
Thanks for the great post, and enlightening read.
Although the message of non-violence could be obvious, I have to admit that I've been needing to read these reflections so that I can adjust the way I interact with my family and friends.
an inspiring and motivational read and one i enjoyed - violence is never the answer and this is an adage I have lived by all my life - talking through effective communication is the way to solve any issue, and as a parent I have evolved in my communication levels to achieve the desired effect of diciplining my girls. I hope that I have instilled in them the same principles i live by myself.
Thank you for your comment as it inspired this response~
I agree that violence is not always ideal or even vary rarely ideal yet it has its place.
In truth just to "discipline" your girls as you say requires violence. You may not consider it violence yet to "discipline" is to enforce.
I am sure you love your girls and you are probably a far more living and supportive mother than most yet what I say has relevance and I hope you and others get something out of it.
Best Regards~*~
may be 'guidance' would be a better word to use that dicipline :) all though I would say that communicating what is right and what is wrong i wouldn't deem as violent as they need to understand that somethings are acceptable and some not- how else do you 'guide/discipline- shouting is not communicating and I would agree with you there that this would consitute a form of violence as it can instill fear from an early age- reasoning with a 2yr old in full tantrum also does not work, so my way was to be firm in voice and remove said child to 'naughty step' so that this re-enforced that bad behaviour is not tolerated. No spacking, no shouting and less fustration...In a teenager this is not possible, so other methods have to be resorted to - usually internet loss and mobile phone, amazing what result you get if you take these away!!
I am not here to tell you how to parent nor what is right or wrong. I am simply saying that to take something away is FORCE just as it is FORCE to put someone in time out.
This is not right nor wrong it simply is what it is. It may not be violence in comparison to shouting or hitting but it is still violence.
Even violence is not right nor wrong, it simply is what it is. I am only sharing depth of conscious perspective nothing more.
I appreciate you having a dialogue with me here and exploring this very important issue.
Blessings~*~
This post makes me the day. Thanks for write and share those words.
Greetings from Venezuela.
This post is fully worthy of its #1 position on the trending/front page. 👌👏
I just saw this article and blown away
I have nothing left to loose but my life and as long as I wake up every morning I am reminded that I am on a mission as well trying very hard to surrender and accept reality .
Whoa nice to see the real you on here (perhaps you've done this before, I don't know). While "politics" isn't fun to bring up in a forum, and wasn't nearly the point of your tome, the way that beginning to end you tied your philosophy to "free market solutions" kept reminding me of something. In 2004 I met the Libertarian candidate for President, Michael Badnarik, and was allowed to attend a fairly small dinner/meet and greet afterwards.. There he summed up why Libertarians are "pro" strong economic ties with other nations, and against foreign wars by saying "You create a situation where despite your perhaps opposing ideologies, it's really not in your best interest to bomb your best customers" and in the same breath tied the concept of "world peace" to a thriving, global free market. Don't mean to fill up space here, but many parts of your article kept bringing me back to that "aha" moment.
To that, and to the movie Braveheart. Thanks for the really good read.
@dantheman I am really sorry about my tag abuse. It was unintentional and we removed that irrelevant tag already from the post. I request you to please kindly remove your downvote from this post:
https://steemit.com/steem/@knozaki2015/weekly-analysis-2-detailed-technical-and-fundamental-analysis-of-steem-steem-dollar-bitcoin-and-usd
I will highly appreciate your support, and I apologies if it was a mistake of something else. Lesson learnt and won't repeat again, thanks again.
"Jealously, greed, envy, malice, spitefulness, and vengeance will destroy any community.... I will keep this in mind as we work to build and grow Steem."
That is good to know! Thanks!
The thing is: you can change only yourself and things around you. It's not possible to change people, even your own brother. You can watch about nature and some small things, help somebody if you can but it's not possible to change people around you. Some years ago prophet Osho lived in India and said something as live and let live in peace.
..this is how true revolutions happen. A flower blooming in a rock is a revolution. It takes just a tiny fertile ground for the flower to bloom and its roots to replace the rock day after day so the flowers become 2, 3 100! My heart fills with hope when I read thoughts like yours @dantheman. Sceptic as I am by nature I started to be engaged in steem out of sheer curiosity. But I am also a dreamer so I truly believe we crack the rocks of the status quo. You are opening a fertile ground for the first flowers to be born. Thank you Dan!
natural philosophy and natural rights are great instructors. one of the things i have learned is this. violence is not necessary. force in the use of self-defense is not always necessary but, should always, at least, be kept in reserve. violence is the uninitiated use of force. violence is force but, force need not be violence. natural philosophy is what physics used to be called. this is very instructive to me. it tells me, that, my personal philosophy will best function when it is not an invented construct just in my mind but, is a system based in observation and understanding of the natural world. thank you.
You had me at Eckhart Tolle. Huge fan of both him and Alan Watts. Their teachings resonate deeply with me.
I love that you consider Tolle's insight to be an inspiration for you with this platform and makes me respect you that much more for it. It's nice to know that the people who created this place did so with such a mindset, and it lends to the idea that you don't consider yourself any more or less human than anyone else here. In fact, it shows to me not only that, but also that you have an innate desire to help the word on as large a scale as you can achieve, risks be damned.
Consider my hat tipped.
Thanks for this post, it's comforting to know that steemit's creator is a thoughtful and aware human. I was particularly struck by this paragraph:
"Any economic system of voluntary rules and incentives I create will struggle to gain traction unless it is used and operated by enlightened individuals. Steem can be an incredibly powerful tool in the hands of aware individuals living in the moment, but it will utterly fail if it is overcome by unaware individuals trapped in their own ego."
I will continue to keep that in mind as I operate in the steemit world, and in life.
Lastly, I'll have to read some Echart Tolle, but your peice above sounds very Buddhist in nature with regard to suffering and living in the moment. Similar to the teachings of Ram Dass in his book "Be Here Now" that I read many years ago as a young man.