P1 - The only meaningful investment is in the improvement of the functioning of society.
P2 - The only meaningful investment is in the improvement of the functioning of the self.
P1 - Improving your self automatically improves society. You cannot separate the two.
P2 - And improving society automatically improves the self.
all we need to say is "improvement" but in relative to what? isn't everything subjective? hmmmm, some things seem objectively universal. like gratuitous suffering is ALWAYS bad. perhaps the emotion/feeling is objectively the same, but the stimulus for that emotion/feeling is subjective.
roller coasters make jim sick. roller coasters excite sally. roller coasters anger frank.
we all understand sickness, excitement, and anger. that is the objective part. however, the only thing society can control is the stimulus. it is possible to give free roller coaster rides out to all but impossible to give out happiness.
the key is this! money can mean many different things. vacations, food, drugs, material possessions, sex. it can purchase many things to fulfill the individual.
due to money's variability, redistribution of wealth can "improve" both societal and individual needs.
maybe.
1 comment:
I really like your premise. I've been thinking about something similar a lot lately. I completely agree that improving the self improves society. How can you have an enlightened society without enlightened individuals (I've been reading a lot of new age buddhist philosophy :))? I also understand what you mean by improving society improves the individual. I think that for an individual to actually make a meaningful contribution to society however, he/she must start with the self. Many people have good hearts and want to help the world. But if you go out and try to do all these good things without first helping yourself, loving yourself, KNOWING who you are and what you need, your contribution to society will most likely be more harm than good. The idea in our society of "selfishness" is very harmful I think. People think that if they love themselves, they are selfish. We value modesty too much. You aren't supposed to think that you are fabulous. However, it is really the people who have found this contentment with who they are that are the kindest, the most genuine, the most able to give. People who actually ARE selfish are the ones who don't love themselves or improve themselves and they are a draining force on society. xo
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