Find Your Way, Part 12… Mind-Based Systems

Mind-based systems 

As mind patterns and normalisations evolved, they continued to feed and reinforce the systems. 

As more people moved from caring, the systems did the same. As more people became more interested in winning and success, it brought more power and greed, and this too was reflected in the systems. As more people moved away from their connection to the natural universe, the ecology of the whole system reflected that too.

From the start and over thousands of years many civilisations set the stage for the hierarchal and patriarchal systems to rise, which gave decision making and control of the systems to those at the top with the power or wealth. Over time, those not in that hierarchal structure, were forced to comply. 

Alternative voices were no longer heard or valued. 

Mary Beard (academic, author, TV presenter) spoke about the origin of these views that showed that the silencing of women was not a recent event, but has been evident since the foundations were build in western culture. She brought this untold story and research to light in her book: The Women & Power: A Manifesto, published in 2017. Sadly this publication was sadly met with aggressive opposition. 

Governments, industries, companies, religions, institutions and business have been based on the same strategy of keeping the hierarchy in place. The system is built on and rewards those who support the hierarchy and its structure, such as is the case within the Trump administration. 

Despite rhetoric expressed as ‘progress’ or ‘advancement’, the decisions being made, as with the case of the wolves in Yellowstone National Park, have not lead to improvement.  

Economics 

Many world decisions today revolve around economics. And despite the type of system; free market (democracy, capitalism), planned (socialism, communism), it is about economic growth. 

Economic growth is a necessity for many aspects of life: social, health, religion, technology, business, child care, aged care, technology, governments, community.  

Economic growth requires profit to survive, however profit in itself is not the enemy. 

The enemy is when profit serves a select few, at the cost of the care, health and well-being of people and planet.   

Unfortunately a new normalised pattern is emerging in businesses and organisations, where goals are being set to achieve more profit than the year before. It better explains why strategies are being used to ensure their products and services are purchased and utilised, which often draw upon human vulnerabilities such as desire, or addiction.    

Governments and organisations, in the name of things such as child protection, efficiency and equity, introduce new programs, approaches and more recently,  digital ID. In many instances these digital approaches are leading to more harm for children (systems can be hacked into, lessening protection), less personal contact and more injustices.    

And once in this cycle, the costs of this dependency, escalates. 

Those who don’t have the personal strength or wealth (who are being squeezed in many directions) suffer because it often affects their every day living items, such as food, bills, rent, home loans. Statistics show that many more people are becoming stressed, depressed, ill and often homeless. They are at risk.   

Others may be in a position to cover the cost escalation and may not suffer in the same way. Perhaps they hold positions where they receive bonuses from growing profits or have other high paying jobs to compensate. 

While they may not suffer in the same way, there still remains long term negative consequences of complying to the system. For example we are now seeing people losing their jobs and being replaced by more efficient systems. It is leading to new human conditions and attachments where people are in fear of losing their money! They are not wanting to let it go! 

So if we are to survive as humans for the whole ecology to thrive, how can find alternatives ways of existing amongst it all? 

What have you noticed in the way systems and approaches are being created?

Observe the system 

While man made systems often talk about values and justify their actions, they may not ‘feel’ caring. 

This feeling sense is not to be ignored because it holds a different and more hidden truth, that contradictions are now showing. 

While democracy has been sold to us, it is clear that this may have been a cover up from the start, an illusion to manipulate and push for the ‘American Dream’ that may not ever be.  

The American Dream is based on the Declaration of Independence (that supports rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) and supposes that anyone, regardless of social class or circumstances, can achieve success and prosperity, through hard work, determination and initiative. 

It is one of many benefits of witnessing the world wide chaos that has been unfolding at this time! We are seeing what we couldn’t see before. 

During COVID when people experienced being ‘locked up’ without choice, it seemed to trigger a realisation and desire in people. They wanted a voice and more power to express what they saw as unfair, inequitable, unjust. It led to changes in people, and we began to see more become influencers, and join in with social media commenting. 

A shift was beginning and ‘self centre-ism’ was coming to the forefront as a way of balancing the imbalances from the past. A sense of ‘deserved’ and entitlement grew stronger, which is now becoming more visible. 

A shaking up of the system was beginning, with disruptions challenging the usual norms and hierarchies. 

It was through people such as John Perkins, in this book titled ‘Confessions of an Economic Hit Man’ who stated that to unite and improve what we have, it is important for everyone to better understand how the systems truly function. His book aimed to help break the illusion of the political narratives that have become more public since the start of the war in the Gulf between Iran and US. 

Behaviours of those in power, has come further to the forefront and we are seeing the internal errors and unmistakeable ‘facts’ (emails) highlighting the corruptions (that were was once ‘assumed’ but closely hidden). 

We are seeing similar corruptions in Australia where decision makers within the gambling industry, are those involved in the gambling industry and have a vested conflict of interest. And in the food industry where decisions and regulating policies are being made from those who provide goods and services to the industry.    
 
So how can we better notice the corruptions and what is actually happening in our systems? 

What to look for 
 
Look at the purpose 

Does the purpose bring benefit or not to the whole ecology? Does it cause harm to some aspect of the self HMBS or the environment / society? Or does it bring you well-being and good health? Is it based on fear and retribution or is it based on love and compassion? Does it lead to addictions and habits that harm? What is the impact it has on you?

Have you experienced this type of lure that feels addictive yet does not lead to your improvement?

Look at the operations 
 
Does the purpose gets lost in the bureaucracy and the operational systems?  Does it feel personal and done with passion, or are there many layers of complexity and conditions that are exclusive, self serving, without balance and with injustices? Are the sources of complaints and inefficiencies dealt and improved? 

Have you had any experience with such a system where the product is provided however the client focus is not there? How do you feel about that?
 
Look at the transparency 

Is information covered up or not shared accurately and things don’t add up? 
Notice for yourself if there are conflicts of interest, where bonuses, incentives, funding sources are not disclosed. Does what they say and do, contradict what you see and feel? Are the secret incentives so great that it is making it difficult for people to bring honesty to what they say? Do they share who from the companies sit on regulatory boards?

Have you had any experience with a system that has not been open and transparent? How did you feel about that?

Look at the structure  

Are systems structured in a patriarchal, hierarchal way, where the power and control comes from the top, leaving those in other positions, reporting to the top, with little opportunity for decision making power or input? Does the system look broadly at all the implications and make decisions based on whole world view? 

Have you experienced complex systems where you can’t get to the core of an issue you may have? How did you feel about that?

Look at the people  

Does the system look after its people or does it look for ways to cut down their roles? Does it see keeping people as costly? Is profit and greed at the core, and are customers no longer at the forefront? Is there a sense of happiness for the workers, where they are free to use all of their capabilities to improve their HMBS? Does it invest in its people and give them the opportunity to be involved in shaping the direction?

Have you experienced a time when you felt dissatisfied in your own work situation or in a system you are part of? What was it that led to this feeling? How did you feel about it?

Look at the profit results

Does the system look for ways to increase and gain excessive sales and profit? Is the way often to the detriment of the consumer, even causing harm, with more benefit to the company? Does it use strategies to lure customers such as create addictions, subscriptions, shrink-flation, packaging that costs less but harms the environment? Do they rely on technologies such as AI that lessen the ability to have influence of the ripple effect of harm? 

Have you experienced any such shift in the goods and services you receive? How do you feel about it?

Look to see if wants are sold as needs   

Does the system take advantage of human vulnerabilities to assist in their own advancement? Do they employ people who utilise psychology, formulas and hidden algorithms to entice people to their product? Do they use the power of suggestion to coerce people that they ‘need’ their products, hence becoming ‘cash cows’ for companies?

Have you experienced this type of lure that feels addictive? How do you feel you can’t be without? 

Look at the nature of care 

Are the stated values documented with policies and procedures that meet the basic quality standards? Do they invest in ensuring these values are upheld? Do they invest funds into the budget to ensure their people and clients, and provided the training, monitoring and reflection required to  improve? 

Have you experienced a lack of true care in a system? How did you feel about it?

Look at the patterns and history 

Are the historical patterns repeated? Do things continue to feel similar despite outward changes? Do they reflect and learn from the past or do they continue with mind based behaviours, behind a facade of care for people and the planet.

What do you know of the history and how does it inform you? 

So how do organisations break from this cycle? And what is needed from you as individuals to support this change?

New choices

When any system is driven by the same ‘red’ mind based approaches, the complexities and harm will continue to exist. 

So the power you have in amongst the large systems of government, organisation, religions, business and industry, is to notice the clues that indicate there is intention for harm or they are ’turning a blind eye’.   

Then notice your own response to it. If you don’t change your talk and actions in response, you too become complicit as it is by condoning such behaviours that such ways within the systems, continue. In a way these others are rewarded. 

Hence, when subtle clues become overt and you have gained more facts and evidence…  if you live in a country where you still have the freedom to do so, call them out so those people can become accountable for their actions! 

It may be by asking questions when things don’t add up or seeking information from those who have no financial or other interest in the situation, to gain a non distorted and unbiased response. 

Whether it is in the political side you follow, or the products and services that lead to addiction (drugs, foods, alcohol) or condone child abuse, violence, pornography, or the direction that billionaires are taking the world for their own wealth and personal empires. 

Where possible, stop participating, following or buying from that source, and choose differently, because that is the power you do have; to move from things that harm you, others or the planet.  

When Peter Turchin (the mathematician introduced to earlier in current trends and statistics) drew upon history, he looked at possible outcomes (which he described as probabilities not certainties) for America and consequently the world. 

One possibility (as history has shown) and the most common outcome of an imbalanced system, is continued normalised political violence and bullying. It highlights because of the thousands of small permissions that have taken place over time, it becomes too difficult to isolate a cause, creating ongoing escalation. This can be seen in the unrest of societies leading to civil wars.

Another possibility is where the society technically continues to operate under a facade of patriotism (accepting the violence and bullying) where a false sense of order is portrayed, however with no true sense of where things are at, or whether there is improvement. This can be seen in societies that are suppressed under dictatorships. 

Hope

And a third possibility is where the societies walk out from what they are in, which was seen when America walked away from Britain. It was a time when many starving underclass, united with young ‘elites’ to form a revolution. 

It was a time when monopolies were broken up, and order was reorganised to help both upper and under/lower classes. Inequality began to reverse peacefully. Independence Day was proclaimed on July 4, 1776.

Turchin’s modelling, highlights that this third more liberating and peaceful approach becomes possible when many people make small alternative choices to support a fairer future.  

And that is what we are now seeing emerge… 

We are seeing such examples in companies in Canada now shifting from reducing human staff for AI and employing them, as it recognises how AI is unable to bring the human aspects. 
And in Switzerland where they have chosen not to give away cash, as they begin to see more issues related to a cashless society. 
France, Spain, Italy and the UK, have consciously chosen to reject companies such as Planatir, in their countries for the security risks that have been unfolding. 
Where owners of MySpace are looking to bring back their social media platform without the use of algorithms. 
Where people from all walks of life; from the pope, to influencers, actors, musicians, ministers and more, are expressing what is in their hearts and making alternative choices. 

What are you seeing in your own community that suggests this shift?

As we question and make alternative choices, each of us are indirectly showing our leaders and governments, what we want and don’t want. What’s more we can begin to express what we see is happening based on evidence and sentiment over any bias and manipulation.  

While we may not yet know where alternatives will lead, we know that people are sensing the need to question, to become curious and to stand up to the harm that is happening. 

It is time to put effort into our humanness, so as not to lose our ability and capacity for love. We are not machines… so let’s value who we are and what we bring. 

And this part can only be done by each of us. We can either choose to follow the easy path that has already hooked us in, or we can choose the alternative path and break cycles that maintain our human nature and capacity.

To see, feel and take this alternative action and embody it as a natural way of life. It is possible for each us, because importantly, it can be practiced in the current systems you live amongst; your family, your workplace, business, personal life, community. 

“When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the system to a higher order.” 

– Nobel Laureate Ilya Prigogine

Hence from that higher order, it is possible to move from the stranglehold of the mind ego and create the ‘small islands’ to improve the whole ecology –  where there is more understanding less judgment, more care and less greed. 

Have you experienced a shift that is based on clarity in this way? 

Are you prepared to bring such shifts to the systems you are a part of?