OUR SYSTEM

I am writing this tribute to LIFE as an alternative to belief in gods or God (and religion), and the idea we should live for an afterlife rather than for now. I’ve felt no great driver to do this before, but recently, I felt the direct repercussions of more importance being placed on the hereafter than living for now, and most us have felt similar repercussions (via religious violence or persecution or exclusion) indirectly, or have been vessels of this belief themselves. Before we begin, we should probably acknowledge, that all beliefs in gods and the hereafter likely started as explanations for the mysteries of LIFE, and so why not just acknowledge the power of LIFE directly? So to begin… (note, I capitalise LIFE generally, and keep life singularly/individually lower case, but sometimes it can be read both ways…)... LIFE is great. We are formed by LIFE, sustained by LIFE, the very air we breathe comes from LIFE, the food we eat is LIFE, LIFE is in us, we are LIFE. So choose LIFE, thi...

A morality based in reason, not in religion. The purpose and principle of fulfilment without harm means that behaviour that damages another's fulfilment is harmful. This means that control is harmful as it restricts and thus harms our pursuit of fulfilment without harm. Fulfilment without harm means that we have all the rights of the Declaration of Human Rights because these rights protect our pursuit of fulfilment without harm. The pursuit of fulfilment without harm requires that we all have a common respect for each other. The priority of fulfilment without harm means that we pursue the expression of our abilities and ourselves in whatever we do, that our contribution is a reflection of who we are. Fulfilment without harm requires that we are responsible for our fulfilment and considerate of others. Fulfilment without harm means that we do not try to control others as trying to control others harms their fulfilment. The pursuit of fulfilment without harm is the highest priori...

The wrong way is to harm in the pursuit of power and money. Pursued power and money comes from exploitation and harm, from accumulating excess resources and expropriating the ideas and labour of others. This pursuit comes with great cost in wasted lives and damaged environments. We who pursue the wrong way of power and money with harm are characteristically coercive, intolerant, demanding, restrictive, biased, bullying, controlling and manipulative, because these attributes facilitate the pursuit of power and money. We who pursue power and money celebrate being hard and tough, firm and strong – attributes we equate with inflexibility and aggression. These attributes lead to conflict and win-lose scenarios, scenarios we seek to create. Understanding the world as one of only limited resources leads us who pursue power and money to see life as a game with only winners and losers. The pursuit of money and power with harm leads to unfair markets, massive wealth disparities, and monopolistic...

There is a distinction between the individual and the whole, between the specific and the general, that though simple is confusing if not kept in mind: we are all people in general but we are all different in particulars; we all want fulfilment but in different ways; in general our fulfilment contributes to all our fulfilment but in specifics we must never expect others to contribute specifically to our fulfilment. Where specific expectation is present attempts to control or manipulate arise. Where disregard for fulfilment in general occurs recklessness persists.

What do we all want? We all want to live fulfilling lives, to realise our potential, to contribute in ways that best reflect who we are. What is the fundamental wisdom? No harm. With wisdom we realise that the only way we can live fulfilling lives without harm is by not harming other's fulfilment. Not harming other's fulfilment means means not controlling what other's do. Thus control is a form of harm and we must reject it.

The right way is to realise our potential and find fulfilment without harming other's fulfilment. Fulfilment and the realisation of potential comes from making our best contribution, from being ourselves and realising ourselves in our ideas and our product. This realisation is growth, is life. We who pursue the right way of fulfilment without harm are characteristically persuasive, tolerant, responsible, free and fair, because these attributes facilitate fulfilment without harm. Pursuit of the right way breeds flexibility and the strength to see other's points of view and attain win-win scenarios. Understanding the unlimited nature of our potential leads us who pursue fulfilment to see the world as an open game in which we act independently but without harm so we all grow. The pursuit of fulfilment without harm leads to free and fair markets, a shared income, and democratic organisations operating in accordance with the purpose of fulfilment and the principle of no harm. [Excer...

Our purpose is fulfilment. Our principle, no harm. Fulfilment is through realising our potential, whatever that potential is. We find our potential by trying things, and selecting, for our greatest efforts, those we are good at. However, this realisation of potential must accord with the principle of no harm. From the common purpose and principle of no harm comes the right way of doing things and from this way, human rights. The right way of doing things complies with the principle, the wrong way does not. Our culture is a mix of the right and wrong ways, but until the right way is predominant, with the principle heeded, realisation of potential will be poor and our fulfilment diminished. Conversely, when the right way is the only way, and the principle always heeded, then our purpose is universal and our greatest fulfilment enabled. To assess whether a situation is right or wrong return to the principle: fulfilment without harm to or from others. If a situation harms others it is wron...