Even though it is never explicitly stated, every human effort to bring peace to our troubled planet is based on the idea that it is possible to change the world one person at a time. This philosophy is alternatively expressed in the idea that change can be brought to humanity through the leadership efforts of only a few. The philosophy is attractive because it has been shown to work repeatedly. It is unfortunate that we have so universally adopted this philosophy without consideration from its limitations and its restricted applicability.
On the surface the philosophy is true. It is possible to change the world one person at a time. The problem is that the direction of change is not, and cannot be, defined in this philosophy. As a result, it has gone unnoticed that this philosophy drives both the waging of war and peace making efforts. Those who are involved in peacemaking efforts believe that the way to bring peace to humanity is to change the thinking of those individuals presently disposed toward violent conflict. On the other hand, those who fight wars believe that the way to bring peace to humanity is by subjugating or destroying those they believe are not disposed towards their ideas of peaceful coexistence. They fight wars to destroy their enemies so they can live peaceably with their allies. There are other reasons why the philosophy is of no use in our efforts at bringing peace to humanity.
If we look at those occasions in which the philosophy has proven to be true, they have always involved one or more human institutions or organization. This is because a human organization is really a machine with human parts. It is possible to improve a machine one part at a time because a machine is built by bringing together all the parts called for by the design. But, even though humanity bears a striking resemblance to an organization, it is NOT a collection of parts. You see, humans did not invent humanity. We did not design it. We did not put it together. Humanity, as is true of all the other species with which we share this planet, was not conceived, designed, or assembled by humans. It cannot be bettered one person or institution at a time.
Humanity is the product of global DNA and it grew and developed in the same way that any organism grows and develops. Our scientists are smart enough to know that a collection of body parts on a table can never be put together to produce a body. They also know that the only reason why organ transplants work is by suppressing the immune system of the host body to prevent it from rejecting the transplanted organ. Our best efforts will never bring permanent, universal, and lasting peace to humanity as long as our thought and policy leaders continue to treat humanity as if it is an organization rather than an organism.
A systems level discussion on Organizational Leadership and World Peace written by:
© Darius A. Lecointe, Ph.D., J.D., M.A. Join in the discussion here or through dalecointe@gmail.com
3 comments:
IMO, the human species seems to be more complex than others because of our more complex emotions. These extra emotions create exponential variations in how we will react to each other as well as to other life stimuli. Throw bent thinking into the mix, no matter what the cause or origin, and the challenge to effect change begins to approach ... See Moreoverwhelming.
If it is impossible to better this species one person or institution at a time, what will be successful? I'm not forgetting your past thoughts on educating our young people, but that is only a portion of this human organism.
With more than one cause for the dysfunction in our human system, perhaps we need more than one approach to effect repairs.
Since each culture discounts others different approaches will also discount each other. With different approaches we will be nurturing the very think we are attempting to overcome.
It boils down to identity. We do not know who we are. This is why we label those who are not like us as being nonhuman, though we use euphemisms to express it. In a sense nature works against us because self-preservation is built into each organism. However, nature conspired to make humans different from other species by leaving it to us to decide or discover who we are. This is why we have these complex emotions. They are helping us discover ourselves.
But it is not up to us to create ourselves even though it seems that is what we are doing. Some things about our identity are not up to us. We have to realize that this bent thinking does not define us, but is designed to help us identify ourselves.
Humans are the only species that are the victims of memory and experimentation. These are both our strength and our weakness. Our problem is that we use them both without fully admitting that they help to shape us.
Perhaps changing one person at a time adds up to become-1 family, 1 community, 1 city, 1 state, 1 country at a time.
it doesn't stop with one person
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