Chapter Eight: The importance of Endividuality

[Excerpt Be and Become, © ProCreative, Sydney 2000]

Key Concepts:

1. Realizing the error and detrimental consequences of believing in “separateness” (inc. objective sciences, and religious perfection) is only half the challenge. We need to develop a new philosophical framework which is congruent with how reality functions.
2. Who is more important: the individual or the community? Are they of equal importance?
3. The importance of individual versus community well-being has been played out by a good deal of humanity (witness the rise and influence of “masculine” democratic and “feminine” communist societies). Given the millions who live within such societies, this consideration is of direct relevance and impact to many.
4. We will not solve our individual and collective (social) problems until we each recognise the integrated, interconnecting nature of the reality we experience. This will then open the space to invite wise and strong politicians and leaders, to assist change towards a saner world environment.
5. We need an expanded philosophical framework which forms a nurturing, tolerant “downward causality,” such that individuals are given greater scope to be expressive—to thus become coherent “parts” in a healthy, vibrant gestalt (cohesive community, society, nation, planet).