Goodness is Natural Yet Difficult
THEE Note:
The significance of unfolding dualities remains uncertain. However, they appear to provide a useful perspective and possibly some validation for the formulations.
An Unfolding Process
Man is a moral being for whom the desire for goodness is natural. This desire is almost a reflex and extends above and beyond what survival or society dictates. It is part of our identity to act virtuously. We view it as an expression of freedom and a responsibility to ourselves. Nevertheless, it is a common experience that goodness can be rather difficult in everyday life, especially in urban, depersonalized settings.
Ideas, methods and rules in any community may be deficient. However, what lies beyond current conditions is in the gift of our humanity: the personal capacity to rise above limited social conceptions of what is right and good. The only remedy for improving the world's ills lies in each person standing up to social pressures, as previously elaborated in relation to communal existence. People are not amenable to re-programming, so improvement is an evolutionary process akin to punctuated equilibrium, and it demands something difficult of each of us.
The unfolding duality allows us to unpack and understand the moral conflicts that we face, as a member of society and as a part of humanity. It presents as follows:
- A natural method forms a substrate for goodness, which is typically socially recognized and supported.
- A difficult requirement forms a catalyst for the greater good, and tends to be a more personal and even private choice.
The duality of natural method v difficult requirement poses a dilemma in choosing and acting. This dilemma occurs with all Groupings in the Structural Hierarchy but manifests differently for each. This natural v difficult dilemma at each Level is a thesis-antithesis dialectic which is transcended by synthesis to produce a new natural method at the next higher Level, where a new difficult requirement emerges. The system is cyclic: synthesis at R"G7 engenders the natural state at R"G1.
Explanation of the Progression
RsH"G1: Use Ultimate Values
Use Intuition v Be Reflective
In using ultimate values-R"G1, the vehicles of goodness are naturally used by everyone and values appropriate to the situation (e.g. fairness, beauty, truth) are easily applied. Whether it is for ●enjoyment-G11, ●aspiration-G12, ●knowledge-G13, ●helpfulness-G14, ●exertion-G15, ●submission-G16, or ●unification-G17, using intuition is the natural method to choose and use the value.
The use of intuition does not, however, always produce the result that you desire. For example, when you help someone who begs, kindness may come naturally. However, it is possible that you are being exploited and the money will be spent on drugs or given to a gang-boss. It is only possible to be confident that what you are doing is good, if you reflect on your actions in the light of the situation and relevant knowledge. So the difficult requirement to be reflective raises your application of values to a higher level.
Synthesis
Intuition draws heavily on your personal experiences and familiarity with a culture. You use it reflexly and commonly with good effect. However, being reflective will take you more deeply into any situation and allow you to see what's really going on. In many cases, there is then a tense mental confrontation creating a socially difficult position. Society provides its members with conventions to handle all such situations. By using suitable conventions, you can avoid causing unnecessary disruption and distress for others, and also yourself. But this takes strength and self-control-R"G2.
RsH"G2: Find Strength
Use Conventions v Think Independently
In finding strength-R"G2, you are helped by society to exert a natural self-control in daily life. Normal socialization ensures conventions in regard to self-restraint, civility and social order become second nature to you. As a result, the natural method in finding your strength, whether in relation to ●doing what you love-G21, ●reaching truth-G22, ●giving accounts-G23, ●being of service-G24, ●staying the course-G25, or ●accepting reality-G26 is to use conventions that society has provided for the particular case.
Using convention is typically easy and natural. But conventions are societal and historical, and often unfair or unsound. So there is a difficult requirement to think independently so as to see through society's limitations and often harmful restrictions.
Synthesis
Thinking independently will rather quickly reveal that some social conventions are a product of group-think, of expedience, and of historical injustice based on brute power. Conventions commonly oppress minorities, the weakest like women and children, and the poor. Such conventions reflect ignorance and prejudice, lusts and self-serving urges. But how is one to overcome such suffering-R"G3? The naturally virtuous response is not to turn a blind eye, but to express sympathy and show solidarity for those who are wrongly disadvantaged or actively harmed in social life.
RsH"G3: Overcome Pain
Express Sympathy v Get Involved
In overcoming pain-R"G3, the natural method for goodness is to express sympathy for another. (You should also have sympathy for yourself.) No society can explicitly support a callous disregard and contempt for those who suffer. Nevertheless, it is evident that much suffering is ignored or minimized. Some groups oppress other groups. Many in positions of power show little concern for the effects of their choices and policies. If you want to make a difference, then the difficult requirement is to get involved.
Expressing sympathy involves some action, at least speaking up and showing solidarity. Each such communication contributes to the emergence of a new and better psychosocial reality. This change can occur through use of the various instruments for healing: ●gratitude-G31, ●forgiveness-G32, ●generosity-G33, ●sacrifice-G34, or ●self-purification-G35. Getting involved demands more specificity and directed action with these techniques.
Synthesis
While it is evident that expressing sympathy is not enough to deal with pain and suffering, getting involved without simultaneously showing sympathy is also insufficient. A combination of the two is an emotional, intellectual and practical matter. The appropriate form of such sympatheticinvolvement will vary according to each person's nature and situation. When interacting with others in complex social situations, you can only contribute the goodness that you possess. When you give of yourself in this way, you are building character-R"G4.
RsH"G4: Build Character
Give of Yourself v Open the Imagination
In building character-R"G4, the natural method supported by society is to give of yourself. This authentic contribution will manifest in ●heroism-G41, ●talents-G42, ●presence-G43, &/or ●integrity-G44. However, situations are commonly ethically tricky, there may be conflicting advice, and the best course is difficult to determine in practice. The difficult requirement for the best outcome is to open the imagination. Imagination can allow awareness of the needs of others and reveal the nature of complicated situations.
The current advocacy of social entrepreneurship is an attempt to focus and activate imaginative responses to social ills by those who are willing to give of themselves in social life.
Synthesis
In many instances you will be faced with situations that seem alien and unpleasant, even abhorrent. This applies to the worst political and social problems. Here you find social outcasts and rejects, often those who have compulsively spoiled their own lives or are blatantly wicked. The urge is to shrink away. But an open imagination combined with giving of yourself, can lead you to actively try to identify with such people. This is the only basis on which you can calmly understand and so, perhaps, assist: but this requires empathy and leads to equanimity-R"G5.
RsH"G5: Attain Equanimity
Try to Identify v Be Detached
In attaining equanimity-R"G5 in difficult social situations, the basic and utterly natural method is to empathize with the other person or group. This usually leads to identification, but we shrink away if the other is hateful, damaged, devalued or too different. So actively trying to identify is needed. You do not have to be the Dalai Lama or Confucius to make this effort. Once identified, most people can rather effectively ●be cooperative-G51, ●be wise-G52, or ●be compassionate-G53.
The danger in this situation is often over-identification. It is all too easy to lose perspective, to get overwhelmed by difficulties, to get drowned in impossible demands. For some, there may also be the urge to dominate and control others following identification. So to do good, there is a difficult requirement: to be detached.
Synthesis
If you continually try to identify with others in social situations while being detached, then you can effectively handle most interpersonal and social situations. As a result you are well poised to make your way in society: developing and releasing meaningful involvements and taking up a series of suitable and progressively demanding challenges. This occurs as you embrace vitality-R"G6.
RsH"G6: Embrace Vitality
Make Your Way v Integrate Yourself
In embracing vitality-R"G6, the most natural method to release goodness is simply to make your way in society. This flows from ●being active-G61 and ●being receptive-G62. By being receptive you become aware of what is needed, and by being active you provide for those needs. Society depends on each person developing themselves and contributing to society in their own distinctive way. As long as it is graceful, self-reliance is evidence of goodness. Only a self-reliant person can assist others who are not, and all helpfulness should assume future self-reliance of the recipient.
While personal dignity generates wishes to make your own way without being too dependent, dependence on a social milieu is unavoidable. The individuality of each member reveals a power discrepancy between each person and the social system. If you are to do any good, there is a difficult requirement to integrate yourself.
Synthesis
In making your way, you develop much knowledge, experience and skills. If you simultaneously integrate yourself, then you become a valuable resource for your society and perhaps more widely. Each person's repository of experiences is unique. A society of integrated, independent individuals becomes strong. Making integratedprogress within society merges naturally into becoming authoritative. This is the only basis for pressing forward with great dreams-R"G7.
RsH"G7: Entertain Great Dreams
Become Authoritative v Assume Leadership
When entertaining great dreams-R"G7, it is essential to become authoritative to ensure social impact. The provision of goodness for wider society through sharing personal knowledge is natural. However, if you are authoritative and others are lacking a proper grasp of what you understand so well, then something further is needed to produce goodness: in that particular area you must assume leadership—a difficult requirement.
Synthesis
Once you have assumed leadership, you become authoritative to an even greater degree. You are then impacting on the evolution of a social group. You may even be taking those people into the unknown. It is not possible to do anything to ensure the outcome will be good. The expectation of an authoritative leader is simply to use intuition. The leader is taken to be working from a base of purity and is therefore given that freedom-R"G1.
As you see, the cycle is complete because intuition takes us back to the natural method for goodness associated with using ultimate values at R"G1.
- But are our leaders driven by pure motives in using the freedom they are given? Consider the bane of goodness: power.
Originally posted: 7-Jun-2013