Family Values

[Magnet Man]

The ethic of sharing lifted Man and his ego far above all other specie. Meticulous sharing stroked our Ego; increased our intelligence, made us try harder to please others, as it pleased ourselves. It served to entrench family values ; motivated our effort, and guaranteed our dominion over the entire planet.

[TarotDragon]

Okay, so this idea seems kinda weird to me. It seems that the general consensus of the idea of sharing is that it has nothing to do with ego, that its all about the heart. Like some one that donates $2 million dollars to a charity or something must have a big heart. But you're saying here that it was our egos that motivated it all? I'm not quite sure I understand. I mean, I always thought the ego was a bad thing in many cases because when I think of ego I think of some pompous fool strutting around thinking the world of himself.

On another note, how do you teach sharing? I've seen how difficult it is with children to teach them not to grab all the candies for themselves. How do you teach a nation of capitalists (Americans) to share, when the whole ideal is about getting it all for yourself? I can't ever see Bill Gates or Donald Trump start handing out little stacks of cash until its all evenly spread.

TD

[Magnet Man]

strictlyplatonic said:

you're saying here that it was our egos that motivated it all? I'm not quite sure I understand. I mean, I always thought the ego was a bad thing in many cases because when I think of ego I think of some pompous fool strutting around thinking the world of himself.

Ego is a phantom creation of the self - a way of separating the self from all else and thereby, by comparing this phantom self to other phantom selves, one gains a sense of being. If there was no ego, there would be no sense of self. Babies have not developed egos, and do not do so until the weaning process begins.

If the self remains selfish, then comparison has very little dynamics. Sharing emphasizes the sense of self. The more generous the sharing, the more solid the phantom becomes. Of course a highly developed ego it has its dangers and that psychic energy can go down the wrong channel. . At one end you can get a Mussolini strutting around like fascist pig, and on the other you get Jesus dying on the cross as an extreme demonstration of selfless love for another. Two big egos, but only one that has transcended self and become Divine.

On another note, how do you teach sharing? I've seen how difficult it is with children to teach them not to grab all the candies for themselves.

Under constant parental supervision, it takes seven years to teach a child to understand the long-term value of sharing - then another fourteen years of practical application to get it fully seated. 99,000 generations of Stone Age family values are genetically imprinted in all of us. That Age was successful, primarily because of the sharing ethic. So teaching sharing, is basically a process of reminding - of evoking an inherited family treasure.

How do you teach a nation of capitalists (Americans) to share, when the whole ideal is about getting it all for yourself? I can't ever see Bill Gates or Donald Trump start handing out little stacks of cash until its all evenly spread.

TD

You teach a nation one family at a time. Family values determine the national character. If all families pay more attention to all the values that underlie the the sharing ethic, the next generation will be far less selfish - and consequently far more intelligent and America will become the true leader of the World. People like Bill Gates will never accumulate so much private wealth, for the sharing ethic will kick in and make him share right from the start.

[Tourniquet]

admin said:

If the self remains selfish, then comparison has very little dynamics. Sharing emphasizes the sense of self. The more generous the sharing, the more solid the phantom becomes. Of course a highly developed ego it has its dangers and that psychic energy can go down the wrong channel. . At one end you can get a Mussolini strutting around like fascist pig, and on the other you get Jesus dying on the cross as an extreme demonstration of selfless love for another. Two big egos, but only one that has transcended self and become Divine.

I've never heard that take on ego (or Mussolini and Christ) before. I like it.

So teaching sharing, is basically a process of reminding - of evoking an inherited family treasure.

This is fascinating to me. If sharing is a genetic trait that we can evoke.... what else is latent within us that we only have to reach for?

[Magnet Man]

tourniquet said:

admin said:

If sharing is a genetic trait that we can evoke.... what else is latent within us that we only have to reach for?

So is the work ethic, courage, conscientious crafstmanship, love, artistic expression, Divine awareness.

Spend time exercising the right brain via; meditation drills, yoga, practicing some form of art, Tai Chi etc, and all those inherited gifts will become increasingly to the forefront of your consciousness.

[TarotDragon]

admin said:

Ego is a phantom creation of the self - a way of separating the self from all else and thereby, by comparing this phantom self to other phantom selves, one gains a sense of being. If there was no ego, there would be no sense of self.

So what would happen if all our egos were stripped away? If everyone in the world did not have that feeling of me. What would we be reduced to? Would we be like one big brain and heart and body all moving together? (This thought is actually kinda freaky if you visualize it.)

admin said:

So teaching sharing, is basically a process of reminding - of evoking an inherited family treasure.

This is fascinating to me. If sharing is a genetic trait that we can evoke.... what else is latent within us that we only have to reach for?

I agree with Tourniquet here. This idea is actually very interesting. So if way back in my history there was a carpenter or a sword smith, maybe a brilliant writer, I can delve into myself and retrieve it? Cause this would be way cool.

By the way, MagnetMan, these answers have been great!

TD

[piper]

You teach a nation one family at a time. Family values determine the national character. If all families pay more attention to all the values that underlie the the sharing ethic, the next generation will be far less selfish - and consequently far more intelligent and America will become the true leader of the World. People like Bill Gates will never accumulate so much private wealth, for the sharing ethic will kick in and make him share right from the start.

It seems in America we are headed away far away from the idea of sharing, family or otherwise. Corruption on both fronts is rampant. In the swing of the pendulum America is proving to be one of the most selfish nations of all. and if a nation is reflective of the family unit then one has to go with the idea that so are families. all the trend in America point to excess from food to fuel to missles. I was watching a documentary on TV the other night about the 60's and the millions in the streets protesting the status quo and shouting and screaming for change. Then one of the artists of the time was interviewed and shesaid " the thing we are truly fighting against is the passivity. The passivity of the people that don't want to actually rock the boat, shake things up and change the things that are going wrong in the world" We are still in that problem. People just won't do what is necessary to bring about lasting change. I mean how to get the American people to adapt a new philosophy and apply the discipline required to turn things around and set the example to the rest of the world. Be true leaders from an ethical sharing base, oh it breaks your heart that we are so capable but so ineffectual.

[Magnet Man]

piper said:

I mean how to get the American people to adapt a new philosophy and apply the discipline required to turn things around and set the example to the rest of the world. Be true leaders from an ethical sharing base, oh it breaks your heart that we are so capable but so ineffectual.

Education is the skeleton key that can initiate a mass change iof consciousness. With mom and dad at work all day on the mass production line, and the kids locked inside a state classroom is perhaps the prime cause behind the demise of old-fashioned family values.

The movement towards home-schooling is a good sign that a change of heart might be happening and one can only hope it gathers momentum.

Family values are engendered in a sound and loving home environment. Teaching a child personal ethics and community commitment is far more important than getting a headstrart in learninhg commerce and the like. A properly grounded sharing and work ethic are intelligent foundations for a future conscientous student and self-policed citizen.

[TarotDragon]

admin said:

99,000 generations of Stone Age family values are genetically imprinted in all of us. That Age was successful, primarily because of the sharing ethic. So teaching sharing, is basically a process of reminding - of evoking an inherited family treasure.

I have a question about this. Was this a theory you came upon yourself, or was it mined from other work? Because I was reading this fictional book set in a time when Man and Neanderthals existed together. Most the book was pure fluff, but there was an idea in it. Her idea was that the The Neanderthals were born with generations upon generations of memories in their brain, from the way they communicated to the basic tasks of creating tools to survive. When the parents would teach the children things, it would only take a few tries before the kids got it because they had the memories and all that needed to happen was those memories being awakened.

I don't know. I thought it was kind of cool and reminded me of what you said in here. And made me wonder if other people were on the same track.