Positive snowball effect in collective development

The well-described benefits of mutual, collective Human development

When a few people, authors describe how Humanity needs to go through a revolutionary change in shifting from an individualistic, subjective development to a collective, mutual one, many people who like the idea lament that it is only a very few, isolated people who listens to such suggestions, while the “masses” continue to support the self-destructive, general society.

First of all, it is not important who is passing on these ideas about a preferable, mutual existence. These are not personal ideas, ideologies, they exist in many different versions, formats all over the world, some many thousand years old since these ideas originate from Nature’s laws.

All ancient cultures that have “original writings” dating back to 4–6 thousand years start with the same precipice of the whole Natural system being a single, integrated whole as the most preferred natural way of life.

And when it comes to popular, more contemporary writings, for example, Isaac Asimov in his “Foundation” books also basically described the self-destructive process of individualistic, nationalistic Human history, offering a “way out” of the recurring vicious cycles through “planetary consciousness”, in his interesting, engaging style. Besides Asimov many others wrote about it, suggested it, even today countless books movies are made accordingly.

The gradual transition from “do no harm” to positive, active “mutual coexistence”

The process of accepting, that existence collectively is more beneficial than the warring, self-destructing individual existence at each other’s expense is gradual, as we all need to grow, develop against our egocentric, individualistic reflexes, education, social influence.

In this process first of all, we have to stop our present mutually destructive, ruthlessly competitive, exploitative connections, constantly surviving at each other’s expense. This is the stage of “do no harm”, where at least we hold ourselves back from harming one another. Only then, when we created such a clean slate can we gradually learn how to re-engage with each other but in a positive, mutually responsible and mutually complementing manner.

The Covid-19 virus interestingly showed us, forced us into the “first stage”, forcefully isolating us from each other, living on basic necessities, giving us thinking time.

Now — with the right, purposeful and practical educational method, which can help us re-engage while giving us constant positive feedback, mutual trust, aspiration — we can start the second phase of building a new society. We can learn how to use our irrepressible, all-powerful egos as engine, but with new intentions, directions facilitating collective existence.

And even this won’t happen with billions, or even millions of people first. Only those who already feel the need for a change, and are ready to change themselves, change how they relate to others will start the process.

The positive snowball effect

But since they will immediately progress and become successful in building small environments that will grow, merge, show themselves, while the general society will continue to fall apart, more and more people will join the new environments.

And when a so-called critical mass is achieved — said to be as small as 10% of an actual environment, society — the positive changes will turn into a mainstream process.

There is nothing to fear as Nature’s evolution — the single, main engine driving our lives and Nature’s system — is on our side, as it relentlessly progresses towards integration, mutuality. Thus as soon as we align ourselves with the evolutionary process we will get “invisible assistance” like switching on the turbo in the engine…