Re-paving the road with “truly-good” intentions

Zsolt Hermann
2 min readMay 12, 2020

Inherently egocentric, subjective intentions

A road paved with good intentions turns bad because the “good” intentions are “good” only from our own, inherently egocentric, individualistic and subjective point of view.

This is neither evil nor sinful, we are born with such an egocentric, subjective consciousness, perception and we cannot function in any other way by default.

Most of the time we act without any intentions at all, blindly, instinctively following our own introverted calculations. But even when we consciously make an effort to intend towards something, we can see, scrutinize everything only from our own point of view, unable to see, sense reality through the desires, viewpoints of others.

Even when we think we sympathize with others, we project ourselves into their situations, we imagine how we would feel ourselves there, and then act accordingly.

Redirecting our intentions in the “laboratory”

In order to “repave” the road with truly good intentions, first, we need to enter a unique, “laboratory-like” environment with fully committed others, using a special method that can teach us first of all how to exist, consciously assess everything on the level of intentions, instead of focusing on the actions.

Then we can purposefully detect, evaluate our intentions through mutual actions aimed at unconditionally serving, supporting others until we reveal how our inherently self-centered, self-serving, self-justifying calculations interfere all the time.

Only after this recognition can we start a purposeful and methodical process of detecting and going against the instinctive reactions, calculations, constantly rising above, going against what we would be doing instinctively by our own calculations.

This way we can use the original ego and its calculations like a useful contrast, a wall against we can push ourselves away from towards the direction of truly good intentions.

In such a unique, purposeful, mutually supportive, and mutually complementing environment this habit can become second nature. This way we can learn how to exist on the level of intentions and additionally how to go against our inherently, inevitably egocentric, subjective intentions, calculations towards good intentions, for the sake of others. Then with such “truly good” intentions, we can redirect the road to always lead to good outcomes.

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Zsolt Hermann

I am a Hungarian-born Orthopedic surgeon presently living in New Zealand, with a profound interest in how mutually integrated living systems work.