Growth

Among all living things, growth is the rule that governs existence.  It is the purpose of life.  As humans, we live our lives to grow on this Earth — grow into adults, certainly, but also grow intellectually, ethically, and spiritually.  The force of evolution that governs Nature exists, as well, in every human brain.   As we experience new things, old conclusions are challenged and new ones formed that are tinted with deeper shades of wisdom.

As in nature, our personal lives are in constant tension between a comfortable status quo and the challenging prospect of growth.  Growth requires tremendous energy.  It takes energy for the butterfly to emerge from the chrysalis, for the snake to shed its skin, and for the tree to plant its roots even deeper into fertile soil.   It is a comfortable thing to never have to grow; thus, for many people, the idea of growing beyond a certain framework, a certain daily routine, or a certain set of assumptions is almost unthinkable.  It is enough to have learned a single pattern and to repeat that pattern day-in and day-out for all of one’s life.

In a healthy, sane society, the greatest value is placed on education.  It is the greatest value because education challenges one’s mental boundaries and encourages growth.  Critical, open discussion in a respectful environment — such as that of a good school or university — is the best way, perhaps the only way, of exposing all sorts of people to challenging ideas about the nature of this universe in all its mysteries.

When we look with open eyes at our society, at Western educational development, we see an amazing amount of advancement in the areas of science and technology.  It is impossible to not stand in awe of the great scientific accomplishments that have been produced from ingenious minds over the last century.  Rocketry, genetics, computers — the innovation that has defined the 20th century has transformed life in almost every possible way.

But when we look at areas outside of science — areas such as ethics, politics, and mental health — we see only stunted development.  In these areas, we are no better educated than our caveman ancestors — the difference being that we are better armed.

Perhaps the most accurate measure of a society’s dedication to education is how it deals with its troublemakers.  A troublemaker is an individual who has broken a rule.  The rule could be universally condemned and serious, such as murder, or one that is more confined to a specific place and era, such as running a red stoplight or downloading a song from the Internet without paying for it.  It is an easy thing to compare contemporary societies and also societies over time to see if troublemakers are given a chance to educate themselves, or if they face some sort of brutal treatment on account of violating the rule.  Educated societies given troublemakers a chance to reform themselves and to move beyond their hurtful behaviors so as to better experience life.  In contrast, societies with no value for education favor strict punishments, where people must languish in prisons for decade, or even face torture and state murder.

In a truly educated society, rules would simply disappear.  A truly educated society would instill in its inhabitants the common sense and good behavior that we hear time and time again — using the Golden Rule and solving conflicts peacefully.  Rules would disappear because they would be seen as bulky and unwieldy to the spontaneous nature of life.  In place of rules, we would see the emergence of standards — maxims for joyful living bereft of penalties for mistakes.  Indeed, mistakes would be encouraged because they reflect new ways of thought, new approaches to old problems.  It is always ok to make a mistake; but never ok to make the same mistake twice.

In an age of consumption, people forget the purpose of life.  Instead, they cling to material possessions and tired old thinking as ways of passing the hours.  This is a deadened approach to existence that makes life a prison.  The purpose of life is to be joyful, and a way to joy is through personal growth.  Growth can be achieved through education — not only technical, but also personal, ethical, spiritual and philosophical.  Growth is achieved by looking at one’s fears and addressing them, point-by-point; by looking at areas of our lives that need improvement and taking concrete steps to improve them; by reflecting on our dreams and desires and then waking up every morning to achieve them; and by cultivating a deep well of patience, compassion, and understanding for ourselves so that we can forgive ourselves for past mistakes and regain the courage required to possibly make new ones.  With this attitude, life becomes a dream, a devoted song that reflects our creative powers and our ability to shape this existence in any way we choose.

And the most beautiful thing about life is that this growth never stops.  Our minds never stop growing, but keep insisting on deeper soils to latch onto, greater heights to emerge through.  The opposite of growth is not death, but sickness; if growth ends, our mental foliage withers and atrophies, the acuity that served us loses its edge, the spiritual force that comforted us loses its warmth and grows pale and sickly.  Growth must continue; the alternative is sickness, a withering away of health — health in its broadest sense — to a state of disease and infirmity.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 16th, 2009 at 5:19 pm and is filed under Content, Freedom and Spiritualism and tagged with consumerism, forgotten wisdom, growth, happiness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.