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My Thoughts On Twitter 8/9/20

Dr Michael Laitman Twitter

How long must we suffer before coming to the realization that we can only change our lives by changing our attitudes and making them good? Nature will keep pressuring us until we realize this! Nature will not allow us to get used to the current existence. After all, we humans are the only harmful element in it!

The blows suffered from the #coronavirus will ultimately force all humanity to submit and settle down, realizing that this is the handiwork of the upper force that will not allow us to do what we want: neither the right nor the left. We’re going to have to submit to the influence of the third force: the Creator.
From Twitter, 8/9/20

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“Mask Wearing, Freedom Vs. Love Of Others?” (Medium)

Medium published my new article “Mask Wearing, Freedom vs. Love of Others?

Life saver to some and symbol of tyranny to others — the requirement to wear a mask in public to prevent further contagion of COVID-19 has split societies around the globe. In America, the rebellious and visceral reactions of significant numbers of customers in shops and offices, where wearing a mask is mandatory, have even surprised mental health experts. People’s outrage has been expressed in the streets of the US and also in big cities such as Berlin and London where thousands protested the measure. But are we clear on what true freedom means? Clarity can only be grasped when we are considerate of one another.

Nature is like a loving parent giving his tender child a bitter medicine, while we behave like the child who is kicking and crying and refusing to swallow. Nature has a clear purpose: to bring all of humanity to unity. Thus, we will not be able to escape the plague until we realize that we are in one boat, all of humanity.

Despite vast scientific support for the efficacy of mask-wearing to prevent a wider spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the debate about their effectiveness refuses to die among those who defy face coverings and social distancing as preventative measures. But there is a deeper reason for their refusal: human nature. People are willing to risk the lives of others and their own to preserve what they consider their personal liberties. They ask themselves, “Why should an order from the government be imposed to restrict me? What is it that puts a bridle on my mouth like a horse? I am a free person!

Why the Anti-Mask Sentiment?

As someone who has studied human nature for more than forty years, I can understand them. They feel masks and the limitations that they symbolize are oppressive and demeaning. Some virus comes and suddenly they are obliged to wear masks, while governments look helpless to handle the situation. Of course they will shout in the streets. Countries that thought they had handled the Covid-19 crisis successfully find themselves falling again. The virus never ends; it simply does not go away and nothing seems to help.

People’s defiance against the mask requirement is evidence of our inability, failure, and even indifference to educating our societies correctly. People have not been educated about how to take care of themselves and be considerate of one another. There isn’t a government in the world that can set an example to anyone in this, and also not among those in charge of the health system — all follow their own specific and particular interests. We are witnessing a total collapse of the human system. There is basically nothing from among the existing societal structures that we can present to people as an example to be respected and listened to — everything is corrupt.

It is the virus itself which has taken our education into hand. Nature is law-bound to behave in every way to bring man into alignment with its system, to the knowledge of his “evil inclination.” Until man attains a higher consciousness, nature must show him that the destruction in his life stems from the destruction in his relationship with others.

Nature is like a loving parent giving his tender child a bitter medicine, while we behave like the child who is kicking and crying and refusing to swallow. Nature has a clear purpose: to bring all of humanity to unity. Thus, we will not be able to escape the plague until we realize that we are in one boat, all of humanity.

We influence and depend on one another. Therefore, each must act accordingly by developing the conviction and intention to avoid transmitting the virus and harming others. When we view our situation from this perspective, we will not view the mandatory measures like mask wearing as coercion but as a gesture of love and care for others, implemented with a blessing.

The world is circular and functions in that same fashion, as a unit. In the current state, that circle is being hit by crises from every direction. So, what to do? We must first realize that we are immersed in an interrelated system of connections. This means that every single action will affect the whole. Therefore, the only way to overcome the state of crisis is to think and behave as one, in mutual responsibility. That is our true freedom of choice.
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“Why Do Other People’s Opinions Matter To You?” (Quora)

Dr. Michael LaitmanMichael Laitman, On Quora: Why do other people’s opinions matter to you?

It has been shown in various social psychology experiments, and Kabbalists have long described it as a fundamental aspect of our lives, that others’ opinions are important to us, even if we fail to acknowledge that it is the case.

There is a paradox here: According to our egoistic human nature, which prioritizes personal benefit over all else, we consider nobody but ourselves. Why, then, do we care about what others think and say?

Nature has set us up in such a way so that we will enter into a reciprocal relationship with our surrounding society and world.

If other people’s opinions would not matter to us, then we would not be able to reach our full human potential. That is, we would not be able to change ourselves, expanding our perception and sensation in order to realize our interconnectedness and interdependence with the single system of nature, including us humans as its integral parts.

Today, as we face a world closing in on us, with tightening ecological, economic and social conditions, the change to a more positively-connected human consciousness is of primal importance.

By recognizing the vast extent to which others’ opinions influence us, we can make wiser choices regarding our surrounding society: choosing the people we surround ourselves with, i.e., according to shared goals, needs and values, and also the kind of influence we input into this network and impart onto others.

Ultimately, the fullest realization of our mutual influence leads us to feel a need for mutual responsibility, consideration, compromise, support, encouragement and cooperation.

In other words, if we were to understand the full extent of our influence on each other, we would feel necessitated to think and act positively toward one another, as it would secure our harmonious coexistence. Any deviation to a negative hate-driven thought or act would be felt as harmful to the entire system we share, and thus also harmful to ourselves.

We would then feel a need to build a new enveloping social atmosphere that supports, educates and encourages everyone’s development to realize the change in human connections and consciousness positively.

Above photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.

“From Political Bickering To A Policy Of Unity” (Times Of Israel)

The Times of Israel published my new article “From Political Bickering to a Policy of Unity

A few years ago, an Israeli TV documentary told the story of a small village in Israel that had a population of 120 families, and six(!) shuls. Why six shuls if there are only 120 families? Because the families—all of whom from the same cultural background and daven the same way—can’t stand each other. When the interviewer asked a resident if, having so few people, it occasionally happens that there aren’t even ten people at the shul (the minimum number for service) to conduct a proper service, the man admitted that it happens. And what do you do then? asked the interviewer, “I drive to the nearby settlement and daven there,” said the man. Why go to another settlement to daven, who use different prayer books and songs than the ones you’re used to, if you have five shuls right here in your own village to pick from, and that daven exactly like you do? asked the interviewer. “I won’t go in any of them,” said the man resolutely.

A few days ago, a famous Arab-Israeli woman was interviewed on Israel TV and told an interesting story. She was invited to partake in a panel of several people at a Jewish town to discuss hatred and political tensions. The timing for the discussion was perfect since it was the 9th of Av, the date when the Temple was ruined 2,000 years ago because Jews hatred their own brethren. At the height of the debate, she finally said to her hosts, “You hate each other! Jews are hating Jews! You are discussing the ruin of the Temple on the 9th of Av, and still a Jew hates a Jew and wishes him death (reference to online death threats and death wishes to Israeli politicians)! If you hate each other, how will you love me?”

We’ve always been a nation of many views. And if you look at our history, you’ll find that when we succeeded in maintaining unity above differences, we thrived, and when we let the differences become unbridled hatred, we suffered.

Today’s Israel is at a crossroads. The differences among the various factions of the nation are gaining traction, and voices of unity are hardly heard. As always, divergence is our springboard for growth, but only if we unite above it. It is always a thin line to walk, and if we’re unaware of it, we’ll trip, and the very existence of Israel will be at risk.

Our motto has always been that hate stirs strife, and love will cover all the hatred (Proverbs 10:12). It is not an easy model to follow, but today we have no choice. Our international status will continue to deteriorate and our internal strength will continue to decline until we realize we have no other choice but to choose unity above all differences.

If we stall, the world will decide that the League of Nations’ declaration of a Jewish state in 1947 was a mistake. If we hurry and unite, the world will understand why Israel attracts so much attention—since it was meant to show how opposites can unite and cover their hate with love.

What we need right now is to shift from political bickering to a policy of unity among all factions. This is our most urgent need, especially today when hatred scares us even more than Covid, and is certainly more dangerous.
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Disconnection Of Communities, Part 5

laitman_533.02The Biggest Anti-Semites

Question: During the Age of Enlightenment, those Jewish people who assimilated among other peoples became atheists or Christians and began to hate Jews who kept up the traditions even more. This hatred still exists in the State of Israel and it is growing.

How is the assimilation and internal hatred of Jews connected with unreasonable hatred?

Answer: A person who wants to break himself away from his root, but realizes that he cannot do it, because, obviously, there are inner forces of nature that will not allow him to, begins to hate himself, the people, the spiritual principle, the Creator.

But despite the fact that he would like to completely break himself away from this and to become an ordinary German, Frenchman, etc., he cannot succeed.

It arises such hate in him for the people, for himself, for his root, from which he heal. This is why he becomes the biggest anti-Semite.

Remark:  Unreasonable hatred is a state when a person hates working without payment. We cannot do an action without receiving payment for it, fuel, benefit for ourselves—this is our nature. We hate the quality itself for no reason. This quality is bestowal, love, unity. That is, we unconsciously hate those people in whom this quality appears.

My Comment: This is why Jewish people who are engaged in various kinds of sciences, art, and social movements propagandize anti-Semitism there.

Question: What is to be done with these contradictions? The war between the Jews continues. There are reformists, ultra-Orthodox, atheists, communists, etc.

Answer: Everyone is ready to destroy the other one. More than all the anti-Semites put together, according to Kabbalah, this is normal because Jews have the biggest egoism.

Remark: But on the other hand, you say that there must be some kind of higher idea above all this, which will unite them.

My Comment: To do this, they should turn to Kabbalah, or Kabbalah should turn to them.

For more on this topic, read my books Like a Bundle of Reeds: why unity and mutual guarantee are today’s call of the hour, and The Jewish Choice: Unity or Anti-Semitism, Historical facts on anti-Semitism as a reflection of Jewish social discord.
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From KabTV’s “Systematic Analysis of the Development of the People of Israel” 8/12/19

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New Life 1257 – How Ideas Are Spread

New Life 1257 – How Ideas Are Spread
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Tal Mandelbaum ben Moshe

All in all, nature is a desire to receive that passes from one human to another like a virus. We receive and absorb ideas, thoughts, and genes from one another. Nature is interested in us conveying ideas and thoughts to each other so that we will achieve a single, circular, connected, integral mechanism. Nature implants thoughts and ideas in our heads but we must achieve the altruistic, integral idea on our own by contrasting them with their opposite and through freedom of choice. The altruistic idea determines that all are equal and included in each other as one person with one heart.

It is difficult for the altruistic idea to spread because it is anti-egoistic. For the idea to spread, we have to build an environment, a network of connected people, to hold our attention. The wisdom of Kabbalah can show us the way toward continued development and the avoidance of blows like the coronavirus epidemic.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 1257 – How Ideas Are Spread,” 6/24/20

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Integral Dependence Is A Natural Manifestation Of Nature

laitman_558Question: On one hand, you say that there is a certain space, nature, which influences us and is increasing the awareness that it is time for us to unite. But it is obvious that until there is a leader, and not one person, but maybe a hundred, a thousand leaders involved in unification, this will not happen.

Are such leaders emerging? Are they needed?

Answer: I think that today there are many of them in our world. But they should not be leaders of the type we have seen in history. These are just people who realized that the integral dependence of mankind on each other is a natural manifestation of our nature, and we have come to this.

Selfishness grew individually until it became as global as it is today. This is manifested in science and technology, in production and world trade, which also reveal the integrity of the world. But this is not enough, since it is only an opening of world egoism. Now we will gradually see that the world must be bound by completely different kinds of forces.

The fact is that we will still not be able to continue to exploit the land, water, and air as we did before. Nature will no longer allow us to do this.

Try to get out of a pandemic and you will see how difficult it is. You will not be able to restore old ties, old enterprises. You will have no option to restore the old interactions. We will see this in the near future.
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From KabTV’s “Fundamentals of Kabbalah” 5/24/20

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How To Use The Full Potential Of Your Brain?

laitman_232.02Question: It is said that a person uses only about 5% of the potential on one’s brain. Can we assume that this is enough to handle our individual animal needs? And if you work for the whole society, will the rest of the 95% will be opened up?

Answer: To work for the society means to rise above your egoism, to take upon yourself the goals, which are useful for the whole society, for its ultimate goal, for it to become integral, global.

When society riseד above its egoism and works only in an altruistic way, you will be able to use much more than 5% of your potential.

Question: In principle, if I need to solve a small personal problem on my own, the minimal potential is enough. But if it is necessary to solve the problem of a pandemic for example, and groups of scientists are trying to find a vaccine against the virus, then together can they connect to some kind of global mind and solve this issue?

Answer: No. I don’t think it is possible because all of them are egoists and everyone works for his own sake. To do this, they need to rise above themselves, which means to love each other, to include one inside the other.

Question: How can we use our potential if we have a large one, but only use 5%?

Answer: To do that, we need to rise above our egoistic nature, in which we were born, and acquire another altruistic nature, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Then you will be able to unite with others into one single whole, into one mind, into one desire. All of your internal data will become common, and everyone will be working for the benefit of all.
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From KabTV’s “The Post-Coronavirus Era” 5/7/20

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Diagnosis For Humanity

Laitman_632.2Question: Modern science has developed several conceptual positions in relation to crises:

  • Crisis is considered as a natural state of development of any system.
  • Crisis is always characterized by the growth of egoism.
  • Crisis appears as a unity of two processes. It is always both destruction and creation together.
  • Crisis cannot be considered as a purely negative phenomenon.
  • Crises are progressive, even if they are painful.
  • It is said that a correct diagnosis is half the success in treatment.

What should a person realize? What diagnosis should each of us make for ourselves?

Answer: To start with, we must inform humanity that we all exist in our egoistic nature, and therefore, we must understand that we will have to change it.

All of nature, except humans, is integral and even altruistic.

In our world, inanimate, vegetative, and animate nature are integral. A human, however, falls out of it because of his egoism and does not obey anyone or anything. The main thing for him is that everything must be good for him, even if it is to the detriment of others.

This state exists from the side of nature as a given, in order for us to feel the depravity of our perception and the dead-end in our development.

At the moment, we have come, and this is quite obvious by our development, to a state where we begin to destroy our small planet. It cannot endure us any longer. Therefore, we have very serious problems.

Nature is rebelling against us and begins to very cruelly press us down and push us, trying to force us to change. We do not understand its actions, do not take them personally, and we continue on our path of vanity.

Question: Who are “we”?

Answer: We are very limited two-legged mammals. We are so limited that we are worse than animals. After all, even the small amount of knowledge and opportunities that we have, we use to the detriment of ourselves and the surrounding nature.

Comment: It seems to me that today millions of people have come to the diagnosis: The egoistic nature of humans is to blame for the fact that we destroy the surrounding nature.

My Response: So what if they understand? They understand and continue.

Comment: But many are already aware of the harmfulness of their behavior and are fighting against it, not just a few philosophers, but millions of people and many different organizations.

My Response: These organizations are the most egoistic ones. They fight until somebody buys them, and then they gradually fall silent. Maybe later they talk about it a little somewhere and somehow, but at the same time they understand that they must coexist with the mighty of this world, and therefore everything continues.

Of course, there are those who continue to object, but they are silenced, and they cannot be published anywhere or act. At this point, everything quiets down. After all, we see how we still go on the egoistic path, violating nature by all possible methods. This suggests that people must change.
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From KabTV’s “The Post-Coronavirus Era” 5/7/20

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