“In The Jungle Of American Politics, Donkeys And Elephants Must Coexist” (Medium)

Medium published my new article “In the Jungle of American Politics, Donkeys and Elephants Must Coexist

At the time of the writing of this article, there is still no clear winner of the presidential election. But even at the time the final results are officially declared, still there will be no winner unless his aim is to unify the nation. Why? Because when the country is split into two pieces, one side overpowers, annuls, disqualifies, and overshadows the other. This cannot be called a real democracy, a concept that by definition must include and embrace the plurality of opinions.

So, as the situation looks now, is it possible to prevent a clash between the two fronts? No, it’s impossible. But America is not the exception. The same is relevant in every country and any society in the world because the distinctly opposite poles in people’s perspectives stem from human nature. Each side wants to prove that it is right and the other is completely wrong, an attitude that destroys any chance of reaching a civilized understanding. It would mean rejecting the basic premise that everything in reality has the right to exist even if it has opposite qualities. Similarly, everyone’s point of view should be considered and valued, even of those whose thoughts or upbringing are radically different from our own.

The best school for understanding politics and any model of human interaction that may actually work for people, for all people, is the jungle. Literally. For instance, who is right in the wild, the wolves or the sheep? Actually, both. Wolves and sheep have always existed side by side in a common space. Never have the wolves eliminated all the sheep at once; they only feed on what is essential for their survival. It is true that if we look at this particular action without considering the whole picture of nature, one eats the other, and therefore the strongest survives. But the principle here is that what we judge as weak or strong is not classified by nature as such, it simply considers every element as essential. This way, nature maintains its balance by making sure that every part within its system is important and serves a purpose.

If that were not the case, evolution would have left alive only powerful species. Yet for thousands and millions of years the weak have been preserved by the laws of nature through ongoing reproduction, sustaining their place in creation.

On the other hand, human history shows us that the strong are not forever kept in an advantageous position. Empires have risen and fallen one after another — the Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the rule of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Turks — because nature evolves according to its general plan depending on what is needed for the overall general benefit at that particular moment in time.

One may ask how could a “middle line,” in which opposite views can converge and harmoniously coexist, possibly be built in such a divisive and hostile reality as in America? How could we possibly establish a society where no one belittles the other and instead everyone finds a place to freely express his views, finding a common ground of mutual respect and consideration?

It is clear that the path we have used to build our societies — based on cruel competition and in disregard for one another — has provided a breeding ground for endless conflicts. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a new mechanism for inclusiveness that would be implemented by the elected leadership while listening to people’s voices and demands, paying careful attention to the grassroot needs regardless of their political preferences, a government that would represent everyone under one shared roof called the United States of America.

The current breakage that is now being revealed in US society is actually a unique opportunity for all to realize that there is no way to survive and thrive unless the country unites. In a perfect world, under the current circumstances of razor-thin margins of the American electorate, the nation shouldn’t have to be led by only one direction. The leading figures of the two political parties should have to gather to find joint decisions on the most pressing issues affecting US society.

But that is wishful thinking. The implementation of this kind of process would require an education based on the integral system of nature in which the balance point is reached precisely through considering opposites — small and large, solid and liquid, cold and hot, negative and positive. When the opposites rise above their disagreements and differences a special common force is revealed which forms the middle line, meaning the common area created to sustain the right functioning of any system in nature, the social system being one of them.

This may now sound like an utopian goal. It is at the moment, but sooner rather than later, both Donkeys and Elephants will realize they are not meant to act according to visceral instinct, devouring each other like other species do to achieve balance. On the contrary, human beings are meant to understand that they will need to get closer, not because they profoundly love each other, but because the alternative is an unbearably explosive situation of constant struggle. Thus, it is in our common interest to overcome our differences to find the joint force to survive and thrive.
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Audio Version Of The Blog – 11/7/20

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My Thoughts On Twitter 11/7/20

Dr Michael Laitman Twitter

Everywhere, as soon as a problem appears, we can enter an “ark,” meaning the degree of Bina, and find refuge there. No one will be able to harm us, since the degree of Bina is like a baby in the mother’s womb, protected from all sides. It is the safest place.

In the ark, we can take refuge together with all our egoistic desires: still, vegetative, animate, and human, closing ourselves inside the ark to be in the common unity. Even if each one wants to devour the other, the ark acts upon us with its force of bestowal.
In this way, we will safely get through the “flood.”
#COVID19

The #coronavirus is a flood that incites us to build an ark upon the face of the earth—relationships that envelop and protect us. Each one treats others kindly, not trying to devour them. Everyone enters one ark and they understand that they mustn’t harm one another. #kindness
From Twitter, 11/7/20

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Learn To Listen

281.02Remark: We do not know how to listen to each other. Even doctors interrupt their patients an average of 12 seconds after they start telling them about their ailments.

My Comment: The main thing for a doctor is to make a diagnosis and send the patient away. And this is natural because he needs to cope with a flow of patients.

In most cases, we believe that we know enough about the other person, and we have nothing to listen to, and it is better to express our opinion. Supposedly, this is what he expects from us.

It is the same with patients and doctors. Many patients come to the appointment because they need to speak out, and the doctor thinks that the patient wants to hear his opinion.
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From KabTV’s “Communication Skills” 8/14/20

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To Convey Your Message To The Audience

522.01Question: It seems every speaker should be a psychologist. After all, if he understands the inner world of a person, he knows what to say to him, what points to press on so that he is moved. Does it work in integral education when we want to bring people together? Should I press on these points too?

Answer: Certainly. There even more so. You must put a person in certain states, not just one, but several, and direct them to be connected to each other and play certain forms of communication, behavior, connection, withdrawal. Based on these exercises, they should come to a certain conclusion.

Question: How does one correctly envision the image of the audience? Should one focus on a single person or perceive the audience in general?

Answer: I do not set out to envision the image of the audience because I consciously bring my message to them, and after a few phrases it begins to work in people, and they already relate in a certain way to me, to time, to the place, to what is happening.

I go out to people in order to unite them so that they in their connection begin to get a more accurate, higher picture of the world.

Question: What is the best way to behave with the audience: to be equal with them or to show them your superiority?

Answer: You should be a teacher, a tutor. More experienced, not higher. You should never put pressure on them. But where necessary, you can rein them in so that the educational process is not interfered with.

Question: How do you feel the need of the people who are sitting in front of you? How do you feel what your students are lacking?

Answer: I have to get them interested in the material, which I will explain. So I always start by telling them something new and special that they can listen to. I try to inspire them, make them wonder, and want to know what I want to convey to them. And then I introduce them to my vision of nature and society.
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From KabTV’s “Communication Skills” 8/14/20

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New Life 463 – Anti-Semitism Denial, Part 1

New Life 463 – Anti-Semitism Denial, Part 1
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Yael Leshed-Harel

Anti-Semitism or, more precisely, the hatred of Jews stems from the root of the Jewish nation when Abraham gathered people together who wanted to reveal the upper force by adhering to the principle “love thy friend as thyself.” The love of others distinguishes us from all the other nations since the beginning of our history because we developed the method of connection. Many countries today deny the fact that they are anti-Semitic, but strong anti-Semitic movements rise in these countries nevertheless. Even the United Nations is greatly anti-Semitic, but claims that it isn’t.

Anti-Semitism will not disappear and eventually the whole world will be against Israel unless and until we fulfill our role by teaching the method of connection around the globe.
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From KabTV’s “New Life 463 – Anti-Semitism Denial, Part 1,” 12/2/14

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