My new article on Linkedin “The Strongest Force of All”
In relationships, at work, in society, in the country, in the world, in relationships of all kinds and at any level, one can see power, exploitation, and control. Where does this come from and how can we better cope with these destructive impulses?
The material from which we are made is a desire to enjoy. This is why we constantly set norms that define an excessive activation of our desire to receive at the expense of others as forceful and invalid. Unlike animals that act by instinct, nature gave human beings the freedom of choice to determine how they treat others within society.
Today’s unsettling state thus points the way to the need for us to draw an opposite, balancing, positive force in order for us to create good relations between each other and with nature. It is the force of love, the strongest of all. If we open up the ability to live under the premise of “love your neighbor as yourself,” we will create a pleasant and encouraging atmosphere that will free us from the need of taking advantage of others.
The education we receive, the environment that surrounds us, our individual attributes, and the circumstances in which we live, form a comprehensive account that determines when we exercise power toward others, in what form, and how much we allow our egoism to act to control others in order to achieve our goals.
There are struggles in nature also, but only in humans is there egoism, an evil instinct. No animal wants to harm another animal or enjoys controlling and abusing another. Humans, on the other hand, have no boundaries, no limits. As egoism develops, we want to swallow up the whole world and to subdue everyone under us. It is not enough for us to have everything we want at our disposal; we differ from animals in our desire for control.
If we could recognize the material we are made of, we would discover that we never see the person in front of us as such, but only as an object for our dominance who could be used for our benefit. There is always a subconscious communication between us about how much I can overpower you and vice versa and how much can I enjoy what I get from you. Our lives revolve around such measurements and calculations with each and every one in every way possible.
But eventually, we will discover that no matter how hard we try to bend each other, we do not achieve lasting satisfaction. Perhaps we seemingly gain something for a moment as a result of exploiting someone to our advantage, but in such circumstances we are never relaxed, nor do we experience the potential good life nature has given us to realize.
Our era marks a unique and highly significant transition point, we bear witness to our egoistic development reaching a dead end, we feel increasing difficulty to be fulfilled from selfish pursuits, which gives rise to a plethora of negative attitudes in society. People are taking their dissatisfaction out on each other more and more, which leads to increasing polarization and hatred throughout society.
Today’s unsettling state thus points the way to the need for us to draw an opposite, balancing, positive force in order for us to create good relations between each other and with nature. It is the force of love, the strongest of all. If we open up the ability to live under the premise of “love your neighbor as yourself,” we will create a pleasant and encouraging atmosphere that will free us from the need of taking advantage of others.
The best example of the immense potential of love is in our relationship with our children. Nature has given us love for them so we constantly make sure that everything is good for them, that they are happy. No one pressures us to do so, we feel a tendency from within, and this is also what makes us the happiest in life.
We are advancing toward a more connected world where we will discover from day to day how much we all depend on each other. The only relationships that will allow us to live a secure life involve complementary connection between people from all different backgrounds and characteristics, even opposites, to a level of mutual love. And as we each struggle with our own egoism, which pushes us in opposite directions, we will begin to feel how indispensable it is to support and cherish each other to enjoy life in the full sense of the word.
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“The Advantage of the Land,” Baal HaSulam: Thus, when one suffers, he becomes far from the Creator since he naturally becomes hateful of He who imparts him torments.
