In the News (factor.am): “The pathogenic potential of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has not yet been realized, the next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic will be the infection of domestic and farm animals, said the director of the Gamalei National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology,  Alexander Ginzburg. ‘The coronavirus has not yet realized its pathogenic potential. The next stage is the infection of farm and domestic animals, ‘Ginzburg said in an interview published on Monday in the “Izvestia” newspaper.

“’And when we protect humanity with the help of good vaccines within a year, pets will be infected by that time, and no one is going to get rid of their beloved pets. Therefore, the sources of this pathogen will constantly be present around us, which will still evolve,’ he added.”

(OXFAM International):“In a survey of 77 epidemiologists from 28 countries, carried out by The People’s Vaccine Alliance, two-thirds thought that we had a year or less before the virus mutates to the extent that the majority of first-generation vaccines are rendered ineffective and new or modified vaccines are required. Of those surveyed, almost a third gave a timeframe of nine months or less. Fewer than one in eight said they believed that mutations would never render the current vaccines ineffective.” 

(World Health Organization): “At a time when COVID-19 has exploited our weaknesses and divisions, we must seize this opportunity and come together as a global community for peaceful cooperation that extends beyond this crisis. Building our capacities and systems to do this will take time and require a sustained political, financial and societal commitment over many years.

“Our solidarity in ensuring that the world is better prepared will be our legacy that protects our children and grandchildren and minimizes the impact of future pandemics on our economies and our societies.”

My Response: This is a call. And how can we do it?

We are in about the same state as the Jews were when they left Egypt when it was necessary to disconnect themselves from egoism. Egypt represents egoism.

They were led to the Red Sea, the so-called Final Sea (Yam Sof) because it represents the end of egoism, the end of the egoistic kingdom. And they were told: “Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Israel and let them travel” The main thing is to disconnect from this egoism and then you will pass this sea. And if you don’t go forward, that is, if you don’t want to disconnect from your egoism, then you are finished here.

This is how a condition will be set for us. Either you rise above egoism by drawing closer to others in “love your neighbor as yourself,” or this will be your end. We will be faced with just such a condition.

Question: Do you think we are getting close to being given an ultimatum? And does nature do it?

Answer: Of course. Where does the virus come from? It is nature. And no tricks will help us. Everything we invent is only to understand that the hand of the Creator is here. As it was said at the exodus from Egypt, in the last blow, the punishment: “It is the finger of God.”

So, everything is going very well and according to plan. We should be happy to find ourselves at a turning point in the history of the world. We are getting there. Either forward with songs into the stormy waves of this egoism of ours, which will drown us, or with songs about love and friendship toward each other and cross over dry.

Question: And the sea will part?

Answer: Of course! And we will reach the end together. I am happy!

Question: That you lived to see that moment?

Answer: Of course.

Comment: When a person is in fear, he is in fear like a bunny under a bush. And he is pushed now into this fear.

My Response: And this is the same with any person—big or small.

Question: How can this person who is under the bush in fear rise to what you said?

Answer: You need to crawl under the bush next to him, cuddle up next to him and say: “My friend, do you want to be saved? I have something. I am not suggesting you buy it, but just listen to how we can save ourselves. Only by connecting above all our problems, hatred, whatever, only by connecting. Don’t ask any questions. See the other as a means to survive.” That is all. Egoistically.

Question: My life, the lives of my closest and dearest depend on it. Will I be able to rise above my hatred and cling to the other?

Answer: Only by that. So go out in the street and look for anyone with whom you can connect in this way. And you must connect with everyone. With some faster, with some slower, and so on. Connect! That is all.

Question: Does the word “connect” have a very simple meaning behind it?

Answer: Nothing else, no other meanings, no other goals—just to feel each other closer. And you will see how all these viruses can no longer exist between us. The major virus is our egoism. It is the common unifying virus. And it will start to leave. As one Kabbalist said: “The virus is from the word ‘Averes, Averot,'” transgressions.

Question: So the virus comes upon the transgressions? To drag us out of them?

Answer: Yes.

Comment: It would be good for people to hear you.

My Response: It will all be good! We cannot run away from this! Only it will be either in our generation or in the next; it depends how lucky you are.

Comment: Better be in this generation.

My Response: I am always an optimist.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 4/1/21

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My new article on Linkedin “Net Neutrality Doesn’t Exist because Neutrality Doesn’t Exist”

Larry Sanger, Wikipedia co-founder, has recently blasted the online encyclopedia he helped create for its lack of neutrality. This isn’t the first time he has done this. On May 14, 2020, Sanger wrote in his personal blog, “Wikipedia no longer has an effective neutrality policy.” Instead, he stated, “Wikipedia now touts controversial points of view on politics, religion, and science.” Last month, Sanger reiterated his claims. A July 16 story published on Fox News quoted from an interview Sanger gave to LockdownTV two days prior. According to the story, “‘Wikipedia is known, now, by everyone to have a lot of influence in the world … so there is a very big, nasty, complex game being played behind the scenes to make the articles say what somebody wants them to say,’ Sanger said, adding the site has a liberal bias.” To summarize in a word what Wikipedia has become, its co-founder said, “The word for it is propaganda.”

Several years ago, net neutrality was a big issue. There is even an extensive entry about it on, you guessed it, Wikipedia. The principle of the neutrality of the net requires internet providers not to discriminate against individuals or organizations. According to Investopedia, “Net neutrality stipulates that service providers should not slow down nor [sic] block content from users.” Yet, Sanger says his own creation fails to meet these stipulations.

As I see it, the problem isn’t with Wikipedia, or with any other platform that fails to meet the terms of net neutrality. The problem is that we expect them to meet these terms in the first place. It is humanly impossible to be neutral. We formulate an opinion the minute we encounter anything: a person, an event, or an idea. We are anything but neutral, so how can we be asked to keep our actions on the internet impartial?

We are inherently egoistic. We may not like to admit it, but one look at the state of the world today testifies to the level of our self-centeredness. If this is the case, and we are so deeply biased that we are often unable to see our own partiality, how can we create anything neutral? In fact, who would even expect us to? What person in his right mind would think that people can write an entry on an encyclopedia without reflecting their views on the topic?

Luckily, I think people are beginning to understand that we are being fed crooked facts and false “truths.” We still want to consume media that reflects our views, that makes us feel that we are right, and that caters to our ego, but I think we are beginning to realize that being fed false narratives is not in our best interest. The question is how much longer will we be willing to tolerate it before we say “Enough! We can no longer turn our backs to the truth.”

Once we come to that decision, we will understand that there is no neutrality anywhere because we are inherently partial and self-centered, and therefore we are the reason that we cannot see the world for what it is. Although there is collective guilt, and we, as a species, are selfish, there is also personal responsibility—the realization that the fact that everyone is egotistical doesn’t excuse my being so. Regardless of everyone else, I have my own accountability to answer, especially since I am aware of my faults. Therefore, saying “Everyone else is like that, too,” doesn’t exempt me from assuming responsibility for what I could correct but didn’t.

Once enough people realize that our own egos prevent us from seeing the world correctly, and therefore make us build a twisted world, it will reflect on the rest of humanity and the shift will begin. I cannot say how many people it will take to set off the shift, but when we reach the critical mass, we will replace the currently prevailing sense of self-entitlement with a sense of mutual connection. Instead of deriving pleasure from claiming what we believe is ours, we will enjoy granting what we can. As the society becomes a society of givers, an atmosphere of mutual responsibility and concern for others will spread through communities and families, and the world around us will change for the better.

At that time, we will not pursue net neutrality, or any neutrality, since the only reason we are looking for it now is our disposition to exploit and abuse others. But when our goal is to embolden and support others, no one will be looking for neutrality.
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My new article on Linkedin “The Evolutionary Leap Humanity Needs”

Humanity has evolved at the fastest pace ever in recent decades. Once we were happy with simply walking; when that wasn’t fast enough we started traveling by car. Now that is insufficient and we want to travel to space. Has any of this racing ahead really made our lives better? Probably not. Experience shows that technological developments are always exploited by investors to the detriment of man. On the next degree of human evolution as intelligent beings, we must come to understand that a genuinely satisfactory development will require a change in the code of communication between people.

There are no surprises in nature, nothing happens by chance; everything is governed by absolute laws. Even in the development of the human race, evolutionary laws and forces are at work, whether we recognize them or not. As a result of this evolution, our emotional and mental perceptions change over time.

In the 20th Century we have traveled a long road. We have experienced revolutions, wars, and breakthroughs in science and technology. Then came the Internet revolution, and social networks opened with a loud shout. Humanity has changed greatly. But within a few short years it has become clear that the new social relationships we have constructed have the potential for causing us great harm.

The phenomenon of fake news has invaded our everyday lives, and one can now instantly quarrel with people in any part of the world. Anyone can stir up trouble anywhere, whip up fury and incite others to burn the planet.

In the past, it was clear that if countries had nuclear capacities it was in everyone’s best interest to maintain the status quo and calm. Today, such factors as the spread of false information could lead to a nuclear war and destroy the world in a flash. Furthermore, it is no longer possible to make decisions that will impact only certain limited countries because the whole world is a network, connected online, linked.

This interconnection is also present on the personal level. Slander, bullying, spurning, canceling, and shaming make people miserable and push people to extremes. If our grandparents could witness and assess the stress we live under, they would sadly say that our lives are worse now than they were when we were less developed.

We have before us the task of coming to the recognition that our human egoistic development has maxed out, and in order to continue to exist it is imperative that we develop a new driving force to take us forward. We must embark together on a pan-social educational process that will include a reckoning of the situation we are in and the need for proper connection between human beings.

We will then identify a new paradigm which describes the development of humanity, society, and nature. We will receive new guidance on how to rise above narrow egoism—the selfish approach at the detriment of others—to discover a power that evokes a brand new desire in us, a desire to do good to others.

The next stop in our process of evolution will be to understand that the root of all our problems lies in our egoistic nature, which today has reached the height of its development. It is our egoism that does not allow us to get along with others, allows us to explode in an instant and to destroy everything we touch.

Only when we learn to transcend our egoism, will we begin to treat the entire human race as one body. Only then can we begin to understand how to build a good life for everyone while enjoying the benefits of our technological developments and innovations. In the end, our next level of human evolution must be based on the development and nurturing of complementary connections between each and every one of us.
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Question: In his book Give and Take, psychologist and professor Adam Grant divides people into three groups: takers, givers, and matchers. “Givers like to give more than they get, paying attention to what others need. Takers like to get more than they give, seeing the world as a competitive place and primarily looking out for themselves. And matchers balance and give on a quid pro quo basis, willing to exchange favors but careful about not being exploited.”

What do you think about these three groups?

Answer: Most of all I like the matchers because they lead to contact, to mutual, good, kind contact. This is the most important thing. It is not about the fact that you can give away as much as you want. It will not do anything. It is the same with receiving if someone gives something to you.

Exchanging, however, causes mutuality, and by this you can correct a person, you can change both yourself and the other, and create communication between you; this is the most important thing. The goal is to create communication.

A giver will not do anything. On the contrary, he can cause hatred if he gives all the time. It does not mean anything.

Comment: So you are a realist. You give me something, I give you something? Exchange pleasantries.

My Response: Yes, but by this we teach each other that he can do the same thing that I do; by giving to him, I open myself in order to receive something from him. And so on. The most important thing is mutual exchange.

Question: Isn’t our world today built on this, “You scratch my back and I will scratch yours”?

Answer: The world is built on mutual exchange.

Question: Does it mean that you are satisfied with what is happening in the world today?

Answer: No. This does not satisfy me because the current exchange that exists in the world is only to take and not to give.

Question: What is the next stage after matching?

Answer: This is written in Kabbalah: mine is mine, yours is mine, and then yours is yours, and mine is yours.

Question: That is, you come to an almost impossible state. To something that is impossible to imagine: mine is yours and yours is yours, right?

Answer: Yes. Such relationships are the most correct ones that are justified by the upper nature, which is opposite to our nature. This is what we must come to. Together with this, a completely different space is revealed to us, an eternal world.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 6/24/21

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Question: During the construction of the tower of Babel, which symbolized the growth of selfishness, there was a mixing of languages. This means that people stopped understanding each other, although they spoke the same language.

What does it mean “inside a person”? Does he cease to understand himself?

Answer: In fact, people not only do not understand each other, but they also do not understand themselves. It turns out that a person lives without realizing why, for what, or in connection with what.

To the extent that he becomes an egoist, he gradually moves away from nature, opposes himself to it. He has nothing to replace this loss with. It turns out that he, in general, loses from both, this and that side.

Question: What happens in a person when he builds the tower of Babel in himself? What is this condition?

Answer: The construction of the tower of Babel is what Nimrod imposed on the people to raise their selfishness. Selfishness must reach a state where it prevails over all other human properties.
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From KabTV’s “Spiritual States” 6/11/21

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My new article on Linkedin “Hiroshima – Have We Learned the Lesson?”

In the late 1940s and early 50s, the great kabbalist and thinker Baal HaSulam wrote a series of essays and notes that were later compiled into what became known as The Writings of the Last Generation. In those writings, Baal HaSulam described the challenges he saw in humanity’s situation, what he feared those challenges might lead to, and how he thought humanity should resolve them.

In Part One of the writings, Baal HaSulam paints a very gloomy picture of the future of humanity unless we carry out our duty to shift our efforts from thinking only of ourselves to thinking about others. In his words, “I have already said that there are two ways to discover the completeness: the path of light or the path of suffering. Hence, the Creator [nature] has given humanity technology, until they have invented the atom and the hydrogen bombs. If the absolute ruin that they are destined to bring upon the world is still not evident to the world, they can wait for a third world war, or a fourth one. The bombs will do their thing, and the relics who remain after the ruin will have no other choice but to take upon themselves this work where both individuals and nations do not work for themselves more than is necessary for their sustenance, while everything else they do is for the good of others. If all the nations of the world agree to it, there will no longer be wars in the world, for no person will be concerned with his own good whatsoever, but only with the good of others.” Have we learned our lesson? Are we afraid of the bomb enough to relinquish the pursuit of power and, instead, work for the sake of others in order to secure a peaceful future for humanity?

I don’t know the answer to this question. I know that humanity is still fearful of the horrendous consequences of nuclear weapons, but I don’t know if this worry is enough to block ruthless and reckless leaders from using them regardless.

The problem is that we are built with two very different qualities within us. One quality is the reasonable one, which warns that unless we exercise restraint, we could obliterate human civilization in an instant. The other quality says that having such power means that the minute you have it, you become the ruler of the world, and this is an irresistible enticement.

If people felt connected to each other, we wouldn’t go in that direction to begin with; we wouldn’t go to war, much less a nuclear war. But since we do not feel connected, our only consideration is the self-centered one, and in such a state, no caution influences us. Currently, even if we know that once we embark on nuclear warfare we will seal our own doom, and we do know it, we will still go through with it. When hatred rules, it knows no limits.

Because hatred sets the tone in our relationships, the only way to prevent us from tipping the scales toward a nuclear war is to change human nature from egotism to altruism, from putting “me” before “we.” Nothing else will prevent us from setting off an inferno on a global scale. Such a flip of character will not come easily; it will require everyone’s willingness to go through the process. If only some people go through it while others maintain their selfish mindset, the selfish will exploit those who are attempting to change, and this will thwart the entire process.

For this reason, it is imperative that as many people as possible know what lies ahead if we continue on the self-centered trajectory, and that we can change it if we want. People must know that they have a choice, since choice means hope, and hope prompts action. If we act together, we will build a good future for everyone. If we remain apart, none of us will have any future.
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My new article on Linkedin “A Selfie to Eternity”

Since cameras have become ubiquitous in cell phones, people have begun to take pictures of themselves (selfies) in various situations. Along with the growing significance we ascribe to social media came the need to present ourselves in more daring, special, and original ways. But people don’t know where to draw the line. According to a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, which operates under the National Institute of Health, there is an accelerating trend to take risky selfies. In 2011, for example, three people died in what became known as “selficides” (selfie-related fatal accidents). In 2017, that number was 93.

We cannot overemphasize how dangerous taking reckless selfies can be. We must be very adamant in stating that such irresponsible behavior can cost us our lives. However, we must also understand where this phenomenon stems from because if we are to truly prevent these tragedies, we must change people’s attitude toward themselves and toward their place in the world.

Taking a selfie is a way to “immortalize” oneself. Deep down, we cannot agree with the finiteness of our body since we truly are eternal, connected to the eternal force that creates all that exists, including humans. Because subconsciously, we feel connected to eternity, our dying physical demise is always in the back of our minds. We try to “trick” the limits of time and “perpetuate” ourselves, transcend the boundaries of time and place, and sometimes, we risk our present for the chance of eternal renown.

I, too, feel this drive, though not enough to risk my life for it. It is a highly developed form of narcissism that uses photos to defy the boundaries of time and rise above the physical existence. Just as Narcissus looked in the water and fell in love with his own image, we think that our picture in risky situations somehow proves that we are worthy, that we have achieved something worth remembering.

In fact, if there is any “achievement” here, it is the lesson that narcissism is bad for us. It is bad not because it is harmful in and of itself, although it is. It is bad mainly because our root is a force of giving, creating, and spreading of energy and vitality. By focusing on ourselves, we become the opposite of that force: receiving, destroying, and absorbing energy and vitality. Instead of becoming as immortal as our root, we disconnect ourselves from it and thereby make our existence not only transient, but also detrimental to the rest of reality.

If we want to emerge from our narcissism, we must try to be considerate and caring about others. The minute we begin to feel that our hearts are connected to the hearts of others, we will stop fearing death. Instead, we will be certain that although our bodies are fleeting, our selves, our souls will have attained a true connection with eternity. Our connections with others will vitalize us and prolong our existence long after our physical presence ends, and we will know that risking our physical safety is wrong because it denies us the opportunity to connect to people and immortalize our souls.

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My new article on Linkedin “On Appreciation and Admiration”

These days, when admiration for superstar athletes, pop singers, and models sets the tone across the globe, it’s worthwhile to look at the phenomenon of admiration and how we can use it positively.

When chicks hatch, they naturally follow their mother. If their mother is absent when they hatch, they will follow anything big and moving as though it were their mother. We, too, have that tendency to follow someone great, someone who can direct us and protect us, someone worth following.

Our need for guidance begins at childhood. First, we admire our parents, who literally mean the world to us. Later, we learn to appreciate teachers, friends, peers who seem successful, and other people that we idolize. Without idols, we feel disoriented and uncertain where we want to go.

Interested parties exploit that vital need. Through mainstream media and social networks, they direct us where they want us to go and make us do what they want. They raise social media idols to stardom, turn them into celebrities that set the tone in public discourse, and make us think that these people are the greatest.

Gradually, through the influence of the social environment, our appreciation becomes admiration. This is already a higher level of relation to the object of attention. Fans are active; they have a sense of belonging and power, which stem from feelings of self-righteousness and entitlement that admiring the “right” people gives us.

To the rulers, this is the ideal situation. When people feel complacent and entertain themselves with sports, movies, and pop concerts, they can be easily manipulated. This allows the elite to gain wealth and power undisturbed.

If we are to advance to a better place than we are in today, as individuals and as a society, we must first determine the values that we want to promote. These values should coincide with the direction of the global development, which is making the world an interconnected and interdependent place. In fact, today, our level of mutual dependence has come to the point where we are dependent on each other for the most basic necessities.

Since this is the case, we need social values that correspond to our condition. Otherwise, we will create a dissonance between our aspirations and values, which stem from the selfish idols we emulate, and our reality, which is entirely interconnected and requires unselfishness as a basis for existence. In fact, this dissonance is why so many people are dissatisfied with life today.

The sooner we learn to value and promote mutual responsibility, caring, and consideration, the sooner life will change for the better. If we learn to respect people who promote cohesion and a sense of bonding in society, it will be easy for everyone to rise to the next level in our development, where the global village that we are is a thriving one, sustaining all its residents abundantly and easily, and everyone feels safe in it, and happy.
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My new article on Linkedin “The Danger in Our False Perception”

Today, when we look at the world, we see only one force: egoism. We think that everything runs only according to everyone’s efforts to raise themselves to the top of the heap, to be the hunter and not the hunted, the predator and not the prey. We, humanity, have reached the top of the pyramid, and from the zenith, we’re trying to find what more we can take. To achieve this, we learn, become more sophisticated, and develop technology, science, social structures, and everything we have developed in order to succeed in this world.

If we continue on our selfish trend, the horrible summer we are experiencing throughout the world will be the best summer of the rest of our lives. We don’t have to continue on this route; have another option: to bury the hatchet and make peace with nature and with one another, and realize that we don’t have to fight to win a good life; we only need to work together.
But now that we’ve achieved all that, we find that something is still amiss. We realize that we have gone too far. We have taken egoism to the extreme, and we have destroyed our planet. Instead of supporting us, our own home is caving in on us, releasing torrential rains that flood entire countries, bursting in flames that incinerate titanic forests, and launch ash to the highest levels of the atmosphere. Siberia’s frozen lands, once thought to be lifeless, are melting and discharging viruses and bacteria for which our immune system has no antibodies. And the animal kingdom, which we believed we had subdued, is infesting us with viruses and other bugs that arrest our entire global activity.

With the heyday behind us, and the threat of nature’s vengeance ahead, we seem to have one choice: Stop trying to dominate nature and start cooperating with it. This is the time to realize that nature isn’t run solely by egoism, but rather by two forces, egoism and altruism, which balance each other out and generate the dynamic harmony that enables the creation of life and evolution. Now is the time for us to realize that there is no hatred in nature but acceptance and inclusion of everyone into a larger whole that, in turn, sustains all of life.

If we develop a considerate, accepting approach to all of nature, including to all people, we will discover that this is how nature truly operates and we will be able to operate likewise. Currently, our own egoism hides the truth from us, since if we see reality for what it is, we will agree to relinquish egoism, and no egoist wants to be relinquished.

Yet, if we continue on our selfish trend, the horrible summer we are experiencing throughout the world will be the best summer of the rest of our lives. We don’t have to continue on this route; have another option: to bury the hatchet and make peace with nature and with one another, and realize that we don’t have to fight to win a good life; we only need to work together.
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Question from Facebook: How can we distinguish between egoistic desires that I have and altruistic desires? Very often the ego takes on different forms so it is difficult to understand whether my thoughts and actions are predetermined.

Answer: Altruism is different from egoism only in the fact that you want to be in good relations with others in order to attain the Creator by this good connection. There are no other definitions. Everything else besides the small connection in the group that is aimed at attaining the resemblance to the Creator according to the principle “love thy friend as thyself” is egoism.

Question: Is altruism good or bad?

Answer: Altruism is the desire to do everything for another person, to determine what he lacks and to fill this deficiency.
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From KabTV’s “Answering Questions from Facebook” 3/10/19

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