Michael Laitman, On Quora: “If Darwin’s theory is right about life beginning in Africa, then why are African states less developed than Western states?“

It is possible that life was conceived in Africa, but our civilization began developing only with the emergence of human egoism, which is the force positioned behind our progress. This happened in Mesopotamia, ancient Babylon, around 4,800 years ago. The story of the Tower of Babel in the Torah narrates is about the outburst of human egoism at that time. In their pride, people wanted to achieve the heavens, expressed allegorically, to build “a tower up to the sky.” As a result of the ego that developed, they started hating each other and thus stopped understanding each other. This is called “the intermixing of the languages.” Then, they wandered away from each other because they did not want to and could no longer be together as a unified human society.

They stopped understanding each other, and then humanity began developing by means of its ego. This is how we have developed throughout history—by means of the ego that is inherent to us, from one generation to the next.

It is only in the person, in this special creature of nature, where the ego develops even over the course of a single lifespan. A one-day old calf is like a grown bull, i.e. it is already an animal that is ready for everything it needs to do in life. In us, however, the ego grows over the course of our lives, and we thus do not know what we need to do. As such, we need education and support from society.

Therefore, we are very far away from our early days in Africa and even from Babylon. Today, we are immersed in the developing egoism, which demands to be quickly tamed. If we tame our ego, then we will achieve a new positively connected society, and if not, then we will approach the level of the end of our civilization.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Does globalization promote democracy or consolidate dictatorship?“

Globalization shows us the extent to which we are interconnected and interdependent when humanity becomes a single whole. It demonstrates that we belong to a single organism or body. It does not lead to greater democracy, a dictatorship nor greater development, but to a key dilemma that we will increasingly face in our era: On one hand, we find ourselves in globalization, becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent, and on the other hand, we see the extent to which we become increasingly detached and divided from each other.

In other words, globalization reveals an imbalanced and unreliable world that needs to completely change its self-organization, as well as a need for a major change in perception. We need to reject our egoistic attitudes to each other and to nature and apply a new mutually altruistic approach. The interdependence unraveling today shows us that we need to do just the opposite of our egoistic makeup: like cells of a single body, we need to depend on each other and unite with each other as a single system. As such, globalization, which develops and today becomes revealed to everyone, can bring humanity to the realization of evil—that we run on an egoistic operating system, one where each person prioritizes self-benefit over benefiting others and nature—as well as to the realization of good, which we will find in a shift to altruism, where we will each prioritize benefiting others and nature over self-benefit.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What are the three most important values we should teach our children?“

We should give our children knowledge about the world’s structure, about the fact that the world is an integral system, how people are interconnected and interdependent, and with such understanding, how we should behave accordingly.

When we understand the extent of our integrality, we should aim our attitudes and behaviors at no less than loving and caring about other people as we love and care about ourselves.

Such interrelations are necessary in order for us to enter into harmony and balance with nature. Otherwise, if we fail to achieve balance with nature, if we remain detached with no perception and sensation of ourselves as a single system, then we will evoke suffering upon ourselves.

Also, on the other side of the same coin, to the extent that we achieve harmony and balance with nature—a global and balanced unification with nature—we will achieve a safe, peaceful and harmonious life on a different spiritual, eternal and perfect level. It is because doing so elevates us from the animate physical level of existence, which we now feel, to the level of spiritual existence, which we will feel as soon as we start ascending from the level of negative egoistic connections to the level of positive altruistic connections.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How can two answers to a single question be right, but still contradict each other?“

If the question is being heard by people who are on different levels of development, then even though each one hears the same question, they might hear it in opposite ways. Each one who hears not the question, but the answer, also hears it in his own way—according to each person’s level of development. What is correct for one person might seem incorrect and even opposite to another one.

This is why people cannot understand each other until they reach an altruistic form of development. We have to suppose that the levels of development determine the fact that each person hears something different each time. It is because that which we heard and understood yesterday can turn out to be opposite to what we hear and understand today. This is why our approach to each person must be completely relative. Nothing can be taken as an axiom, as something absolute.

At that point, we must understand that on one hand, everything is predetermined in advance, and on the other hand, everything depends on the person—and we cannot grasp this law with our mind. We say that everything descends and comes from above—it is as if everything is known in advance, and at the same time, we assert that a person is able to change something and achieve results that depend only on the person. We are unable to combine both, i.e. that everything depends on oneself, and also that everything is determined in advance.

Precisely thanks to understanding that this relates to two levels of development, to two forms in which a person exists—we can smooth out the seeming contradiction and understand that everything correlates only with the person.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How can an economic system be devised that is not in conflict with the rights of humans or animals?“

Such an economic system must correspond to the law of altruism, where we each use only as much as we need in order to exist, and give everything else to equal distribution among everyone.

This is how our body’s cells merit life, because they each receive the necessity for their sustenance, and give any surplus to the whole body. In other words, each cell lives by means of the barest necessities, while its entire nature and activity is to provide the body with the forces of life.

We should each function in human society according to one principle: to live by using the small part that we need to exist, and to give everything else in order to fulfill society’s needs. In such a way, we will distribute products among everyone according to how much each person uses and needs. This is what everyone will be equal in, while everything else will pass over to humanity as a whole.

Everyone will then achieve balance. This is how we can balance ourselves according to nature’s general altruistic law, which envelops us and acts in human society, even though it is beyond our current perception.

Receiving for ourselves according to our necessities, and giving to society according to our abilities is how we can merit receiving a positive response from nature. There will then be no catastrophes, tsunamis, illnesses, epidemics or wars. Everyone will live a peaceful, safe and healthy life. Nature itself will provide a wonderful, equal and comfortable existence for all. Whereas if we will not observe the general altruistic law of nature then we will lead ourselves to annihilation.

We need to fully realize nature’s altruistic law in our times. It is why we are becoming increasingly globally interconnected and interdependent.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “Who are your heroes? Who inspires you?“

Great people, those whom I accept as being great—are the great kabbalists who developed the wisdom of Kabbalah. They received it from ancient Babylon, i.e. the times of the first revelation of evil in people, and they have carried it from one generation to the next over 5,000 years.

These include the author of The Book of Zohar, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who lived in the 2nd century; the founder of the modern science of Kabbalah—Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Ari), who lived in the 15th century; and the last kabbalist who developed the wisdom of Kabbalah with consideration of our time—Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam), who lived in the 20th century. In essence, precisely he revealed the wisdom of Kabbalah to our generation, and with his help we now advance to the understanding of reality, nature and the core problem that humanity faces.

Also, I revere my teacher, Baal HaSulam’s older son, Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (Rabash), who passed this wisdom to me. He handed it over to me and obligated me to spread it to humanity—which is what I try to do with all my strength.

This is why the great kabbalists—Rashbi, the Ari, Baal HaSulam and Rabash—are the people whom I see as my examples. To me, they are the heroes of the world.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is the simplest life advice you can give me?“

The very first and simplest advice are the well-known rules: “That which you hate, do not do to your friend” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What should a young adult be reading, seeing or experiencing to spark a strong desire and knowledge to become a world-changer?“

No matter how egoistic we are, we contain several altruistic forces. We can develop these altruistic forces by means of a special targeted influence of culture, education, science and upbringing. That is the essence of what we should prioritize as a society.

We should each receive an explanation about the fact that human society is integral and unified. We need to exist in unity, in mutual love according to the principle, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

This is where we should orient our literature, cinema and means of mass information. It is what we should discuss in society, and we should prioritize such influences so that they become of utmost importance to us. By doing so, we will each become valued solely by our contribution to society.

Then, the young generation will definitely become permeated by hearing and seeing wonderful examples of positive contributions to society from all directions. After all, we become obligated by social influence, and this is why we will become obligated to take care of society. As a result, our attitude toward each other will become altruistic and we will reach balance with the general law of nature, the law of love and bestowal, and we will accordingly ascend above materialistic life to spiritual life.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What moves you the most in your life?“

In my life, I am moved by the understanding of the general altruistic law of nature, which advances humanity to its awareness.

Nature wants us to come to know this law and to develop accordingly. Thanks to this, we ascend from nature’s animate level to that of the speaking or human. Since humanity’s salvation depends only on knowing this law and realizing it, then I think that its knowledge should spread throughout the world, before the world becomes immersed in increasingly greater suffering, through which it will sooner or later nevertheless discover this law.

My mission then becomes to pass the knowledge of this law to humanity so that people would avoid suffering, and so that people would understand what nature demands of us and why.

By applying the law of nature, we will quickly reach a happy life, in the shortest time span, without miseries and suffering.

This is what moves me and pushes me to stay active in advancing this message.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How can we ensure that everyone in the world can receive a decent education so that everyone will have the opportunity to contribute maximally to humanity’s benefit?“

The realization of the fact that we exist in a single human system as parts of one organism will compel us to organize an education where every person will be able to draw forces in order to provide everyone with everything that only each individual can provide.

After all, every cell needs to provide the body with something unique, otherwise the body is not integral. We need to take care of the fact that everyone will know their uniqueness, role, abilities and specificity. Only each individual is able to give that to humanity. For that reason, if one person’s contribution is lacking from the organism as a whole, from humanity, then humanity will be flawed.

If we achieve such a state, then we will provide a decent education through which we will achieve a peaceful and harmonious world.

The realization of our integrality and interdependence on each person should, in essence, make our education independent of any sort of restrictions, in order for it to be based only on each person’s role in the integral system of humanity.

Based on a Q&A with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on September 9, 2006. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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