Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What needs to be changed in humans?“

A Global Trends Report by the US National Intelligence Council predicted the pandemic back in 2017. They warned that the next 20 years will be chaotic and turbulent: the slowdown of population growth, major aging of the populace, and climate change; storms, hurricanes, floods and heat waves will lead to an increase in migration. International relations will become unpredictable; ties will not be established and potentially break apart. There will also be an increase in famine. The pandemic will have a long-term impact. There will be growing distrust of medicine, science, authorities and politics, and eruptions of protests and riots. In short, according to the report, we face a bleak future.

We see that many reasons are emerging for us to change.

Give humanity a good future and it will go completely wild. In the Soviet Union, we were told that things would get better, that in ten years we would arrive at communism and capitalism with the promised slogan: “Don’t worry, business will grow, and everything will get better.” Seemingly the promise of a better future is not a very good idea today after all. Those who propagated this ideology tell us “Let us lead and everything will be great for you in the future. In the meantime, go on as you were, and be content.” However, having clear hope and faith that everything will be better is no solution.

If nature’s course and our course are unaligned, then nature must force us to correct ourselves, to change. It is a process, and we initially need to see a bleak picture of the future in the event that we fail to change. We need to see a clear dependence and connection between the person’s internal state and nature’s external state. In other words, if we change, everything around us also changes. Nature influences us this way, through an opposite, negative connection. It will force us to change through all sorts of problems, and by doing so, we discover this dependence.

We will come to the realization that we have no other way out and that the only way to break out of this rotting corporeal existence is to become a self-changing being. A human being is one who strives to be like the Creator. This is expressed in Hebrew, where the word “Adam” (“human being”) stems from the words “Domeh le Elyon” (“similar to the most high”). The Creator is the immense unified force of nature, the giving force, which births everything emanating from itself. We need to become like that force. We need to reach a state where we treat everything outside of us with total love, and then everything will fall into place.

Indeed, we must change and reach a state of likeness to the Creator, where we emanate love, kindness and warmth. One day, we will desire this state more than life itself. Moreover, we need nothing but such an alignment. Also, we should think beyond mere self-transformation and consider global transformation—that the whole world will acquire the quality of love and bestowal. Through the human level, the animate, vegetative and inanimate levels will also change. In the end, absolutely everything—the still, vegetative, animate, and human levels—will be at the degree of mutual, eternal and boundless love. Then, in this huge desire, which will be common on all four levels, the upper force will manifest and envelop everything within itself, and the world will take on a singular form.

The foundations for this transformation are being laid and we must give the optimal shape to this act of nature and our personal aspiration, to aim it correctly through our appeal to humanity. Since we are sentient beings, then it will happen. We can be intimidated, brought to our knees, coerced, and we can thus be taught. At the moment, nature is relating to us more and more like a misbehaving youth, giving us blows in order for us to wake up to the change we need to make. While we can train an animal to the point of becoming a well-behaved animal, we can change a human being in a way where he rises above his nature.

The report from current-day experts is very acceptable and realistic, to put it mildly. There will be various waves from different sides, and they will batter us. We will be unable to keep up and to react with effective remedies unless we get smarter. We will gradually reach an agreement with the upper force that coerces us. The current pandemic will subside and give way to the next wave. And we will try to cope with the next wave too through our own efforts, trying to do something about it. We will come to see how selectively these waves of all kinds of suffering will affect us, forcing us to change.

Our first and most important realization is that pain will be the source of wisdom. Nature will continue battering us, and through the relatively continuous blows we will receive from nature, we will grow in our understanding of where nature guides us. These waves will depend on the extent of our intelligence. Here, we can already engage another higher and more connected level of consciousness, and the people in touch with that consciousness should pass it on to the best of their abilities.

Based on a talk with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Semion Vinokur. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What were the justifications of Barcelona FC to insist on playing against Beitar Jerusalem, not in Jerusalem?“

There was supposed to be a friendly football match between Beitar Jerusalem and Barcelona FC, but the game was canceled. Why? Barcelona decided that they did not want to play in Jerusalem because of pressure put on them by various pro-Palestinian bodies who stated that playing in Jerusalem would disrespect Barcelona’s Palestinian fans, who want Jerusalem as their capital. Beitar Jerusalem owner Moshe Hogeg since canceled the match stating that

a game against Beitar Jerusalem deserves to take place in Jerusalem, and if the motive for its not taking place in Jerusalem is political and I submit to it, I will not be [at peace] with myself. I cannot betray Jerusalem.

Now the way I see it, it was the right decision to make. It is respectful toward Israel, and in general, I think that we need not concede to anyone in this regard. It has nothing to do with the game. If you look at things from a broader perspective, the international arena is applying more and more pressure on us.

It seems as if the Palestinians are doing better and better in their explanation, and we are doing worse and worse. Why?

It is because we are failing in our correction of “Love your neighbor as yourself.” First of all, we lack this correction among each other, Israelis. If we reach a common state of love, where all of Israel are friends, then we will see how the entire world will start treating us positively and favorably.

Can we separate the terrible attitude of Israelis toward each other inside Israel, the relations between us and the world, and between us and the Palestinians? No. We cannot put our attitudes toward each other aside.

We cannot separate what goes on inside of Israel and what goes on in the world, Palestinians or no Palestinians. This is because we are a miniature model of the world. Being Israeli is not a nationality. Israel is a gathering of the nations of the world who have since forgotten about the special connection they shared.

If we connect with each other lovingly and with mutual assistance, then we will project positive forces to the world. The positive force of love and connection that we would draw to ourselves and pass on would compel others to think and act positively to one another.

The world would then relate favorably toward us. Everything and everyone would calm down. It all depends on Israel. In the meantime, in Israel, we are always in each other’s faces. That is the problem. It is why so many people hate us and want to do us harm.

It is up to us. The forces of the world will not change. The laws of nature are absolute. If we aspire to make our connections positive, then we will draw a positive influence onto ourselves, and become a conduit for that positive influence to spread throughout humanity.

Based on a talk between Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Oren Levi, “An Inside Look.” Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “How can we create a balance between the preservation of local cultures and the development of a global community?“

We can create a balance between the preservation of local cultures and the development of a global community on condition that we treat each other according to the law of “Love your neighbor as yourself,” i.e. with mutual love, when we feel other people as cells feel other cells in the organism to which they belong. Each cell helps the others, and is obligated to support and complement the body’s other cells.

This is how we need to treat each other. It is also what nature demands of us. We belong to a single village, one humanity and one species, so in essence, we belong to a single organism. If we start relating to each other as such, then we will develop optimally, in the form and speed that is suitable for us. By doing so, we will achieve balance between different cultures and humanity as a whole. We will each then be able to add something of ourselves to the community.

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 can we do to prepare humanity for impending crises?“

We need to upgrade our education so that we all learn that our problems and crises are a result of our imbalance with nature, since nature is altruistic and we are egoistic.

Until we change ourselves from egoistic to altruistic, and bring ourselves to balance with nature by doing so, then we will fail to resemble nature on its “human” or “speaking” level. After all, in all other levels—the still, vegetative and animate levels—we instinctively resemble nature. However, on the human level, we have freedom of choice.

It is by our own free choice, our personal efforts, that we achieve balance and adaptation with nature. We will then feel the eternity, perfection and harmony present in the altruistic sphere of nature outside of our narrow egoistic nature.

Otherwise we have no feeling of nature, but only its opposite. We feel the opposite side of nature in the negative phenomena we experience, on the ecological, physical and physiological level (disease), on the speaking level (depression, anxiety, suicide, drug abuse and divorce), and in the social sphere (terrorism, wars and violence).

The first step we must immediately take in order to avoid our collision with a global problem, an upshot of catastrophes—is to explain the reason for our misfortunes to humanity, which is solely in our attitude to each other.

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 can we do to prepare humanity for impending crises?“

We need to upgrade our education so that we all learn that our problems and crises are a result of our imbalance with nature, since nature is altruistic and we are egoistic.

Until we change ourselves from egoistic to altruistic, and bring ourselves to balance with nature by doing so, then we will fail to resemble nature on its “human” or “speaking” level. After all, in all other levels—the still, vegetative and animate levels—we instinctively resemble nature. However, on the human level, we have freedom of choice.

It is by our own free choice, our personal efforts, that we achieve balance and adaptation with nature. We will then feel the eternity, perfection and harmony present in the altruistic sphere of nature outside of our narrow egoistic nature.

Otherwise we have no feeling of nature, but only its opposite. We feel the opposite side of nature in the negative phenomena we experience, on the ecological, physical and physiological level (disease), on the speaking level (depression, anxiety, suicide, drug abuse and divorce), and in the social sphere (terrorism, wars and violence).

The first step we must immediately take in order to avoid our collision with a global problem, an upshot of catastrophes—is to explain the reason for our misfortunes to humanity, which is solely in our attitude to each other.

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 do you define good and bad?“

Good is when we progress in a direction that brings us closer to balance with nature, and not in directions concocted by the human mind.

The more we develop, the more nature trashes man-made ideological directions for the world, and pressures us to discover balance with itself.

“Good” thus becomes our voluntary motion to the balance that nature wants us to experience.

If, however, we move involuntarily, then we feel bad.

Our growing imbalance with nature gives rise to myriad problems and crises on all levels of life—personal, social, economic and ecological—in order to ultimately pressure us to change our direction to a good one.

Alternatively, we can also say that nature’s pressures are also good, because the more we experience negative phenomena in our lives, the more they prod us to examine the direction our lives are headed, and then reach a decision to change direction sooner rather than later.

The point is that we should not feel good while we grow in our imbalance with nature, and instead progress toward balance with nature, which is where nature pushes us. A bad feeling in our egoistic approach to life, where we exist in opposition to nature, is thus good, because from the negative sensation in our egoistic lives, we come closer to finding a solution in a new altruistic direction, balanced with nature.

In order to pay more attention to what nature wants from us, we should consider where we are, and what is our surrounding nature?

Nature is an interconnected and interdependent system. Everything exists harmoniously in nature, and so if we organize ourselves with harmonious relations, then we can realize the harmony existing in nature in our own relations.

We should consider that nature consists of four levels—inanimate, vegetative, animate and human—and we humans comprise its highest level, the center of creation. Balance with nature comes down to us at the human level developing positive connections with each other. We should thus listen to nature, pay attention to what it wants us to understand, trust it and go with its flow.

Everything will work out when we reach balance with nature. Most importantly, we should discover a new world in the positive connections among us, as such connections hold the key to a positive life for everyone and for nature as a whole.

Based on a talk with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman and Semion Vinokur. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman, On Quora: “TV is a very powerful communication medium. Why do we use it to spread such unimportant information?“

Television is a source of information for the masses, and since the lowest and basest desires are what the masses have in common, then television mostly caters for such desires.

The problem, however, is not with the level of the masses.

If those behind TV programming would think about how to elevate the level of the masses, instead of being led by the lowest and basest desires, then it would become a great and respectable educational tool.

Instead, however, TV is mostly used to sell what the masses like, catering to their most common desires. The top priority of those behind TV programming is to profit as much as possible, which is achieved through selling as much as possible. Therefore, there is little to no consideration about the education of society and raising the consciousness of the masses.

If the people behind TV’s programming would consider humanity’s future, and together with psychologists and education experts, think about how to increase the consciousness of the masses, then TV would become a major means of raising a more harmonious and happy society. In fact, we can place our hopes for a better future into using our communication means in order to raise human consciousness. Authorities should ideally put an end to such a lowly use of the means of mass information as it exists today, and seek to replace it with programming aimed at raising human consciousness. The course to humanity’s positive future depends on the expansion of such education, which TV and other mass media can aid if their owners so choose.

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: “Are cities the future?“
Thanks to technological development, humanity will not be concentrated in big cities, but just the opposite, it will expand outwardly. People will be able to work at home, and they will also have consumer products delivered to their homes. The house will be the bedroom as well as the workplace, and generally the place where we spend the greater part of our lives. The notions of “the city center” and “downtown” will disappear from the world, and our cities will acquire an expansive and balanced form.

Also, I very much hope that as soon as humanity understands that human interrelationships need to be altruistic and mutually considerate, then correspondingly, cities will also reform: everything will be for the person’s benefit, in order for the person to take care of society, and for society to take care of each person. This will lead to very big changes in city structures.

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 produce renewable energy?“

We use only a very small proportion of the possible productivity of energy sources that we receive from nature, and it is because we use nature egoistically. In other words, since our principal consideration is how to benefit ourselves at the expense of others and nature, we accordingly extract only a tiny amount of nature’s available energy.

If, however, we were to treat nature altruistically, if we were able to work with nature according to the same altruistic principle by which it treats us, then we would be able to receive all of nature’s available energy.

What humanity lacks is an understanding of what nature is at its source, and how it operates. Put simply, nature is an altruistic quality. It relates to the entire creation on the still, vegetative, animate and human levels with no consideration of self-benefit, but only for the benefit of the creation. If we would exercise such an attitude among each other, aiming to implement an attitude of “Love your neighbor as yourself,” then we would be able to extract much more energy from nature, and we would achieve balance and equilibrium with nature and feel no deficits. We would join nature harmoniously, integrally, and receive a positive reaction from it instead of a negative one.

It is as if nature unwillingly shares its energy with us today, as if it is obligated to free up a small part of its energy resources for us. However, by achieving balance with nature, we will be able to receive the inexhaustible energy that is inherently placed in every atom. That is why, in essence, the solution for our positive future lies in our transition from egoistic relationships to altruistic ones, and undergoing the required education in order make such a transition smoother.

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 the increase in access to the Internet among low-income communities help to promote social and economic development?“

With the help of the Internet, every person in the world can access unlimited sources of information almost at no cost. This means is equal for everyone all around the world. Even though the human ego is behind its development, nevertheless it is bound to awaken in us an understanding of humanity as an interconnected single body. Through increasing awareness about our true state as an interconnected humanity, I hope that we will experience positive global transformation, as quickly as possible, even in our days.

In the end, information, communications and technology might not achieve socio-economic development of the poorer layers of the world’s population, but we will understand that we must change our attitude to the world and to our connections—from egoistic to altruistic.

As such, we will become equal. We cannot remain in the illusion that if we will now divide everything equally, then the world will change. Such a division will not lead to beneficial changes in the world. We have already seen how this happens. By doing so, we only interfere with people working and developing. On the contrary, we need to bring a new realization to people, according to which everyone should be treated as a single family, altruistically. We will then make the world equal, happy and perfect.

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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