THE BREAKDOWN OF HUMANITY'S HUMANITY WHY ELDERS ARE THE ONES TO FIX IT
THE BREAKDOWN OF HUMANITY's HUMANITY
WHY ELDERS ARE THE ONES TO FIX IT
Our ancient ancestors, 9,000 years ago, were able to build huge Neolithic structures engraved with architectural detail into massive stones. The engravings exhibited how early humans built huge traps, known as desert kites, to catch wild animals.
The animals snared furnished food, clothing, blankets, medicine, and shelter structural elements. Desert kites were our ancestors' disruptive technology which enabled our antecedents to survive. You are here because of this technology.
The advent of disruptive technologies has been interspersed throughout human history, each causing remarkable progress and astonishing achievements. But now, the emergence of these technologies has moved from a sprinkling to a pour.
Just in the last few years, Artificial Intelligence, Machine to Machine Learning, Blockchain, Crypto Currency, Virtual and Augmented Reality, 3D Printing, Renewable Energy, Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics, Gene Editing, Big Data and Analytics, and Nanotechnology – discharging into our everyday lives.
However, be warned the price of these achievements also accelerates the erosion of what it means to be human. We've lost a good bit already.
The loss of humanity has tremendous implications for society, communities, relationships, and individuals now and into the future. Moreover, the loss of humanity portends grave consequences for the earth's sustainability and all the creatures now upon it.
But our inherent transcendent assets will be the most significant of all losses. Transcendence refers to surpassing or going beyond ordinary limits or boundaries in the context and consciousness of human beings.
Transcendent properties refer to qualities or aspects that extend beyond the physical or material realm and touch the deeper dimensions of existence.
Without holding onto these intangible assets, we will be confined to the transactional zone without access to the transformational zone. As a result, what it means to be human will be restricted. Consciousness corralled.
HUMANITY
The definition of humanity is "compassionate and sympathetic, with generous behavior or disposition: the quality or state of being humane." Unfortunately, our humanity, which makes humans human, is now in danger of extinction.
Our early ancestors, driven by survival instincts, required solid communal bonds that relied on cooperation and mutual support. Bonds needed unwavering trust, commitment, and deep connection with others.
But these cement-like bonds were tightly held by the rebar of empathy, compassion, and high regard for others. Instead, the constantly expanding and almost infinite power of technology, pushing for cultural changes it commands, promotes isolation, selfishness, and materialism—the opposite of what's needed for humanity to be present.
Today, in our Western culture's silent yet unmistakable religion of scientific materialism, where the screen is the altar, the priests' Google, Amazon, Meta, and Apple, with OpenAI recently anointed as pope—devoutly praying at our screens being our pews. But, unfortunately, our digital religious fervor is disconnecting us further from our humanity.
That which makes us human is disappearing. The ability to experience life, love, communicate, appreciate nature, become self-actualized, and consider other spiritual realms, is going away.
HOW ELDERS WILL COUNTER
One particular feature of elders is their extraordinary capacity for empathy. Empathy is the most decisive element in reopening the gates of humanity. Hence, elders can be a gateway for humanity to occur in others because they deliver authentic empathy.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. In contrast, sympathy is feeling bad for someone because of their circumstances. Sympathy is feeling bad for the other person; empathy is feeling what the other person feels - a much deeper emotional connection.
We have repeatedly witnessed that being with an elder who provides genuine empathy ignites the humanity in others. When people are more human with each other, relationships, communication, and intentions manifest differently.
Empathy is the kindling to reignite those ancestral bonds - unwavering trust, commitment, and deep connection with others.
Elders can provide empathy because they have become highly conscious, emotionally attuned, and sensitive to their own humanity. This heightened awareness of their humanity allows elders to recognize and relate to the humanity in others and speak to it, which brings their humanity forward.
To provide unfiltered empathy, elders mastered suspending presuppositions - judgments, assessments, and convictions about themselves and others. Not that these presuppositions won't recur, but elders can release them quickly, clearing the runway for empathy.
Elders know empathy can't be faked. Empathy is also physiologic. There are neural and sensory receptors coupled in an empathetic linkage. Receptor sites live in every part of the body. Facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice all powerfully and silently communicate. Empathy is a phenomenologic and physiologic event. It's a feeling, not an intellectual concept.
Elders sing the lyrics of the song of empathy, first recorded by the Beattle's, "I Am The Walrus. "I am he as you are he as you are me. And we are all together…Come together. Come together right now."
GUEST SANGHA CALL
The next Guest Sangha call is on June 28th, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm PT.
Becoming an elder is not a matter of age as much as it is a matter of wisdom, experience, and the ability to guide and inspire others.
Becoming an elder is the will to drop the former identities and history and to be a creative and responsible force in designing their late age future.
Becoming an elder transforms how you introduce yourself.
To register: https://form.jotform.com/230334570253044
