A tale of two evils
What underlies the systemic problems humans face
If we look clearly into the dynamics behind all the global crises that are affecting humans, we can see that there are two systemic causes that are deep and pervasive. One is the authoritarian, asymmetric power held by the few. Another is the rampant consumerism indulged by the many. If we don’t understand and address the root causes of these two evils, we will only at best postpone the inexorable descent toward an existential crisis of humanity at large.
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism may immediately bring to mind extreme instantiations such as dictatorial regimes. But it is all too prevalent even in seemingly free societies.
Ever since organized religion took hold of the vast majority of humankind, it has resulted in creating a corrupted power structure concentrated in the hands of the few, who supposedly act as the mediators between man and God. So humans have been systematically brainwashed to proxy their sense making and truth seeking to the chosen few, by being told what to think and not look into how to think.
Outsourcing one’s spiritual quest to the supposedly inviolable authority of a book or a preacher of some kind is at the very root of authoritarianism that has resulted in not only the spread of organized religions but also other organized thought structures like communism. While they may seem superficially very different, they all share the same underlying principle that one has to sacrifice the present for an imaginary utopian future promised by the powers that be.
And even in our free market based societies, there are many instances of authority being wielded with asymmetric power and control over worldwide policy making such as the deep state of the military industrial complex, global institutions like WTO, IMF etc. and the corporate powerhouses.
Another key area where authority and asymmetric power is exercised is education. Curriculum and testing standards set by a central authority and a classroom setting with the broadcast dynamic of a lecture as opposed to an interactive discussion dynamic and the resultant projection of authority by the teacher is a fundamental source of conditioning minds to act like machines and this is a huge topic in and of itself.
In addition to all these, the other significant authority that has asymmetric power to shape thinking and very much in bed with all the political, religious and corporate power structures is that of the news media. The rise of broadcast technology (press, radio and TV) in the last century resulted in this great rise of the authority of the media which gives so much power to the few in controlling what people think. The current mainstream media is a vestige of this asymmetric power and continues to be held by many as an authority of information and news which enables them to push false narratives to protect their vested interests at the expense of the common good.
The rise of ubiquitous social media and smartphones have posed a serious threat to the monopoly of the mainstream media in spreading fake news but on the flip side, has only ended up creating new centers of power in tech giants who now have immense capability to mine all the data and condition people in a way that mainstream media can only envy. So techno optimism fueled belief held by many that the answer lies in innovative new tech that can level the playing field may be sadly misplaced.
Consumerism
Consumerism is the other side of the coin that has become a convenient tool of the few to keep the many comfortably numb. If the authoritarian narrative pushed by organized religions and their warty outgrowths is to ‘sacrifice the present for an imaginary utopian future’, the consumerist narrative is the opposite and equally pernicious ‘all you got is the present, so maximize your pleasure’.
In effect, consumerism encourages people to make the most of their lives in a totally hedonistic fashion. It works just as well as a tool in mind control as people are rendered weak and incapable of right thinking due to a constant obsession with consuming more goods, services, entertainment, travel etc all with the intent of selfish pleasure seeking that strengthens the desire to get more at the expense of others.
This has resulted in extracting as much resources as we can from the common collective (earth, air and water), with no regard for sustainability. It has resulted in a system that prioritizes efficiency at all costs resulting in tremendous fragility, the effects of which we see today.
By replacing local food supply which is healthy and anti-fragile with importing of food crops from distant lands or replacing local manufacturing with sweatshops in poor parts of the world all in an effort to squeeze out as much efficiency and cost optimization as possible, it has introduced excessive reliance on global supply chains, transportation etc which are highly vulnerable to pandemics, wars, natural disasters etc.
The consumerist demand that encourages to maximize one’s material pleasures will only ensure that those whose supply optimizes for that demand win the market. All other talk one may hear about self-reliance, nationalism etc. are all tools that play into the other evil of authoritarianism.
Is there a way out?
While many well-intended reformers focus on either the short term work of targeted interventions to the current crises or the medium term work of repairing the existing institutions to make it less terrible as it were, and these may both be necessary to mitigate the systemic issues from boiling over for some time, it is definitely not sufficient for the long term unless the two evils underlying the human consciousness are addressed.
So what can be done, if anything, to address these two hugely potent evils found in every direction? The structure of thought that encourages authoritarianism and consumerism may be all too powerful across society and have even evolutionary origins that makes it very difficult to break free.
Can we start first at the individual level as to how I can be free of these evils? Actually it has to only start at the individual level and with enough individuals being free, it can have a natural bottom up impact on society. Starting with the other way with top down societal changes without touching the individual consciousness only results in one failed system replacing another as seen throughout history.
An individual can begin to be free of authoritarianism and consumerism inwardly.
By not outsourcing sense making to any organization of any kind, be it religious, news media, political, social etc.
By listening silently without biases of agreement or disagreement, thereby letting things stand on their own merit.
By living a simple life, not mindlessly seeking sensory pleasures that have nothing to do with the healthy survival of the body.
By engaging all the energies in taking up responsibility for oneself and increasingly larger groups of people wherever one finds oneself by working with one’s full capacity and doing so conscientiously.
By not instinctively consuming meaningless content when there is free time, but by being silent, taking nature walks, engaging in a meaningful conversations rather than frivolous chatter, writing which is a great way to organize one’s thoughts, and inquiring within into the deeper questions of life.
These and many more are not separate steps as it may seem but a natural and concomitant emergence out of a serious intent to live free inwardly.
Given our advancement outwardly in terms of technology, if we do not make a commensurate advancement inwardly, we will be soon staring only at doom and gloom. We cannot escape from it by retreating to even remote caves as the recent global pandemic showed or far worse, a future nuclear war would show.
So it is imperative upon any responsible individual to inquire how one can first live freely inwardly and then let it organically result in whatever action outwardly. If we engage in such a life, regardless of what the civilizational future holds, that will at least be a fulfilling life of meaning and contentment.
