Willard Jule asks:
>So is it possible for us to help others see this interdependent reality
>which will enable them to interact differently with their situations and
>thereby create results that add value for a broader set of stakeholders
>without subtracting value from some other set?
I would respond, yes, it is possible for us to see this interdependent
reality for ourselves and, indeed, in seeing it we cannot help but try to
help others see it as well. What might be the best way to do this? We
may manifest kindness, generosity, and forgiveness in an unkind, selfish,
and spiteful world because we know that if we are one, only the former
behaviors would make sense. Can we get others to behave in a like manner?
Perhaps by exhibiting virtuous behaviors, we help to create an environment
that, to adapt to, suggests that others behave in a similar, civil way.
Another way to ask Willard's question would be "Is it possible to create
win-win for all of us?" The answer I suppose is that if we don't do this,
we reduce the possibility of long term success for all of us. If everyone
doesn't win, no one wins. To help others appreciate that idea, we must
work very hard at succeeding, help others at the same time, and be humble
and thankful for what ever success we achieve.
Finally, can we actually expect everyone to see the world in this way?
Can we expect that people will stop acting in self-destructive ways? Can
we hope for a psychologically healthy world? I guess we can hope for it,
but it seems there are a lot of people who just aren't going to get it.
Nevertheless, we can still be kind and appreciate any slight insight we
might have into the wholeness of reality and the interdependence that
Willard talks about.
-- John Woods jwoods@execpc.com