Solutions 12/17/24

              STRENGTHENING THE NATION SOCIETY 

It appears that humanity has not yet figured out how to manage and sustain a progressive Nation stage society. Here are some thoughts. 

All of our instincts are based on survival auditing diversity. As human ingenuity has largely taken survival out of our equation, we need to take on the responsibility for ourselves, our actions and our future. Survival has been our parent for 4 billion years. Now, we need to become our own parents. 

There are a lot of things we could do better and a few things we could do over but there is a fundamental problem that may not have a solution. Fearful people are vulnerable to propaganda. There is an ever rising level of the population who is simply not capable of understanding the complexity of the accelerating social and technical advances and their impact on the future. This group of people are always going to be vulnerable to cults who rarely have their good in focus.   Maybe beneficial cults are a solution – otherwise known as religions. 

Sustained cooperation in a society depends on the encouragement of stabilizing behaviors 

• Clarity  
• Tolerance  
• Perspective  
• Respect  
• Interaction  
• Common commitments  
• Education  
• Social management  
• Inclusion  
• Maturity  
• Moderation      

and the discouragement of destabilizing behaviors.  

• Misinformation  
• Isolation  
• Ancient instincts  
• Insecurity  
• Confusion  
• Manipulation  
• Exclusion  
• Extremism   
   

 ENLIGHTENERS 

Clarity, Perspective 

[same text as Misinformation]  

A free, democratic society can not function without a strong source of responsible, trusted information. Greed and capitalism has turned professional journalism into an entertainment enterprise if not a propaganda organ. I don't know how to reestablish trusted professional journalism as both a practice and institution. Automated Intelligence may be the solution. I have seen evidence that it is not susceptible to propaganda and misinformation. I don't know if that is caused by selective training or just another surprising benefit of the current state of the art. If every posting was subject to an AI review, we might have a solution.  

Tolerance 

From the First Mother our instincts have been selectively bred to seek conformity and avoid diversity. This is another ancient instinct that needs to be acknowledged and managed.  

Perspective 

From the time of the First Mother, life has been bred to accept single examples as life long gospel (“My mother done told me”). This instinct, unmanaged, is the fundamental leverage of propaganda. Gaining the authority of a parent figure, propagandists can present carefully selected exceptions as generality and fabricated exceptions as truth. Modern government has to operate with beneficial propaganda to deal with a populace which doesn't or can't understand the complexities of modern societies. The balancing influences are professional journalists and professional scientists. The former illuminates perspective and the latter, what we have for facts.  

Respect  

This is a core principle for a society that embraces diversity in the face of very ancient and very strong instincts of bigotry and xenophobia. It take a lot of work to saddle those instincts and respect differences. Respect has to be taught and reinforced.  

Interaction  

Routine social contact with diverse people makes it easier to accept them. Isolation makes it easier to condemn and hate them.  

Common commitments  

This is the core of unity in an enlightened society. These need to be taught early and reinforced often. 

Education

We need a new Dr. Spock book to train parents.    If public schools could teach children how to acknowledge their instincts and prejudices, if public schools could teach children how to take responsibility for those instincts and prejudices so they could manage them, then those children could teach their own children those basics.  It may be useful to consider requiring all residents to pass the immigrant citizen's test before being granted a full citizen status.  Universal education establishes the common culture of the nation. Yet it must embrace all the diversities.  

Basic training in childhood, in the family, has been one of the greatest leverages for the success of the human species. In the Tribe stage societies, children and adults are constantly educated in the tribe's traditions. By the Nation stage, advances have required further public education from elementary education (universal basics) and intermediate education (practical basics) thru higher education (masters of the past) to graduate education (original research). The commonality of training in homes and schools is a powerful cohesive influence on the society.  

With the cultural revolt of the 1960's (which rejected the excessive conformity of the 1950's and tradition in general offering only eternal childhood), parenting was left without popular guidance. In subsequent generations, parents have known less and less about what to teach their children until they have abdicated most of their training responsibilities in favor of pleasing their children rather than disciplining them. They to get stuck in the mode of care taking infants and toddlers.  

Higher education has become enamored with teaching what is easy to grade. They offer courses preparing for professions but not courses for dealing with professions. They offer general education drawing upon the past [masters]. They fail to offer survival courses in all the professions: law, medicine, dentistry, finance, business, journalism, agriculture, economics, education, law enforcement...  

It is essential for the participants in a Nation stage society to be fully educated in the rights, obligations and goals of the society at large. Trying to limit general education to offering only instruction that no one objects to completely cripples the essential process. If a sub-culture doesn't embody respect for the rest of a nation's sub-cultures, they are failing to observe one of the fundamental obligations required to participate in the society. Sub-cultures have to be more tolerant than they are exclusive.  

In a rapidly progressing society, education has to continue from womb to tomb.  

Social Management  

Social Engineering, in it's original meaning, has an undeserved bad reputation. Top down management, socialism in this case, has long been demonized by the wealthy and powerful because it is the only adversary they can't defeat: government. Propaganda has focused on the “failures” of socialism, carefully ignoring the successes of European socialism and the general benefits of uniform regulation nation wide.  

Let's pause to acknowledge the root of the word “socialism” which is society. Society requires cooperation and conformity. That is what socialism does: support the whole society. It is the society. The rich and powerful can't defeat the massed influence of the masses they prey upon. When the herd turns on a predator, it is no contest.  

Social Engineering is a very new technology requiring constant innovation and maintenance. Any general program affecting a diverse population is going to fit better in some places than others. Any general program to improve life for all will always impinge on the lives of some. Then the program has to begin to adopt exceptions and nuances. Look to the religions. They have their extensive guidance in how to live one's life but it is always couched in some level of flexibility to try to fit as many as possible. Traditionalists put way too much emphasis on adverse consequences of experiments. To a traditionalist, anything that goes wrong has to be rectified with punishment. To an innovationist, everything is an experiment and surprise furthers our knowledge as much as satisfaction.  

The progress of innovation is a series of experiments and lessons. It is a constant process of extending our knowledge. Traditionalism is based on preserving experience of the past at the expense of experimenting with the future. The rich and powerful do not want to change the rules. They have figured out how to win big in the economic games and they don't want those games to change. They are naturally led to traditionalism and to oppose innovation that threatens their control.  

Most government social programs are simply sharing the abundance. The rich and powerful deeply resist them because they are the ones who are going to share and that is not in their character (with the exception of philanthropy which is generally based on a little bit of remorse and a great deal of camouflaging greater greed by sharing much smaller bounties. Most philanthropy is social engineering!).  

 
Inclusion  

Exclusion is related to xenophobia, condemnation, intolerance and bigotry. In order to include diversity on a broad basis as spelled out in the social contract, each of those instincts has to be acknowledged and managed. Education, training, parenting and example are the usual cures. 

Maturity  

The Individual stage requires the maturity of a young child.  The Family stage requires the maturity of an older child.  The Tribe stage requires the maturity of an adolescent.  The Nation stage requires the maturity of an adult.  

In each successive stage, participants are required to further limit instinctive and cultural behaviors present in the previous stage. The Family stage requires the limitation of hostile and violent competition in favor of cooperation. The tribe stage requires the additional limitation of devotion to family culture in favor of the tribe's culture. The Nation sage requires a great deal of additional limitation on the violent exclusion of other cultures in favor of tolerance and cooperation.  

In the Individual stage, survival of the species required consistency. In the tradition stages, survival of the society required discipline and conformity. All of these stages required exclusion for the survival of the species. None of these stages could afford the risk of extensive innovation outside of desperation. None of these stages require the assumption of responsibility for the consequences of their actions since tradition assures desirable consequences. Questioning consequences would mean question traditions and that is a taboo.  

The first three stages and the biome in general depends heavily on certainty to validate viability. Black or white thinking provides certainty. The Nation stage requires the skill of black and white thinking and tolerance of confusion.  

The abundance of the Nation stage allows for some irresponsibility and lack of discipline so long as mature management supervises. If the immature take over management, then decomposition is under way.  

Participation in a nation requires acknowledging instincts (genetic) and compulsions (cultural). It requires taking responsibility for them and for the consequences of our choices. It requires tolerance and respect for others. It requires adult maturity. 

From Brad Clark (The Maturity Model Guy)
What Are the Different Levels of Maturity?  

1. Emotional Maturity:  

• Level 1: Reactive: Defined by impulsive reactions, difficulty managing emotions, and blaming others for personal shortcomings.  
• Level 2: Aware: Recognizing emotions and their triggers, but struggling to regulate them effectively.  
• Level 3: Managed: Ability to identify and understand emotions, practice self-soothing techniques, and communicate effectively during emotional situations. 
• Level 4: Empathetic: Deep understanding of others’ emotions, showing compassion, and building strong, supportive relationships.   

2. Cognitive Maturity:  

• Level 1: Concrete: Difficulty with abstract thinking, relying on black-and-white perspectives, and struggling with problem-solving.  
• Level 2: Analytical: Developing critical thinking skills, questioning assumptions, and seeking evidence to support conclusions.  
• Level 3: Strategic: Ability to think ahead, plan for the future, and consider multiple perspectives when making decisions. 
• Level 4: Innovative: Thinking outside the box, generating creative solutions, and adapting to changing circumstances effectively.   

3. Social Maturity:  

• Level 1: Egocentric: Focusing solely on own needs and desires, lacking understanding of social cues, and struggling with interpersonal relationships. 
• Level 2: Aware: Recognizing social norms and expectations, but still prioritizing personal needs over others’.  
• Level 3: Cooperative: Able to work effectively in teams, compromise, and contribute to the greater good. 
• Level 4: Interdependent: Understanding the importance of healthy relationships, building strong social connections, and contributing positively to the community.   

4. Ethical Maturity:  

• Level 1: Self-Serving: Prioritizing personal gain over ethical considerations, justifying actions regardless of consequences.  
• Level 2: Rule-Following: Obeying external rules and regulations, but lacking internal moral compass.  
• Level 3: Principled: Guided by strong personal values, making ethical choices even when faced with challenges. 
• Level 4: Visionary: Advocating for social justice, promoting ethical practices, and inspiring others to do the same.   Remember, these levels are not rigid stages but rather guideposts on the path of continuous growth. We may exhibit different levels of maturity in different areas, and progress can be influenced by various factors, including life experiences, education, and personal motivation.  

-Brad Clark (The Maturity Model Guy)  
  
Moderation  

Listening to the thunder of extremists, it is easy to lose track of the value of moderates. Moderates reside in the middle between extremists on either side. They provide a buffer to keep the extremists constrained. At the same time, they have the ability to listen to both sides and extract the most useful from either or both. Extremists generate a lot of drama from their prejudices, but moderates are the ones who can evolve compromises and progress. All of that has been eclipsed by the unprecedented anonymity,  volume, unilateral prejudice and reach of the echo chambers endemic to the internet and cable television. 

Civility  

Civility is the core of civilization, not edifice complexes. Civility is based on being conscious of our impact on others and seeking to avoid verbal violence. As soon as we find ourselves shouting, we have fallen short of civility. As soon as we find ourselves operating without respect for others, we have fallen short of civility. Others are not required to earn our respect, we are required to grant it. Respecting another is not necessarily respecting their behavior.  
  
  ENDARKENERS 

Misinformation Rx: Fourth Estate, Clarity, Perspective, Education  

A free, democratic society can not function without a strong source of responsible, trusted information. Greed and capitalism has turned professional journalism into an entertainment enterprise if not a propaganda organ. I don't know how to reestablish trusted professional journalism as both a practice and institution. Automated Intelligence may be the solution. I have seen evidence that it is not susceptible to propaganda and misinformation. I don't know if that is caused by selective training or just another surprising benefit of the current state of the art. If every posting was subject to an AI review, we might have a solution.  

Isolation Rx: Homogenation, Interaction, Education  

By isolating segments of the population in echo chambers where they only hear one version of reality repeatedly, we have stimulated the regression to exclusive, tradition stage behaviors. Simply exposing people to people with a variety of beliefs tends to encourage tolerance. We also need the glue of common commitments to hold our society together. This is the function of the Bill of Obligations to mirror the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights protects people from abuse by the government. The Bill of Obligations protects the government from abuse by the people. [The Bill of Rights is enforceable, the Bill of Obligations is not.]  

Ancient instincts Rx: Maturity, Education  

Humanity has 4 billion years of selective breeding in our instincts, millions of years of selective breeding in our cultures. All of that is addressing survival. In a post traditional society, survival is no longer a dominant concern. Survival reflexes and compulsions are disruptive to cooperation. We have to educate all of the society to the presence and value of these ancient instincts so that they have the option to manage them.  

Since the First Mother, our ancestors who replaced some of their violent competition instincts with cooperative instincts have had a better chance of survival. Society's first job is keeping peace within the society which is a prerequisite to cooperation. By the time of the Nation stage, survival was no longer sculpting instincts and cultures. Nature is no longer our mother. It is time for us to become adults, aware of our instincts and responsible for our actions. 

Insecurity Rx: Reality, Education  

Hope and confidence encourage cooperation. Fear and distrust interfere with it. Ignorance and denial are ever so vulnerable to manipulation. Hope and confidence need to be realistic to limit destructive manipulation. Education about the strengths and weaknesses of our society, technology and government is essential to realistic hope and confidence.  

Confusion Rx: Computer Models, Education  

The complexity of modern societies, economies and technologies are inherently confusing. They are simply beyond the grasp of our feeble minds whose intellect has been bred out of our genes for millions of years. We are particularly weak in anticipating consequences. One way of addressing this is the continued emphasis on computer modeling. Computer models can be built to take on more and more complex systems and they can be better a predicting consequences. 

Manipulation Rx: Education  

People are manipulated when their ancient reflexes are selectively stimulated. As the populace becomes more aware of their ancient reflexes, they will be better able to detect manipulation. 

Exclusion Rx: Common Ground, Tolerance, Common Commitments  

We have ancient instincts to avoid or compete with people who are “different” (xenophobia). Talking to strangers stimulates ancient instincts to cooperate. Finding common ground assures it.  

Extremism Rx: Buffer of moderation; accurate information, Respect, Education  

Extremists are nothing more than allegiance to Tribe stage behavior beyond alliance to Nation stage behavior. Extremists have a very narrow perspective and great conviction. They always have two roles to play in a functioning society. The first is to keep the rest of us aware of their pet issue. The second is to provide a decomposition agency to tear apart corrupted societies. Moderation provides a buffer to contain extremism. Accurate information protects the populace from being manipulated by extremist bigotry.