Power

You and I can talk about all the forces of human nature, but there is one thing we all are naturally compelled to pursue: power. 

Curiosity and world-learning involves the testing of limits. As children many physical limits will be pursued until there is injury or correction. An extrapolation of this means that we test the limits of our power and influence over our world. And while adults no longer jump off the couch or take their toys to the extreme, the idea is preserved. In this same currency and power are 

Let's define power as money as they operate on many parallels but while the former is an ethereal idea, the other is concrete and objective. I do not believe this is a large leap of connection. Power now has a numerical value with currency. More money will always mean more power. 
Note also that the old adage "it takes money to make money" holds true. This is important to recognize as it highlights the divide between having some money to invest and compound, while having no money means that most small gains are lost. It takes power to make power. 

Now, money/power takes on its own form and works its ways on men to aggregate, control, and concentrate itself into ever denser entities. In the same scheme as power = money, an aggregate of money often can form a corporation. While I admit this is a greater stretch, bear with the argument as all 

While not inherently evil-purposed such high concentrations of money will always influence decision making to erode any walls that contain it. For example, manipulation of lawmaking, crumbling working conditions, absorption of smaller parallel entities, and employing grander and grander economies of scale. These all come at costs, big or small, to their communities. 

While these are all grandiose end results, the point is that small concessions are made to accommodate more success. Greater and greater profits are expected in the economic power struggle. And this cycle becomes runaway the greater the currency concentration and as controls stagnate as power overwhelms the system. 

In this erosion many individuals are employed to improve the situation of their "corporate ownership". Cost cutting and efficiency improvement both fall easily into this category. While not inherently evil, many peoples work over a long period of time who work unopposed will cause the corporation to slowly enter the domain of evil in many different complicated ways. And as power collects, it also protects itself through the use of law, manipulation, and lack of study. 

In many cases even when poor "corporate" decisions are originally made and later game-changing conclusions are reached, there is no reversal of decision because A, those conclusions are suppressed and B, because the required power to stop a corporation in motion requires such great power itself - an equal behemoth or a respected control; neither of which are easy to come by. 

It is also extremely easy for money/power to work on the minds of shot-callers as they are very often in the position to see the profit and to be protected from the downsides. In this light, profit should be heavily scrutinized as the easiest targets for cost savings are the most vulnerable components without voices.

In reality this is no individual's fault. There are some bad apples amongst the power-concentrated who should be ousted. The key is that many, many individuals placed into similar power-positions will make extremely similar decisions in light of this argument. These power-positions are roles to be filled, but the forces acting on whichever individual are of the same encroaching, corrupting, overwhelming nature of concentrating power/money. 

This is not down with capitalism, this is about recognizing the innate human desire for power. As we realize that it is natural, we must learn not to fight it, but to understand it and place simple logical controls so that downsides are minimized and communities do not suffer.


As the rules fall short we must continue the endeavor to understand that power to which we are all drawn. 

I, We, Gaia, pt 2

You are the world. 

Hold on, we're not done with that word yet. You are the world. 

Even as small as you perceive yourself to be in the grand scheme of things, you are an alive, conscious, member of this society and universe. That is amazing. That is something to take within yourself and live every action by. You were made from the world, you are in it and experiencing it now, and you will return to it in 5....4...3...2...1...

Take your life and live it on purpose with that knowledge. Learn from everything. Have goals. Be at peace. Be charitable. Have humility. Be zealous. 

Engage.

Engage with, not only yourself, but everyone around you. Cut those out that have bad intentions or that need to be left behind - but you will never even know who those people are unless you engage them. 

Stop with your ongoing inner monologue. Listen.

An empty bowl is more useful than a full one. Accept what others say and look for deeper meaning - don't just wait for your turn to speak - conversation is a flow, unless you're trying to tell a personal story start to finish. 

You are the world. When you speak to someone it is you, the world, speaking to itself. Don't let it pass you by, for any reason.