AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT "SELF"

[prof]

AN ANALYSIS OF THE SELF AS IT MOVES TO HIGHER STAGES OF VALUE

Preliminary remarks: After learning to read and write, it would be an advance for civilization if children the world over would then learn the distinction between fact and value. They will be aware then that creativity – a value – is the result of playing around with known facts, with perceived properties, recombining them, re-arranging them in a novel way that results in something different and useful to the world, or at least to the one who creates. We are, by nature, value-generating organisms. So it is only natural when we innovate, upgrade, enhance, add value; this is at our best how we function. This is normal for us.

Now let us examine the evolution within an individual as s/he develops from “self-centric” to “axio-genic” …to adopt a couple of words employed by the Axiogenics coaches – educators and facilitators for those (kids and adults) who are ready to learn.
We shall, in our analysis, go from the ‘bad’ to ‘okay’ to ‘better’ to ‘best !’ -- [We shall use the S, E and I tools which I have mentioned in earlier threads and posts, analyzing "honesty" and "a good action."]

We start with the concept “selfishness". This – from an Ethical perspective – is the bad ! [Technically speaking, in the discipline of Formal Axiology, selfishness is a Transposition of Values: it is a mix-up of , an incongruity. ] Selfish individuals do not think about anyone else. They just want what they want, and take it. It is inconsideration.

Hence we may define it as: “Taking what I want without consideration for others.”

Perhaps selfish people say to themselves: “I’m better than you.” They think they are superior to the rest of us. They lack humility. These people may believe they are a member of an aristocracy, an elite, looking down their noses at others. {They OVER-VALUE themselves.}

Yet some selfish individuals UNDER-VALUE themselves. Cognitively, they may be telling themselves: “I’m not worthy of being given anything. If I don’t grab my share, someone else is going to take it.”
Transposing values gets to the concept “selfishness.”

Let’s move up a notch. Systemically valuing self we arrive at another concept: Self-interest. This is okay. There is nothing wrong with being self-interested: Babies, children, adolescents, all display this in a big way – until maturity is reached …which could occur at any age. At maturity, one feels some responsibility for others, along with pursuing one’s individual needs; one starts to care beyond the narrow self. {Many who have self-interest have found a balance in life where they neither overvalue nor undervalue themselves ....but they still have not yet found this balance for the world outside themselves.}

In contrast, the Extrinsic value of self is: Self-development. This is a form of self-interest – a more-evolved form. Yet better than mere self-interest. Now one seeks out teachers, coaches, therapists in the quest for self-improvement, or one engages in self-study. Let’s go to a higher stage:

The Intrinsic value of the self (the axiogenic awareness) is: Self-transcendence to enlightenment – along with humility.. Of all the stages mentioned, this is the best !!!

Once a person has enlightened-self-interest he or she knows that: “What helps you, if it really does help you, helps me.” “What affects you directly, affects me indirectly.” We rise or fall together. …and this applies to all the people on Earth.” “What we are trying to accomplish is: a high quality of life for all.”

This entails that we minimize suffering whenever we can, for when people are hurting they tend to be self-centered. Social injustice causes people to hurt, so it follows that we ought to pursue Social Justice.

Once a person is enlightened he knows that we are all just trying to make a life, that cooperation helps, that civic responsibility is important. He knows that transparency, and authenticity, and integrity, are great values to have. He wants to be of service. He wants to uplift and boost others. He wants to create value. He is now mindful of doing every act in the most efficient manner possible with a view to encouraging a higher quality of life for one and all. He sees the human species as all one family; he has, so to speak, extended his ethical compass, swept in, as his in-group, a larger amount of people. He embraces a variety within a unity. He is aware that we all do better when WE ALL do better. He consciously observes Ethical principles and has made a habit of living by them.

These aren't just words ! This is ETHICS !! It will remain theoretical for you until YOU apply it..

COMMENTS? QUESTIONS?

[duszek]

This sounds very nice but from the Darwinian point of view only the fittest survive.



That is why people bully each other, want to keep up with the Jones or rather be better than the Jones and enjoy their envy.

Their argument could be: otherwise life will be boring, if everyone is sweet and charming this is a nightmare of boredom.

Friede, Freude, Eierkuchen. = Peace, joy, egg cake.

[duszek]

There are alpha males like John in the novel "John´s Wife" who take care of their fiefdoms.

Everybody else tries to get a piece of cake from John.

Democracy ?
Look at Marge. A woman who tried hard to resist John and never succeeded.

Civilization means that we proceed from physical carnage (still practiced in many parts of the world) to psychological bullying.

[Impenitent]

oh no, we can't have communist utopia unless you deny your humanity...

you must be a slav... er perfect citizen in the new order of goodness and perfection and unselfishness

another brick in the new tower of Babel...

-Imp

[prof]

another brick in the new tower of Babel...

-Imp

Why do you lay such a brick on a tower, Imp ?

All your negative thoughts keep you from realizing your full potential. You are impeding your own development. Why?

__________________

“One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it or not: what is the purpose of life? From the moment of birth every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affects this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness”

~ The Dalai Lama


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Have you seen the “People Live for Good” TV commercial from Allstate Insurance? Listen especially for the last sentence the girl says. View it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI1bKm22Up0



"Go for the GOOD! Live your best! Love your life! "

Peter D Demarest
http://www.amindforsuccess.com

[prof]

There are alpha males like John in the novel ...

Civilization means that we proceed from physical carnage (still practiced in many parts of the world) to psychological bullying.

Why dwell on the negative?

The point of the original post is that it is possible for you and I to advance beyond bullying, and beyond spousal - or any other type of - abuse, to a more-developed stage, and thus to gain higher value. Don't you, in life, want more value?

Do you believe in education? If so, get busy educating. Use stories by Tolstoy if you prefer to offer fictional references. In your classes, you could use Letters from a Birmingham Jail by M. L. King as your text material. We need to introduce values into the curriculum.

Become the change you want to see in the world.

[prof]

This sounds very nice but from the Darwinian point of view only the fittest survive.



That is why people bully each other...

As I understand Darwin, and I may be wrong, the "fittest" means "the most adaptable."

Is it possible that sweet cooperation will help our species adapt better than any bullying, envy, greed?

Greed is an obsessive-compulsive disorder; it is a neurosis. Due to education some day everyone will be aware of this at a young age. Bullying is violently coercive; it often results in suffering. The whole idea of aiming for a quality life means that you are to do the things that get you there. The flip side of this is to suffer less. You want that, don't you?

What gets us there? The Four Laws of Life get us there.
They are: Know yourself. Choose and accept yourself. Create yourself. Give yourself.
(with thanks to Robert S. Hartman.)
If there is interest, we can explore each one in more detail in future posts.)


Be a love-finder rather than a fault-finder !

[prof]

Enlightenment means being attuned to good news and to developments and technologies that will help make for a quality life for all.

Here is some good news I just learned:

http://www.geni.org/globalenergy/librar ... 3-08.shtml



Can you offer us some recent good news?

[duszek]

I am not a teacher.

What are the values in "Anna Karenina" ?

That you should follow your passions ?
Even if the object of your passion is selfish ?

[prof]

...I was thinking of The Death of Ivan Ilyich" by Leon Tolstoy, a briefer story - rather than War And Peace.

If you read it, you won't even have to ask what are the values it teaches. You will know. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Ivan_Ilyich

However, this write-up does not do the story justice: it is about a man who reflects upon who has really cared, who has been loving to him, in his life.

It turns out to be (mainly) his butler.

[duszek]

But was he a lovable person himself ?

Was Henry James a lovable person ?

I read the biographical novel "The Master" for the second time.

We usually wish to be loved (by the right people) and yet would we love someone like ourselves ?

Some people exchange emotional generosity.
Some people are infatuated in a resentful way.

Love is not easy.

[prof]

But was he a lovable person himself ? .

Not particularly. The point of the story is that he learned - at the end - what really matters in life.

He had plenty of money and influence. He could show all the symbols of wealth. But when he was dying only one person really gave a damn. He learned that money can't buy love.

[duszek]

I see.

But some people may argue in favor of fame and money and sneeze on love, as an illusion and something you can buy from a professional provider.

How many people care about love more than anything else ?

Cynics don´t.

It is cool to be a cynic.

[prof]

.

It is even cooler to be enlightened


BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD


In other words, stop worrying so much about the cynics and other jerks. Work on your own [and on those with whom you might have some influence - say if you have become a Big Brother (or Big Sister) - i.e., a mentor to some younger individual from a deprived background)] self-development.

There is always room for more self-improvement no matter how morally-advanced you have become. Take the material norms (that is, the Theoretical Ethics that is relevant to Applied Ethics) and make them into obligatory norms for your own life. Live up to the highest ideals in which you believe.

[duszek]

And if you get depressed because the ideals are beyond reach ?

What you recommend is putting oneself under an enormous pressure.

I read yesterday that one should live to the real inner maxims of one´s life.
They can be very pedestrian:
I wish security and therefore accumulate like a greedy beast.
Or: I wish good company and everything else is less important.
Or: I wish strong emotions and adventures.

Perhaps one should first go to a psychoanalyst and find out what is the most important thing in one´s life ?
Or to a hypnotiser.

And if the truth is ugly ?

Then go to some school of thought and reprogramme oneself ?

What´s the inner maxime of your life ?