The Principle:
The state of society is a delayed reflection of the collective self-image of mankind. The world becomes what we imagine it to be.
Explanation
Imagine this: what if everyone on Earth shared a common understanding of the purpose of life? In this theoretical scenario, let’s say the purpose of human existence is to excavate Mount Everest. Our mission is to dig the mountain away entirely. What would happen?
Naturally, the majority of humanity would gather around Mount Everest to contribute to its excavation. Miners and engineers would be the most celebrated individuals. We’d create an incredibly advanced mining society, fully dedicated to the task. And, over time, we would succeed. We would dig away at the mountain far faster than erosion or tectonic shifts could, reshaping the surface of the Earth.
Through our collective imagination as a species focused on excavating a mountain, we would alter the very landscape of our planet.
Of course, this scenario would never come to pass. Excavating a mountain is both a simplistic and nonsensical goal, and besides, we would never fully agree on a singular purpose for life. Our diverse experiences shape our individual perspectives on the world, our place in it, and where it’s all headed.
As a result, rather than uniting to undertake radical global projects like removing a mountain, our actions are scattered across a wide range of endeavors. We make incremental, iterative progress, influenced by each person’s outlook on life.
A Useful Analogy
Another way to understand this idea is through the analogy of a global game of tug-of-war. Imagine every person on Earth is holding their own rope, pulling in their own direction. The center point where all eight billion ropes meet, marked by a red flag, represents the current state of society.
As new people join the game and others leave, and as some pull with greater force while others pull more gently, the center point shifts across the field. Those who have the greatest impact on the movement of the center point are not only those who pull hardest but also those who manage to convince others to join their cause.
Summary
To summarize: the state of society is the current condition of the world we live in. Our self-image — our individual perspectives on what the world is and our place within it — shapes the collective self-image of mankind. This collective self-image, in turn, influences the direction in which society moves.
Since societal movements take time, this change is delayed. The current state of society, therefore, is a delayed reflection of how we, as individuals, view the world.
What Does This Mean?
First, let’s look at history to better understand the implications of this principle. There was once a time when people dreamed of flying, and now we live in a world where flight is common. There was a time when people struggled with food scarcity, but now, many have enough to eat. In many ways, we are living in the world our ancestors imagined — not in exactly the way each individual envisioned it, but in the way our collective imagination shaped the future.
Alternatively, consider how self-fulfilling prophecies work. If we fear an economic crisis, we might inadvertently cause one. If we fear a war, our collective anxiety can create the conditions for war. When we imagine an outcome — like a crisis or conflict — and allow our collective self-image to include it, we begin to act in ways that make that outcome more likely. If we lose trust in people, we start behaving in ways that reflect this mistrust. When others encounter our distrust, they, too, may begin to believe that people cannot be trusted.
These are examples of how our outlooks — our self-image as a species — can create societies that reflect these perspectives, albeit with a delay.
What Can We Do With This Insight?
This principle may seem abstract, but it has real implications for our daily lives. Understanding it emphasizes the importance of seeing the world in the most positive light possible. If we can approach life with the belief that things are better than they appear, we can shift the collective self-image in a more constructive direction.
If we all strive to recognize and embrace the best qualities in one another, we might, over time, bring about a delayed shift in society toward a better world.
We can make the world a better place by believing that it is.
Comments