Subliminal Coercion

My ideal community was built in such a way that the most convenient way of doing something was also the ‘ideal’ way. Such as making walking more convenient than driving between home and school, or work.

If people can live more environmentally friendly, or use local goods and services rather than imports, without going out of their way then the goal of my community has been achieved. Thus to get people to do this is less about directly convincing the people, and more about providing the resources and layout of a community that fosters the desired way of life. For example, to convince people to increase their socially connections and to interact with their friends more is a hard concept to implement, but if you give them the technologies of Facebook, Twitter, or SMS, the populace embraces these and your result is achieved, albeit in a somewhat different form.

So in order to have people remember to turn off their lights for example, convince them to install a smart system that, through their cell phone’s GPS or some other tracking device, will automatically turn off house lights when they are not in the vicinity. Mapping programs that will suggest walking as a good option to get from point A to point B, and websites like WHERE.COM that help people become more aware of their local surroundings are all technologies that I believe have potential to change the masses. As an individual in a community, I can help foster others, by writing reviews and rating different local services and outlets in my community on websites where others in the community will be able to see and be influenced by my contributions.

As an engineer, I hope to assist in developing technologies that will allow people to be more environmentally friendly, locally supportive and globally aware. Coming up with ideas for change is relatively easy. The challenge is implementing in such a way that it sticks and grows without being a burden on the community.

By combining well-though community design, and the implementation of appropriate technologies, it is possible, I believe, to create certain changes without ever publicly expressing the desired change. Through this and similar techniques, a community can be formed, over time, into one that is growing more environmentally friendly, locally supportive, and globally aware.

Filling the Void

The concept that ‘purposeful effort’ means working towards more wealth really describes the human condition quite well. This is true assuming we don’t hold a terribly tight definition on wealth, but think of it as more than what I had earlier or more than he or she has. This loose definition of wealth is really at the crux of most activities.

I try to live my life to make a positive difference in the world and help other people. If I tell myself that this is the only reason I am loosing sleep to finish up all that work, I am not being entirely truthful. In reality, a lot of what I do, and I would guess the majority of Americans, is aimed at making myself look and/or feel better, or to bring pleasure to my living experience. If through this I can improve the lives of other people it comes as an added bonus. Although I may not be explicitly flaunting the things I have in what I do, the underlying reason, although several rationales distant, can often be brought back to a prime objective of ‘make me better’. So we then ask, “How do I make myself better? With this question we start looking for answers. The world provides so many options that we get lost in trying them all. The bible is possibly the greatest positive source at showing us that there is much more beyond the present state of being. This sort of longing for more I believe is wired into human nature. God programmed us to long for Him.

The problem that so much of the world faces is that they long for God, but substitute other gods/things which are not capable of fulfilling the longing. Thus we need more in our attempt to fill the void that only God can fill.

Where we are wired with this longing, it is natural that we purpose to fill the void with the wrong things, namely stuff and material wealth. Global economies and marketing departments help by providing all sorts of things to throw into this void. None of these solutions lasts, since filling a void that an infinite God fits in, is impossible without that God.

I realize that this idea may not directly address the topic from the perspective that Veblen wished. It does, I believe, help me see why people who really know Jesus and have God in their hearts seem to be really happy and satisfied people even though they don’t have much stuff. If the ‘God void’ in one’s life actually has God, then one can stop trying to satisfy the void and look around at others and genuinely help them out. On the other hand though, if there is a gaping hole in one’s life, most of one’s purposeful effort will be directed at filling the hole, which usually amounts to ‘a more credible showing of accumulated wealth’ just as Veblen said.

Convergence: More than Money

One of the articles I bookmarked discussed convergence in a broader scope than Sachs deals with in 'Common Wealth'. The study suggests that many developing countries borrow technologies and process that have been optimized by developed countries. These technologies do not necessarily fit into the culture and create discord. The discord can be solved in one of two ways, either the technology is changed, or the culture adapts to meet the demands of the technology. The study shows that by absorbing the technology of developed countries to achieve a better global economic position the culture of the developed country is also brought in. So rather than just the economic per capita income converging towards that of the developed country, the cultural values are also becoming that of the developed nations.

I wonder what the implications of convergence of both economics (i.e. per capital income, etc) and other facets of society will have as the convergence becomes more widespread. Much of the design and innovation is still done in the developed countries while the technology that comes out of this research makes it's way around the globe. Once enough countries reach a certain level of development, many of them will begin creating their own technologies. As their dependence for the innovative technology of the developed countries begins to wain they will begin competing globally on all new levels. This, I would think, will have a remarkable global impact. I would guess that developed countries will, in an attempt to stay 'on top', develop ways to keep the developing countries always under their influence as long as possible.

This bring me to what I think is the greatest hindrance to global cooperation in enacting global change, and that is the self-centered nature of human beings. People are always looking for ways to make their own lives 'better', even at the detriment to others. The first step towards creating change is to instill a sense of responsibility and care for things other than oneself. This can be difficult even for Christians who have the best example of this. Once people develop a genuine Christ-like attitude, changes will begin all over out of sheer good will and care for others and the planet. I do realize that this concept is nearly as much of a pie-in-the-sky as all the other 'grand plans for global change' are, but I believe that the environmental or change for global sustainment are only a very small part of the benefits that sharing Christ will bring. If only we had a global convergence in attitude towards that of Christ.

Finding the Fork in the Road of Life

The contemporary Christian music group FFH is an example of examining one’s life and finding that it is not what is best. The very successful band composed of Jeromy and Jennifer Deibler and several others toured for ten years running until Jeromy and Jennifer decided that all the touring, concerts and fame was hurting them individually as well as their marriage. They decided it was time for a break and as soon as they had fulfilled their commitments for that touring season they moved to a small town in South Africa. Upon arriving they went through some radical changes, and a humbling process.

Upon returning from Africa they had no intent for reviving FFH, but after a series of events and the call of God, they began to produce music again. This time it was a lot different. Their touring schedule is a lot more relaxed. They have time to be a family, and use their concerts to share their story. Their music has a different message now that conveys their changed perspective on life.

As Ecclesiastes suggests, the Deibler’s found that being famous and having the world is not all it is often cut out to be. Living simply and real is far more rewarding if it is intentional and not trying to be something that is not real. Also as the Deibler’s found out, following the will of God can be a trying task, but in the end brings the best results.

The other story I found is that of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden. These two men were heading places with their professional baseball careers, but became wound up in alcoholism and drugs. With lots of money and material pleasures their inward desires were still not being met, so they progress on towards more ‘exciting’ pleasures such as cocaine and alcohol. They attempted to hide their problems from the league, but it showed, both in their performance, attitude and most definitively in urine testing. When suspended from the games or not allowed to play the problem would perpetuate as they drowned their sorrows in alcohol or blew them away with drugs. Though they went through rehab and some lifestyle changes to overcome their issues, for a while these efforts were half-hearted and fairly unsuccessful. The lives of these men whose careers started out with such promise, but have had a downward spiral ever since reminds me of the hopelessness that Ecclesiastes discusses. Both of these men have looked to the material for satisfaction, where Ecclesiastes definitely states it will not be found. It is only through looking to God and trusting in his promises that one will be satisfied. Other methods of finding happiness are all mirages and will never provide the satisfaction searched for.

-jf

Links:
http://ffh.net/bio/
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1006263/1/index.htm