2013-07-15. About Civilization
Alabama, US of A, July 15, 2013.
Teacher: Thought Adjuster.
Subject: “About Civilization.”
Message received by Oscar.
Thought Adjuster: “The great civilizations of the past and modern times have been raised when a spirit of belonging and the desire for greater achievement was promoted in the common man. The great works of the Roman empire were possible because each member of the empire – the men and women – had an ideal of roman greatness, of building something great and beautiful for the future. Likewise, the United States had a similar ideal of America as a society and a goal toward which all were working.
“The problem is that when a time of prosperity is reached the individuals of a civilization become complacent and lose their motivation. The effort to do what is required diminishes and it is often replaced by the seek for pleasure and personal interests. This happens when material progress is not balanced with a corresponding intellectual and spiritual progress.
“It is necessary to maintain that forward impulse so each member of a society understands that the advancements of civilization should be treasured and that once the material needs have been satisfied this becomes an opportunity for the exploration of other areas. When a civilization has reached a certain level of development it should adapt to new challenges. What was the function of the armies of Rome when there were no more battles to be fought? What happened with the masons and aqueduct builders when there was nothing else to be built? Societies should be able to identify when it is necessary to make changes. The work force that created the planning and construction of the infrastructure of the US in the past may not be useful in the present, when most things are already built.
“The generations of the present find themselves repeating the paradigms of the past hoping to achieve the same success. However, times have changed. The civilization of today is not the same that it was fifty years ago. The problems of the past were adequately solved. Now it is time to revise the strategy and face new challenges in order to solve new and unexpected problems. If great numbers of factory workers and builders are no longer needed, then the people of the current societies should start promoting new achievements in science, philosophy, or the arts.
“Each one of you should be aware of your role in society. It is true that your main responsibility is sustaining yourself and your family, but you also function within a group and what each of you do always has its effects on others. When you only focus on your individual needs the entire group suffers. It is possible to harmonize your personal needs and socialize your efforts to produce benefits for all. In the end, what is more efficient? An effort that helps a single person (yourself) or an effort that helps many?”
