Let this century be dedicated to the invisible. This may not be the panacea of all ills challenging mankind, but shall surely take all mankind to better coping levels. And if the trends are to be seen, will-nilly this is anyway going to happen; so why can’t world bodies, NGOs and governments impart greater momentum to this.
Traditionally, most of mankind has reacted more to the overt, treating the invisible with frivolity, or doubt. In the myoho spectrum, the manifested ho has deserved cognizance of a higher level than the myo, the unfathomable largeness that stays unmanifested. However, whatever progress has come to man has come because few men always responded to the invisible, the hidden. Trying to make most of mankind on the planet shift its awareness levels towards the so called non-obvious or invisible shall equip accelerated progress.
Let us see the various aspects which require thought and action.
Bioorganisms
In many societies, when an eatable falls on the round, it is picked, brushed and then eaten. Conventional living reacts to the gross, the apparent. If your water is muddy, it is definitely not potable; if it is clear, so many humans wouldn’t think twice before having a drink from it. Similarly, the small is considered non-alarming whereas the big is intimidating. Let all this be changed. Let men be sensitized to the muscle the unseen bacteria and viruses carry.
Acts
A casual sex act is seen as a one off, and the assumption is made the so called AIDS is not going to raise its head. Spitting. defecating in open (across Africa, Asia) are treated as routine and not harmless. The less probable is deemed impossible to happen. Quantity is respected, quality is not bothered about. The hardware is worthy of paying for, the software should come free is an attitude that needs change. In all this, the point of view needs modification.
Relationships
That every person approaching you might carry a baggage of unsaid agendas is the current level of threat facing all humans. To be vigilant towards this and take precautionary defense steps is a genuine need, more so from people in the close circle. Most crimes and exploitations are happening by family members, friend circle and city representatives. There is no cause for taking the hyper stance, but there is no room for staying complacent either. Whatever the genesis and past social tectonic plate movements, this harsh reality is before us. And only alertness can guard us. Coming together of man in social units was need of past, this needs to be reexamined now and not adopted with as much gusto as was done centuries ago. Diversity of cultures is lovely and ought to be encouraged, yet assimilating plus points of other cultures and culling out negatives of own cannot be left to slow moving chance factors. Same ways, unmeditated and hurried junking of socio-cultural institutions that have brought us so afar has to be refrained. Deep respect for the underprivileged and disadvantaged has to be systematically cultivated.
Change
Few intelligentsia keep track of trends and changing paradigms and then the masses get to know of these over 2-3-4 decades is definitely becoming an outdated mechanism of coping with change. All men need to become aware of sensing what the trends are, so that they can in their own way, try to proactively influence the arriving future. Mental preparedness for tomorrow is anyway a powerful asset. Also all men need to understand the dynamics of change, what causes change and what regulating/ controlling is possible; only then power of man in deciding fate shall stand applied. This all, again it is being stated, can’t remain the intellectual hegemony of few. All are entitled to seeing the ‘big picture’.
Ecology
Globally we are one. Why should every human not know what causes global warming and what is upsetting global ecology. Why shouldn’t every individual self-regulate his impact on the same. Allowing masses of few nations to unleash uncontrollable damage while their governments act the protective mother of spoil brats, doing PR exercises is a stratagem that should be seen through, by both the sufferers and the practitioners. If butterfly effect has any credence, why ignore it, and that too at peril of entire humanity.
Politics
The machinations of those whose profession is to come to power of governance and prolong their staying in power need to be made visible. The concept of “subject” and “ruler” need redefinition, possibly inversion. The need for active monitoring of the rulers lest they subvert the interest of the ruled has to be instilled; the lethargy of the masses at large in handing their collective destiny to the politicians based on wishful thinking that by default the interests shall be preserved and furthered has to be forsaken. Again, the canvas of politics is no longer limited by geographies. So all men per se have to begin visualizing movements on world polity plane, no more thinking they are insulated by national boundaries.
Potentialities
All men have to be awakened to the virtually limitless possibilities their potential holds, and irrespective of physical, economic and social barriers. Let all feel the surge of excitement in giving solid credence to he belief that “all can” and that “they can whatever”. Accomplishments of any genre are not feudal domains of few; that there is “no chosen one” element. What is needed is self belief and smart work towards the same. En masse participation in realizing potential of man has to be exhorted for.
Strategic Vision
Fundamentally, all living has been bound to subsistence, to operations plane, thus leaving little or no planning for long term perspectives. The today and the tomorrow seem clearly in sight, whereas a one-two-five-ten year scope seems invisible and so either unworthy of being planned for or beyond capabilities of sure planning. Even commerce collectives seldom think beyond 30-40 years, whereas we already have organizations that have existed longer than two centuries. Let all these delve in the beyond times.
News
The selection of news stories, their titling-narration etc carries hidden media and industry interests has to be brought to fore. The fact that the information disseminators have prejudices and biases cannot be left under covers. Irrational and awe-based adopting to bits and bytes of messaging flowing in media and social grapevines has to be duly distrusted and weighed before adopting are changes required. Moderation has to be brought in ‘aping the celebrity sponsored’.
Sciences
That just a fraction of mankind understands the technicals and the rest marvels open-mouthed at the spacewalk by an astronaut has to be a reaction pushed to past. Division of labor is all fine, but the threshold level of requisite scientific awareness has grown much higher than the one prevalent today is a hard fact staring us in the face. The drive against illiteracy is an imposing challenge, gargantuan in dimensions, no doubt. But the emphasis has to shift to educating the literate. You cannot pull mankind ahead by having taught science fundamentals in school and then leaving the adults to fend for themselves. Moreover, recent science announcements seems to be largely led by media sensationalizing prospect or retaining market share of industrial lobbies. It is obvious, serendipity has more or less deserted mankind, just look at last five decades in comparison to the earlier period. Only organized scientific endeavors seem to take us ahead, the complications in challenges are too many. We must all see the myopia of allowing basic research to be stifled by self-serving research sponsors. This connects up with the steady pointers asking men to replenish their skill levels every now and then, career enhancement and career preservation dynamics have changed massively.
Conclusion
Eventually, this may all come across as anti-establishment and too radical. It may also seem like too much of work. The problems in mass dissemination of new ideas, policies and laws too look alpine. But not to take this up as an active agenda for his century, is there any other way? The common thread across all pursuits is to make man perceive the invisible as clearly, if not more clearly, than the visible. Piecemeal action plans shall take us nowhere. Else mankind shall flounder for couple of more centuries before better discretion dawns.
Authors:
Amit Kapoor and Sandeep Mann
