A Way To Avoid War, Depression and Any Unnecessary Suffering

Dear Reader,

In his book, The Republic, Plato argues that kings should become philosophers or that, alternatively, philosophers should become kings, or philosopher kings. This should be so as they would possess a special and necessary level of knowledge with which to rule successfully.

Well, dear reader, the new King is a "philosopher king"! And he has declared himself to be a defender of the faiths - meaning all religions in the UK. Those who have studied or lived amongst the world's religions know that there is a common purpose of peace that is central to them all. It is only highly non-peaceful extremists that make them seem to be otherwise.

However, though this praiseworthy commitment is surely welcome, the sadness is that this King does not have any role except a constitutional function. His main influence on government is in his weekly meetings with the Prime Minister, or in the Privy Council. He can only suggest and make known his thoughts in those non-publicised situations.

However, I am sure he will give the PM something to think about, a PM who seems to be stepping away from reasonable government in her relaxation towards fracking, dietary control and other matters, including her rubber stamping of the removal of the capping of bankers' bonuses.

What the country - and the world - needs, however, is a different and non-materialistic approach toward equitable governance. Therefore the values - or principles - by which we determine our policies at a government level surely need to be re-assessed and incorporated as part of our educational system.

As David W. Orr, Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics (bn 1944), has said:

There is a myth that the purpose of education is to give one the means for upward mobility and success. The plain truth is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does need desperately more peacemakers, healers, restorers, story tellers, and lovers of every shape and form.

None-recognition of that fact usually leads students (often motivated by their over-ambitious parents and peers) to take a narrow view of success and concentrate so much on that narrow view that they never become aware of what they should be aware of, which is truth itself. That truth concerns the quality of thought and action, and how it should be directed for the benefit of all. 

That is why educational methods need to change. Such change would be to remove any myths about the purpose of life and of how to live equitably. Science and technology need to be recognised as useful but not the basis for how we live. It is also necessary to:

1. reduce the element of the 'I must win' power mentality that ultimately leads to the rise of despots and has the power to ignite wars;
2. provide a meaningful basis for living in order to avoid anxieties and depression.

Doesn't this picture convey something important?

These images all convey information about the symmetry of life and a logic that must surely come from Divine Intelligence. Therefore, if we have a tendency to doubt the existence of the Divine, this image should prompt one to look further.

Furthermore, we take water for granted but experiments have shown that when water is subjected to positive vibrations, certain crystals are formed (please ignore the 'click to link' message in the image):

So, hidden behind all the media-led expressions of pathos and disaster in the world we instead find beauty and meaning.

With all its sham, drudgery,

and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

(The last verse of 'Desiderata')

Thank you for reading this.