Have we become commodities in an undemocratic world?

In a society with an economic environment that accepts “head hunters” (somewhat unpleasant connotations attach to this term), that accepts “down-sizing” or restructuring as normal in the pursuit of the all important monetary “bottom-line”; a society where government’s, of all persuasions, are dictated to by big business; a society which encourages its citizens to sell themselves to the highest bidder in the job market in pursuit of ever more desirable material possessions, diminishes its citizens to the point where many are left confused with no real notion of their self worth. In short they have become commodities. This has its ramifications in emotional and psychological outcomes.

The result is that many people today live and think only in terms of limited self-interest. They believe that they are acting on behalf of their best interests when actually their main efforts are directed to money and what is termed “success” (however this is defined). In the process of seeking what they are told is best for them, they deceive themselves about the fact that their fundamental human potentialities remain unfulfilled and by accepting such a deception they lose sight of their core values, which remain unchangeable. This, in many instances, leads to lack of life harmony, to stress and anxiety – conditions very prevalent in today’s work place.  

Now and here is the rub, under the influence of the market, the concept of who “I think I am”, has shifted to meaning “I am as you desire me” – in other words a commodity. So divorced are many people from their core values as human beings, that as sellers of a commodity (what they believe the job market wants) they feel separated from what they want to sell. To be sure, they are interested in what they believe themselves to be; immensely interested in their success in the “market”, but they are the managers, the employers, the sellers – and the commodity. Such people are now divorced from themselves and their value as human beings.

Nowadays it is difficult for many people to draw a line between what they call “me” and what is called “mine”. People feel and act about certain things that they consider to be theirs (or what they believe makes them who they are) very much as they feel and act about themselves. Their fame, their children, the work they do, may be as dear to them as are their bodies, and arouse the same emotions and feelings and the same defences if attacked. In its widest possible sense, however, a person’s real identity or core values (what makes them a human being), is more than the sum total of all they may call “theirs”, more than their body, and their skills and abilities, their clothes and their house, their partner or spouse and children, their ancestors and friends, their reputation and accomplishments, their land and motor cars and yacht, their investment portfolio and bank account. These things give them the same emotions of pride and success. If these grow and prosper, people feel “successful”, if they dwindle or are lost, people feel unhappy and diminished – not necessarily to the same degree for each thing, but in much the same way for all.

The increasing worship of “success” (again, however this is defined) has generally failed to satisfy the primal urge for individuals to be who they really are. There are an increasing number of people to whom everything they are doing seems to lack fulfilment. They are still under the spell of the slogans which preach faith in the secular paradise of success and glamour. But doubt, that necessary condition for all progress, has begun to work on them and has made them ready to ask what their real self-interest as human beings really is. They have become dissatisfied with being a commodity.

This is now considered “normal” – which is the real tragedy.

Anyone in this situation needs to come to terms with who they really are. There is a difference between a person’s REAL interests and those imposed on them by any given society. Some people may find it difficult to experience life in terms of their own emotions, thoughts and sense of proportion, rather than in terms of the experiences that they are supposed to have, as dictated by the expectations of the “market” and society. In other words they are required to fit in with what the market wants or what the “competition” is providing. They are squeezed into a “shape” that would not be of their own choosing, just to comply with market expectations.

Anything which directs a person into a channel not of their natural inclination; any constriction to personal growth and the development of their full potential as human beings will give rise to stress and anxiety – unfortunately very common in the world today. 

We need some harmony and order in the world.

Nothing is permanent in Life. Nature is dynamic. Life is dynamic. It must be so, because everything that is alive, either moves, grows or in some way changes with time. Nothing stays as it was and trying to keep something as it was is similar to chasing rainbows. This is the order of Nature. The order that dictates that a salmon shall return to the river of its birth; the order inherent in the cycle of the seasons, in the ebb and flow of the tides; in the spiral galaxies, in the stars and their courses, the order can be sensed in the regularity of all turning things.

We may not appreciate it but the universe is unfolding as it should – there is order and harmony in the way things happen. Nature is harmonious in its entirety. When order is absent and chaos reigns then there are problems. And have you noticed something – we humans are the only creatures on the face of the earth that can actually create disharmony? An ant cannot create disharmony, because an ant will always behave as an ant should; it is in its nature to do so; likewise with parrots or any other creature that you care to name. They cannot be anything other than the way nature (evolution, creation?) has dictated they shall be. Human beings on the other hand can and often do behave in strange and violent ways that cause havoc with the natural order of things.

The natural world is in our genes, we are all from the earth; when we die we return to the earth. We need order, we need harmony – chaos disturbs us, we become afraid and then panic sets. We cannot, as a species abide disorder and lack of harmony in our lives. Disharmony creates fear of the unknown and unhappiness is the result. Just look around at the world.

But we cannot expect harmony and order in the world outside, if there is no order or harmony within each of us, within ourselves. I cannot be happy and have harmony and order in my life if I know that my wife, or my children are unhappy, because of some emotional ‘disorder’ or ‘dis-ease’. It disturbs me greatly that there are others who are unhappy; who lack harmony within themselves and therefore are instrumental in creating disharmony amongst others.

Harmony between people can only come about when we treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. Harmony and internal peace and order will only be evident when we remember the Law of Cause and Effect. That what we do will affect not only our families but also many others. Remember the ‘six degrees of separation’? Knowing six people is alleged to give us a link to everyone in the world. So we must treat all sentient beings in an ethical way because we are all interconnected – it is in our genes. To do anything else is to invite chaos and unhappiness.

Harmony and nature.

What is more natural than harmony? Nature, as in the natural world, is harmonious – its colours, its sounds, the very balance between the various elements of earth, water, air and fire (warmth) are just right for us and the animals and creatures that inhabit this beautiful planet. It is inherent in the music of the spheres. Why then do we humans seem to be hell bent on upsetting the balance, and creating disharmony? What can I, you, we, do about it?

The first thing to remember is that for there to be balance and harmony in our lives we need to be balanced and harmonious within ourselves. We must be balanced and in harmony with ourselves, with who we are – remember we are the most important person in our lives. Finding this balance, establishing harmony is a never ending process. It is a journey of discovery and the most important that we will ever undertake.

By harmony and balance I mean that we each understand our place in the world, that we are part of humanity, that we are not better (or worse), or more important, than anyone else. That each of us has our place and our contribution to make in the great scheme of things. I am not sure that we need to ask the question, “Why?” all we need to do is to do our best.

If there is no balance, no harmony in your life, how will you see the necessity to have harmony and balance in the world generally? You can’t! Some readers may have realised that I like poetry and if you follow the full meaning of the following lines I don’t believe that you or anyone will go too far off balance, or be too ‘disharmonised’:-

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” – that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. (John Keats)