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The Role of
the Pioneer Individual in Society
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The true individual
can think for himself, unswayed by the heard mentality. Such
self-conception in life enables greatness and genius. It is
the pioneer individual who (ironically) brings forth what
the society subconsciously yearns for. He leads them by
becoming is true individual self. |
Pioneer as Leader of Society
Overwhelming Success that Presages Emergences in Society
We see how an individual's pioneering effort brings out an emerging
element of the society that is subconscious to that society at the
time. The vast success of
Darwin's book
Origin of the Species (sold out on the first day)
lead the society out of parts of its folly, ignorance, and falsehood.
Margaret Mitchell's enormous success with
Gone with the Wind's
in which the heroine is a difficult, though liberated woman presages
the vast emergence of woman in 20th century. And Tom Peters enormous,
unexpected success in In Search of Excellence
helped accelerate
the liberation and freedom of the individual in the workplace, an echo
of the hippy phenomenon a few years earlier. Each was an overwhelming
success, presaging the corresponding new emerging element in society.
If an individual can catch the wave of the emerging
element in society -- there is always one or more -- he will have an
overwhelming success in his work as these individuals did.
The Process of Social
Development
There are three essential stages in the process of development. In the
first stage the society is prepared to move to a higher level of
development through its surplus energies, awareness of possibilities,
and its aspiration to see the possibilities through. In the second stage
pioneer individuals in society express the aspiration in various
ways. Finally, in the third stage the initiative of pioneering
individuals are accepted, organized, and integrated in society.
Process of Growth in
Society and the Pioneer
In our theory of social development, there is a certain subconscious
urge of society for change or progress. There is also a pioneer who is
in tune with that change, even if the society is not yet. He then brings
something forward that the society learns about and embraces. When they
do, society grows, changes, develops. E.g. Steve Jobs develops the
personal computer, even though the society was not aware of its
potential on the surface. However, Steve recognizes it, makes it a
reality, and the society follows and embraces it. What was subconscious
for it, now becomes conscious.
We can see this process in every major development
in society, and the corresponding individuals(s) who made it process,
i.e. the pioneer. What you have described in your article with reference
to dreams and Freud in films as predecessors of what would actually take
place in society later on struck me as that process.
How
a New Opportunity Taken Up Spreads
[Here's how a new opportunity taken up spreads:] The pioneer, the
leader, the Avatar, etc., broaches the subject to the world. It comes
to be accepted long after. Some token experiments succeed. It spreads
as an initial wave. Slowly either the government or the society or
both take it up, give life to it and sponsor it, give support in the
form of a new organisation. That has been the history of any
successful social movement until now. (MSS)
The Role of the Pioneer Individual in the
Process of Social Development
Here
is the process of how society develops through the efforts of the
pioneer individual:
Social Preparedness
-Society has a surplus of energy at the current level
-Society begins to become aware of new possibilities and opportunities
-Society has a conscious or subconscious aspiration to move toward new
possibilities and opportunities
Role of the
Pioneer
-The
pioneer takes up some aspect of society's aspiration
-The society accepts the pioneering efforts
of the
pioneer individual
-The
pioneering
individual's initiatives are matched and multiplied by others in
the same or similar areas.
Acceptance and
Assimilation
-The
new initiative accepted buy society is matched by new, more complex
forms of organization to help manifest the initiative
-The
movement of development becomes institutionalized throughout society (such as
though education).
-the
development is further institutionalized though the culture of the
family.
Though the society
may be prepared for its ascent to a higher level of development, there
still needs to be some agent to express this in action. That is the role
of pioneering individuals. They are people who are willing to break out
from the existing mold and try something new. Through their conscious
action, they express some aspect of the aspirations that the society is
only partially or subconsciously aware of.
The Role of the Pioneer Individual in the Process
of Social Development
The
pioneer is usually not a radical, outcast, or piranha in society,
but rather shares its aspirations, knowledge and values to a large
degree. Whether it be the two young men who helped start Apple Computer
in a garage, setting the stage for a whole new level of technology, or
the one farmer among others who dares to accept a loan to dig water
wells in rural India when others are afraid to be the first ones, the
pioneer breaks with the mold, yet stands within, not outside of
the social environment, charting a new course or revealing a new
possibility.
Next the society
needs to have a positive response to the
pioneer's initiative. If the
pioneer is too far ahead of his time, society will often act
negatively or with indifference.) On the other hand, if the
pioneer's initiative is in tune with society's aspiration and
preparedness, it inspires others to take up the same or newer
initiatives. Then the
pioneer's initiatives get multiplied throughout society,
unleashing a movement of development. For example, if other like-minded
farmers in rural India take up the
pioneer's acceptance of loans to dig water wells, development
begins to ripple through the village and community. When other hackers
saw Apple Computers first personal computers demonstrated at the
Homebrew computer club, they were inspired to follow, developing related
or even new technologies as a result.
For those involved in their occupation
in social development (economists, educators, politicians, planners,
etc.), knowing how to create the appropriate conditions for unleashing
the multiplier effect off of the
pioneer individual's initiative is essential for formulating
effective planned development strategies.
The Pioneer who Expresses the
Subconscious Urge of Society
When
an innovative individual captures
the imagination of the world, we
believe it is his genius alone that
has brought about a contribution to
society. Little do we realize that
this pioneer individual is actually
expressing the subconscious will of
that society. By subconscious I mean
that the society wishes something
along those lines to come about, but
it is not yet conscious of the fact.
The pioneer captures that subtle
energy wave inside as an intuitive
vision that he manifests through his
product, service, insights, skill,
etc.
Society is evolving. It is
constantly seeking new avenues for
that growth. It is growing
materially, psychologically,
mentally, even spiritually. A child
of that age looks out at what is
possible in the world, and perceives
an opportunity for improvement along
this life scale. He then goes out
and creates his invention, or issues
forth a new theory, etc. and the
world around him perks up, lifting
that object or idea to the masses.
It does so because subconsciously
the community was already
predisposed to it. Now however that
subtle social intention has
coagulated into something tangible
through that individual's efforts.
The possibility gets further
organized, it hits a critical mass,
and it is then fully embraced by all
facets of society.
Let
me provide several examples that
will illustrate:
The Internet -- Man is
mental -- or at least he is moving
in that direction -- as he begins to
shed his lower nature and embrace
rationality, which is the perception
and acceptance of the many-sided
truth of things. As that movement
toward rational mentality has
matured, he is ready to be filled
with the knowledge of the world,
including organizing mechanisms that
can provide, distribute that
knowledge. That organization has
come to us as the Internet. I.e.,
man who is organizing his
consciousness by embracing the
multiplicity of truth, now
subconsciously yearns for a
mechanism to serve its purpose. The
Internet comes along and fulfills
that yearning. The pioneer
individuals who saw opportunities to
deliver it -- such as Berners-Lee's
World Wide Web -- are expressing the
subconscious will of society for an
ultimate tool to organize and
distribute the multiplicity of
knowledge it is now ready to
embrace.
Overnight Shipping -- The world
is moving faster and faster. In that
process it has begun to fall over
itself. Society subconsciously wants
to move forward in a more harmonious
manner. Because the society is
becoming mentally aware, it yearns
for tools to organize this rapid
speed up of life. A pioneering
individual Fred Smith comes forward
and advocates a seemingly irrational
way or organizing express packaging.
It is the overnight approach. You
bring all the packages to one point
and then redistribute for one-day
delivery. On the surface, the world
doubts it can be achieved, yet as
pioneer he does not listen to the
doubting herd and pushes forward.
Through vision, will, and
perseverance, an organization --
Federal Express -- takes shape,
enabling the businessperson, or any
other individual or organization to
maintain harmony and efficiency is a
sped up world. In fact, it enables
even greater success.
'The Secret' --
Life has evolved on earth
materially, particularly in the
West, and increasingly in the East.
Inwardly -- i.e. emotionally,
psychologically and spiritually --
it has made far less progress. It
has exhausted the materialistic,
mechanistic view of how life
unfolds, and subconsciously yearns
for a deeper understanding. From
time to time -- as in the Hippy era
--
there is a breakout of a new
understanding, and then it closes
up. Rhonda Byrne now circa 2007
steps forward and creates a DVD and
book 'The Secret,' which shows us
how we can instantaneously attract
the object of our desire. It is
based on a cosmic principle known as
'The Power of Intention.' Other
books, like 'The Miraculous
Phenomenon of Life Response' by this
author go many steps beyond, showing
us an entire new way of living based
on perceptions of the subtle
workings of life.
Pioneers have once again forged a
new possibility; one that has been
there lurking below the conscious
layers of society. He or she
captures the wave, which appears to
that individual as a vision or
opportunity, and runs with it. If it
is not too in advance of or radical
for the society -- it is embraced
fully through organizations that
become the means of its mass
distribution. Now that the global
community is exposed to this new
reality, it uses it for own benefit,
which in turn enables its further
progress, releasing new subconscious
possibilities. The society then
'awaits' the next pioneer to take up
the quest to bring about what it
subconsciously yearns for.
There is something even beyond this
dynamic. Behind the collective
aspiration is a universal, cosmic
Intent that aspires for earth's
progress. Its Desire is fulfilled in
society through the effort of
pioneering individuals. In that way,
the individual, the collective, and
the Divine power behind work hand in
hand for progress and evolution in
the cosmos.
Role of
Pioneer Individuals
Every new
developmental activity is initially conceived and introduced by one
or a few pioneers. The
pioneer is one who sees, believes in and acts upon an
opportunity which others fail to see or believe in or lack the
energy or courage to pursue. The
pioneer exhibits a new understanding, new attitudes, new
skills and behaviors different from those prevalent in the community
at the time. If the
pioneer's initiative is in tune with the social aspiration
and social preparedness, it inspires and encourages other dynamic
individuals to imitate or improve upon the new initiative.
Pioneers play a
crucial role wherever a new activity needs to be seeded in the community
for the first time. The first farmer in a village to shift from rice
cultivation or sugarcane to growing fruits or flowers for export; the
first teacher in a rural town to leave the security of a salaried job to
establish a private tutorial institute, and the first industrialist to
acquire a new manufacturing technology from overseas all serve as role
models and catalysts for development in their respective fields of
activity. Viewed from the perspective of the individual, it is the
pioneer who initiates the collective process. But
viewed from
the perspective of the society, it is the collective that expresses its
intention and aspiration through the initiative of the
pioneer.
The role of the
pioneer is vital to development, because the next stage of social
progress almost always remains unseen by the collective. It is the free
thinking, far seeking individual who dares to imagine or conceive what
the popular mind is unaware of and then translates that vague
possibility into a reality which all can see. Henry Ford became a
pioneer and model for American industry early in this century by
popularizing methods for mass production. Fred Smith, founder of Federal
Express, pioneered creation of a new industry, the overnight parcel
delivery business. The
pioneer is usually not a rare exception or anomaly in society. He
shares to a large degree its aspirations, knowledge and values. By
acquiring one new or different attribute or behavior, he charts a new
course and reveals a new possibility, all the time basing himself on the
society's present accomplishments and in most cases moving in a
direction which the society has already indicated.
----------
It does not really
matter whether pioneers come forward on their own internal prompting or
in response to an opportunity or demonstration created by government. In
either case, the individual embodies and represents the social
initiative. What does matter is the response of the society to the
pioneer. Often the early
pioneer meets with a response of indifference, resistance,
contempt or hostility from the community around him, especially when his
actions represent a radical departure from the status quo. This usually
occurs when the
pioneer comes too much before his time, before the society is
fully ready to act on its urge for something new. At other times the
successful
pioneer is actively admired and respected, yet no one else comes
forward to imitate his success. In either case, the
pioneer's initiative fails to catch on.
If the
pioneer pushes through change before the society is fully
prepared, the change comes abruptly in the form of a revolution. If the
society is fully prepared to accept and follow the
pioneer, then the change occurs by a smooth evolution. Revolution
is premature evolution.
Under appropriate
conditions, the success of the
pioneer leads to active imitation by other adventurous
individuals who in turn serve as models for still others to imitate. In
this case, the initiative of the
pioneer gets multiplied over and over, rippling through the
society and unleashing a development movement. The establishment of the
first retail photocopy shop at a prominent location in New Delhi in the
late 1970s by the owner of a typing service was an initiative whose time
was right. Competing typing companies in the city quickly imitated the
pioneer. Within three years the new business had spread like
wildfire throughout the country. The adventurous farmer who dug the
first successful borewell in a poor, backward South Indian village was
initially an isolated example that others refused to follow. But when
other farmers in the village saw how the
pioneer's social position was elevated by his new-found wealth,
every other farmer in the village rushed to emulate him. Within two
years, 440 new wells had been dug in ten surrounding villages. When
India's first software export company was founded in the 1970s, it was
difficult for anyone to conceive that within a short span of time
hundreds of companies would follow its example. Today India has become a
world class competitor in software services with exports projected to
exceed $6 billion by year 2000. Knowing how to create the appropriate
conditions for unleashing the multiplier effect is essential for
formulating effective planned development strategies. (MSS)
The Individual Who Reaches a Wider Dimension of
Life
Only the explorer, the leader,
the pioneer, those who court danger and adventure reach a wider
dimension of life, if only for a short period.
(Paraphrase of MSS)
Untitled
The people who have the
aspiration, the need to know, are the key in the evolution. (Paraphrase of
The Mother)
The True Individual as Pioneer
The true
individual can think for himself, unswayed by the heard
mentality. Such self-conception in life enables
greatness and genius. It is the pioneer individual who
(ironically) brings forth what the society
subconsciously yearns for. He leads them by becoming is
true individual self.
The Process
of the Collective Creating an Organisation in Society
The process of the collective creating an organisation has a
subordinate action where the collective subconscious experience
matures in the pioneering individual as conscious knowledge
ready for action which when the society at large endorses is
accepted as a way of life by the whole society, thus creating
the psychological basis for the birth of a social organisation.
In the measure this new organisation that is born by the
psychological growth and sanction of the entire society draws
upon its roots to convert that sanction into laws, rules,
procedures, customs, usage, belief, social system and social
culture, that organisation takes root in the society. (MSS)
Process of the Emergence of New Leader Reflecting Undercurrent Change in Society
Subconscious collective society
in its self-conceptive self-determinism throws up a conscious leader
when it is mature, having changed its old attitudes into new ones, so
that it may move from its physical vital experience to mental
comprehension by its own conscious awakening of discarding its
anachronisms. (MSS)
Gandalf in Lord of the Rings as Pioneer
Perhaps we can say that Gandalf is the pioneer who perceives the problems that are emerging, and wishes
to undertake a great initiative to combat it. He is not unlike Churchill
who meets with great resistance, and yet eventually convinces. As
pioneer Gandalf is especially great
because he has organized the undertaking in great detail. Like Churchill
who made his case before Parliament, Gandalf is wise to gather the
tribes of peoples together to discuss the issue, to convince them of the
impending doom. From out of that meeting come the members of
the fellowship, with representatives of the major races of Middle Earth,
excluding Mordor and a few other allies. Gandalf has organized the
convincing stage of his effort, even before he has organized the actual
effort. Many pioneers are simply at the mercy of society's acceptance in
the first place; whereas he has organized the acceptance. He is
following the most positive process of success at the level of the
pioneer. He has inner powers to help
him in that regard. That is a valuable asset and resource for Infinite
success, which is what is almost required in this story.
Pioneer in Personal Growth, Social
Development, Creation of the Universe
When we try to evolve ourselves it is an internal pioneering act,
mirroring the efforts of the pioneer to steer society in a new
direction, itself mirroring the process of Creation of the universe from
a Divine source, the ultimate pioneering Act. There is thus a similarity
between the pioneer act of personal growth, society's growth, and Cosmic
Growth. Or to put it another way, the process of growth -- i.e. through
a pioneering element -- is the same at all planes.
The Pioneer who Expresses the
Subconscious Urge of Society
When
an innovative individual captures
the imagination of the world, we
believe it is his genius alone that
has brought about a contribution to
society. Little do we realize that
this pioneer individual is actually
expressing the subconscious will of
that society. By subconscious I mean
that the society wishes something
along those lines to come about, but
it is not yet conscious of the fact.
The pioneer captures that subtle
energy wave inside as an intuitive
vision that he manifests through his
product, service, insights, skill,
etc.
Society is evolving. It is
constantly seeking new avenues for
that growth. It is growing
materially, psychologically,
mentally, even spiritually. A child
of that age looks out at what is
possible in the world, and perceives
an opportunity for improvement along
this life scale. He then goes out
and creates his invention, or issues
forth a new theory, etc. and the
world around him perks up, lifting
that object or idea to the masses.
It does so because subconsciously
the community was already
predisposed to it. Now however that
subtle social intention has
coagulated into something tangible
through that individual's efforts.
The possibility gets further
organized, it hits a critical mass,
and it is then fully embraced by all
facets of society.
Let
me provide several examples that
will illustrate:
The Internet -- Man is
mental -- or at least he is moving
in that direction -- as he begins to
shed his lower nature and embrace
rationality, which is the perception
and acceptance of the many-sided
truth of things. As that movement
toward rational mentality has
matured, he is ready to be filled
with the knowledge of the world,
including organizing mechanisms that
can provide, distribute that
knowledge. That organization has
come to us as the Internet. I.e.,
man who is organizing his
consciousness by embracing the
multiplicity of truth, now
subconsciously yearns for a
mechanism to serve its purpose. The
Internet comes along and fulfills
that yearning. The pioneer
individuals who saw opportunities to
deliver it -- such as Berners-Lee's
World Wide Web -- are expressing the
subconscious will of society for an
ultimate tool to organize and
distribute the multiplicity of
knowledge it is now ready to
embrace.
Overnight Shipping -- The world
is moving faster and faster. In that
process it has begun to fall over
itself. Society subconsciously wants
to move forward in a more harmonious
manner. Because the society is
becoming mentally aware, it yearns
for tools to organize this rapid
speed up of life. A pioneering
individual Fred Smith comes forward
and advocates a seemingly irrational
way or organizing express packaging.
It is the overnight approach. You
bring all the packages to one point
and then redistribute for one-day
delivery. On the surface, the world
doubts it can be achieved, yet as
pioneer he does not listen to the
doubting herd and pushes forward.
Through vision, will, and
perseverance, an organization --
Federal Express -- takes shape,
enabling the businessperson, or any
other individual or organization to
maintain harmony and efficiency is a
sped up world. In fact, it enables
even greater success.
'The Secret' --
Life has evolved on earth
materially, particularly in the
West, and increasingly in the East.
Inwardly -- i.e. emotionally,
psychologically and spiritually --
it has made far less progress. It
has exhausted the materialistic,
mechanistic view of how life
unfolds, and subconsciously yearns
for a deeper understanding. From
time to time -- as in the Hippy era
--
there is a breakout of a new
understanding, and then it closes
up. Rhonda Byrne now circa 2007
steps forward and creates a DVD and
book 'The Secret,' which shows us
how we can instantaneously attract
the object of our desire. It is
based on a cosmic principle known as
'The Power of Intention.' Other
books, like 'The Miraculous
Phenomenon of Life Response' by this
author go many steps beyond, showing
us an entire new way of living based
on perceptions of the subtle
workings of life.
Pioneers have once again forged a
new possibility; one that has been
there lurking below the conscious
layers of society. He or she
captures the wave, which appears to
that individual as a vision or
opportunity, and runs with it. If it
is not too in advance of or radical
for the society -- it is embraced
fully through organizations that
become the means of its mass
distribution. Now that the global
community is exposed to this new
reality, it uses it for own benefit,
which in turn enables its further
progress, releasing new subconscious
possibilities. The society then
'awaits' the next pioneer to take up
the quest to bring about what it
subconsciously yearns for.
There is something even beyond this
dynamic. Behind the collective
aspiration is a universal, cosmic
Intent that aspires for earth's
progress. Its Desire is fulfilled in
society through the effort of
pioneering individuals. In that way,
the individual, the collective, and
the Divine power behind work hand in
hand for progress and evolution in
the cosmos.
MSS Article on Pioneer and Reactions of Society
The Potentials of the
Pioneer
Overview
Knowing the Social Boon
Enables Further Boon
When we are born the society
gives each of us a great boon of riches. To know what the emerging boon
has been and is now enables us to avail of the NEXT HIGHEST level of boon.
In that way we all have the opportunity to become pioneers.
An
Individual's Expanding Horizons
Education widens the horizons of the
human mind, while travel and experience enlarge one's personality. The
advancement of society compels him, though gently, to rise to greater
heights of personality. Only the explorer, the leader, the pioneer,
those who court danger and adventure reach a wider dimension of life,
if only for a short period. (Paraphrase of
MSS)
The Future is for the Pioneer
The future is for the pioneering individual, not for the
superstitious tradition. (MSS)
Opportunities for the Pioneering Individual
The Pioneer and Emerging
Society
One who draws on the
emerging social forces that is subconscious to the society becomes the
great pioneer, and great achiever. The business who that has an ear to the
ground of the emerging social forces, and implements it as new products
will explode in sales and profits. The same opportunity is there for the
individual, institution, or any collective unity of the society.
The Market is There
for the Unselfish Thinker
The quest for knowledge
[in the world]
is there in a greater measure than before, in an unprecedented
measure. It is a valuable market for those who are willing to exert
themselves to cater to that market. That market is ubiquitous. It cannot
be known from the textbooks or college courses. It has to come out of
one's own thinking based on his own observation of others' needs. For
such a person, an unselfish THINKER, there is an ever-expanding market
in every sector. He who discovers it is the pioneer in that field. Even
a new packaging - the sachet - brought about revolutionary potentials.
Think, you can live better. (MSS)
Reconciling Material Prosperity and Spiritual
Realization in the World
The world fulfils itself by relating the two ends of Material
Prosperity and Spiritual realization. It is its destiny.
The spiritual
realization of India
which was at one point partial has become whole in recent decades as a
result of the evolutionary realizations of individuals such as Sri
Aurobindo that took India beyond her static spiritual wisdom.
The practical
organization of the US is currently physical which enables material
prosperity. However, the practical organization of the US
must rise from its physical basis to a spiritual basis.
One or more individuals, by living a life that includes
both, can build the bridge between, reconcile the two worlds of
material prosperity and spiritual realization. Such individuals can
then develop their shortest method into The Formula of life, which the
whole world can then readily follow, fulfilling its purpose and
destiny. (Paraphrase of MSS)
Process of Intuition of Next Great Thing by Pioneer in the
Organization
The founder of the company has the pioneer vision and intuition of
something revealing itself as a new possibility in the society. Even
if you are not the founder, you can act in this way as if you were
the founder.
Then how does
this intuition come about? This process of having the right
intuition of what is the next great thing comes to you when you have
a wider view, wider than your industry. If you are at the level of
the factory, then you must see things from the level of the
industry, if at the industry perceive at level of the opportunities
in the economy, and from it to the nation as a whole. This will
ensure intuition of the new possibilities appearing to you as a
vision or revelation.
In essence what is occurring is that you are seeing
things from a wider perspective, not from the limited part you now
know but from the wider whole. Intuition in essence arises by
looking at the part from the view of the whole. (Paraphrase of MSS)
Success is
for Those Who Dare and Act in An Aggressive (Seemingly
Oppressive) Market
Work goes to China from USA in pursuit of low cost. Jobs are
lost in the USA. The small US manufacturer goes out of business.
The nation faces this crisis. The national association of tool
manufacturers is called NTMA, National Tool Manufacturing
Association. They are of all sizes, from $2 million to $20
million. A few of the companies are worth between 70 and 100
million dollars.
In the view of the NTMA members, this crisis is a disaster and a
misfortune. We see it as the greatest opportunity for the
members. How can that be told to them?
Even if we manage to speak it out to them, of what use is this
sterile philosophy? Can we make them see that this is an
opportunity and inspire them to act on that basis? The facts are
on our side. We addressed their conference five years ago and
earlier seventeen years ago. Out of the 2000 members, we have
interviewed 40 or 50 of them. Several of them who were doing 2
or 3 million five years ago are now at 7 or 10 million dollars.
That is a fact. But there is another side to that fact.
Several others have closed shop. Many others are frightened of
the prospect of closing. The interviews clearly show that the
MARKET is aggressive, but expanding. Those who rise to the
occasion of aggressiveness are caught by the wave of expansion
and move from two million to ten or twenty.
Those who are timid, and cling to their old ways are wiped out
by the aggressively changing market. Success is for those who
dare and act. (MSS, edited)
Examples of Great
Pioneering Efforts
The Gorbachev Miracle
Gorbachev single handedly
ended the Cold War. He also did something unprecedented in the history of
the world; he enabled a revolution that reversed things to the opposite
while in power, while representing that old system which he destroyed. And
he did it bloodlessly, which is perhaps even more remarkable. It is a sign
of the Force at work for sure, which creates always in entirely new,
unprecedented ways.
Churchill, England's
Courage Saved the World; Using the Force
When all Europe capitulated to Hitler, he expected England to hasten to
surrender. What happened was the opposite. Churchill declared, ''We shall
fight, fight to the end. We shall fight the enemy on the land, let us
fight him on the high seas. Let us give fight in the air. We shall fight
him in the streets, we shall fight, fight and die fighting." It inspired
every man in the factory, every woman in the kitchen. England won, NOT
Hitler. England won FREEDOM. England saved democracy. England saved the
world. That is the courage of the collective. Churchill received the
SPIRITUAL FORCE from Sri Aurobindo and exhibited spiritual courage, which
spread all over England and all over the world. It is true not only in the
subtle plane but in the warfront too.
(MSS)
The Evolutionary Being
The Evolutionary Being
Who Moves
Society
The evolutionary being, i.e.
one who directly effects the world or the world around them is marked by a
single-mindedness, whether the single-mindedness of a Napoleon or the
single mindedness of purity of love that Sabrina had for Linus. The former
is a conscious instrument of evolution; the latter is a non-conscious
instrument.
The several requirements to
be an evolutionary instrument are:
1) conscious awareness of
the role.
2) releasing not
psychological energy but evolutionary energy.
3) giving not a romantic
direction but an evolutionary direction.
4) organizing oneself as an
evolutionary power, not a social power.
5) reaping the evolutionary
results, not a mere romantic fulfillment or an upward social movement.
(MSS)
Original Thinkers, Genius and Pioneering
Number of Original
Thinkers
The maximum number of original thinkers the world has produced will not
exceed 100, maybe only half of that. They are the pinnacle of Mind. (MSS)
Also See Thoughts on
the Enabling of Genius, Intuition, and Original Thinking
The Psychological
and Spiritual Individual and Pioneering
The Individual
Determines the Society
Social determinism is Self-determinism. [Examples of such
individuals:] Avatars [i.e. those who bring about the next stage
of human evolution] have aspired for the abolition of suffering.
Great leaders have worked for the abolition of slavery. Thinkers
were dreaming of Prosperity, equality, and happiness for all
mankind. (MSS)
Man Should Realize His
Own Value as a Psychological and Spiritual Individual
Man does not see the VALUE is his, his own. To whomsoever he
gives that value, his value rises. Coming nearer home, it is MAN who is
the unit of the society. The value of the society today is the value
each individual gives to the society. In reality, society looms large in
his imagination and is oppressively sitting on his psychological life.
It is time Man realises his value, his value to the society, comes into
his own, becomes an Individual, and sheds the artificial value he has
for the society. Should Man discover himself as a Spiritual Individual,
he must first discover himself as a Psychological Individual who can act
on his own. To do that, he must overcome the phobia of the society which
haunts him as a dark shadow. It is Man the individual, the pioneer, who
should lead the society, not the society the individual. For anyone to
make it in social life, to make a mark, this inversion is essential.
(MSS)
One's Spirit Connecting to Society's Spirit Enables Boom
When a writer or the leader or other skilled individual has touched
the Spirit in his own inspiration in his field, it touches the Spirit
of the population also. This individual Spirit calling the social
Spirit creates a live ever-increasing movement, a boom, e.g. of sales
or popularity.
Anyone who is
patient enough to invoke the Spirit in his own life, who acts on his
own faith in Spirit rather than his own individual capacities to
succeed, will witness such a boom in his own life. How far it will
rise depends upon how far he is in tune with the Spirit of the Times.
With the spiritual Force ever-increasing in the
atmosphere, this phenomenon of interrelated Spirit is ever-more likely
to burst out into boom. (Paraphrase of MSS)
Spiritual Pioneers
The Avatar
The Avatar is one who comes to open the Way for humanity to a
higher consciousness. (Sri Aurobindo)
Avatar, the
Divine, and the Vibhuti
-The Avatar is necessary when a special work is to be done and in
crises of the evolution. The Avatar is a special manifestation while
for the rest of the time it is the Divine working within the
ordinary human limits as a Vibhuti.
-The Avatar is
one who comes to open the Way for humanity to a higher consciousness
-One can be a
great man without knowing such things as that. Great Men or even
great Vibhutis need not be omniscient or know things which it was
not useful for them to know.
-An Avatar or Vibhuti have the knowledge that is necessary for their
work, they need not have more. There was absolutely no reason why
Buddha should know what was going on in
Rome.
An Avatar even does not manifest all the Divine omniscience and
omnipotence; he has not come for any such unnecessary display; all
that is behind him but not in the front of his consciousness. As for
the Vibhuti, the Vibhuti need not even know that he is a power of
the Divine. Some Vibhutis like Julius Caesar for instance have been
atheists. Buddha himself did not believe in a personal God, only in
some impersonal and indescribable Permanent. (Sri Aurobindo)
The Avatar as Ultimate Pioneer
The Avatar is Indian term for the ultimate pioneer in that he/she brings out something
spiritually new that the world is now ready for. He is one who changes
the course of human evolution; such as Buddha, Krishna, and Jesus.
Spirit-based
Individuals, Avatars, Vibhutis, Geniuses, et al; Levels of Spirit
that We Can Become
Evaluation of Known Spirit-Oriented Individuals
Saints, sages, realised souls, vibhutis, and even Avatars are
not recognised in their immediate environment. Usually they are
recognised after their lives. Persecution is the rule, recognition
is the exception. Most of the saints who were exceedingly popular
during their lives are easily forgotten by posterity because their
popularity was due to their personality and not due to their
spirituality. How can we evaluate the spiritual worth of a person?
There are two ways. One is to know them by what they are. The other
is to know how they impact on our own human lives.
Avatars and
Vibhutis
Avatars, vibhutis, minor emanations, geniuses, heroes, leaders seem
to be the order. Avatars are known to be messiahs who come down from
heaven to deliver a message of God to men. They are charged with a
mission by the Godhead. Buddha, Krishna, Rama, and Jesus are called
avatars. Avatars can be major or minor ones. A single aspect of a
godhead entering a human soul makes him a vibhuti. They appear on
earth once in a few centuries. They bring about a revolution in the
ways of human life impacting minds or lives. Shankara, Shivaji,
Caesar, Alexander and Napoleon have been described as vibhutis or
God's emanations. Napoleon said that a man like him appeared once in
three or four hundred years. He came to consolidate the gains of the
French Revolution and offered the rule of law to the whole of
Europe. The legal as well as administrative system of all the
European nations today is what Napoleon originally devised. Even
here, it is customary to speak of major and minor vibhutis or
emanations.
How We Become a Genius through Spirit in Mind, Powerful through
Spirit in Vital, Son of God through Spirit in the Body
Man becomes a genius when the SPIRIT touches his mind. Mind has
objective knowledge, i.e. the knowledge of what it sees outside. The
higher, wider, completer knowledge belongs to the Spirit. It dwells
inside. Man goes inside and touches the Spirit. It comes out of his
mind. In the mind, the Spirit emerges as genius. Spirit emerging
through the vital - the nerves - makes MAN a Caesar or Shivaji. The
Spirit emerging through the vehicle of the body renders man the Son
of God. (MSS, with headings added)
Creation of Universe is Ultimate
Pioneering Act
The universe in its emergence from a Divine Source -- i.e. the process
of Creation -- is the "pioneer" movement from pure Spirit to embodying
the Spirit in a multiplicity of forms in creation, including ourselves.
The creation of the universe itself is thus the ultimate pioneering act.
Our Own
Creativity is Ultimately the Creativity of the Divine
Creative personalities create unique products, but their theme
is social, what all society happily receives and endorses. A
writer feels that what he writes is his OWN thought. Yoga says
thoughts are not ours, they are universal and they pass through
our minds. (MSS)
Society Will Try
to Destroy Pioneering Effort
MSS Article on Pioneer and Reactions of Society
The Pioneer's Effort is Accepted Long After
The pioneer,
the leader, the Avatar, etc., broaches the subject to the world. It
comes to be accepted long after. Some token experiments succeed. They
spread as an initial wave. Slowly either the government or the society
or both take it up, give life to it, sponsor it, and give support in the
form of a new organisation. That has been the history of any successful
social movement until now. (MSS)
Society's
Preparedness and the Rise of the Pioneer
Unless the whole society unconsciously prepares for
something, no single pioneer can rise anywhere. (MSS)
Pioneers Persecution
Pioneers and reformers have
been described by The Mother as the luminous mad people as they have
been persecuted as badly as real mad people.
The Pioneer and the Reaction of Society
-
It is the Individual pioneer who
leads the society.
-
Not all take to that individual
for a long time.
-
In any sector, a time comes when
the whole population rushes for it.
-
Even after that the left over of
a small percentage has great work for the collective and for the
creative entrepreneur, it is a richer field than usual.
-
To abridge the time between the
appearance of the first individual and the exodus of the population
towards that is social development.
-
In any established field of
excessive competition, this area offers a richer pasture for the
creative enterprising individual.
-
After the pioneer or pioneers
appear on the scene, the masses hesitate to avail of the social
opportunity -- education, insurance or phone, etc.
-
The non-pioneers can benefit by
the social support. The society by offering that support enables the
individual to grow, which is social growth. (MSS)
Pioneer and Sanction of
Society
A pioneer individual can
make a breakthrough in the society so long as he has the conscious or
subconscious sanction of the society. If he is too far ahead, he may go
nowhere, or even cause a backlash against him.
Pioneer and Society
The pioneer individual
initiates for the society that which it is unconscious of.
When the pioneer initiates
and evolutionary movement, the society tries to do everything to tear it
down, including through individuals.
The greater the anachronisms in the
society (and they can be found everywhere), the greater the resistance.
When the pioneer achieves
for the society, the society often takes all the credit, and ignores or
even scorns the pioneer who enabled it in the first place.
Society's
Reactions to the Efforts of the Pioneer Individual
Society progresses through the pioneering efforts of certain
individuals. That individual takes up the conscious or
subconscious will of that society, and then embraces the new
way, enabling it to spread throughout the collective.
Sometimes
the society attempts to destroy the emerging new influence,
idea, product, etc. that the pioneer brings, especially if it is
out of step with what is commonly accepted. The church attempted
to destroy Galileo for his heliocentric view of the universe,
and the reactionary forces in ancient Greece forced Socrates to
take to Hemlock poison. In later times, of course, what they
brought to bear, and who they were as personalities were
acknowledged as great.
One way they
destroy an emerging pioneer is through the chink in his or her
armor, such as a psychological defect or some other weakness.
Jesus brought pioneer Love to the world, but the
Romans destroyed him too because he did not have the spiritual
strength that would have avoided persecution. Hamlet brought a
new evolutionary urge of the Mind on the social collective, but
the society too tried to destroy him because of limitations in
his vital/emotional being. The same perhaps could be said of a
Kennedy, a Clinton, and many others.
When one brings a new insight or
evolutionary urge into the world, one must be prepared for the
hostile reaction. It is the mischief of the dark side that
opposes the light. If one has the strength, and the purity of
consciousness, the hostility can be overcome. Such hostility
comes when the change is vast or radical and is decidedly out of
step with the society. Sometimes it is concomitant with society,
poses no threat, and is still very helpful, such as those
efforts of a Henry Ford or a Bill Gates that brought further
developments in the areas of economic and organizational change.
In these cases, they are swept up and adopted in full by the
society, who are fully ready to move forward in that direction.
When we take to a decided change, we need
to measure the forces around us who seek to help us or bring us
down. We must also be aware of our own weaknesses, for it is
through that point that the world will test us. Even if we are
trying to be our own personal pioneer by moving to the next
level of success in life, we also have to be aware of the
mischief of the darkness and limitation that resides within our
own selves.
Still taking to the new, especially rising
the next evolutionary wave of society, though an idea or a
product or service, etc. is open to everyone at any level in the
21st century.
How the Collective Killed the Pioneering Effort Long Ago
When the Mind thinks, the body acts. The act yields results. This is
not how Man has created our civilisation. He worked, and so
his body learnt. That alone was the route Man knew in earlier
millennia. As years passed, the human mind awoke. It began to think.
The thinking of the Mind that was awake inspired the Mind. One man's
thinking provoked an opposition from other men. The collective
killed the pioneering thinker, offering him hemlock or throwing him
behind bars. When everyone saw the sun going around the earth, one
man's mind understanding that the sun does not go around the earth
but the earth goes around the sun, landed in jail. His mind awoke
and saw, but it remained in his mind. (MSS)
Society Opposes Non-Routine Idea
Society opposes the good
idea when it is not an accepted routine. (Paraphrase of MSS)
Idealism that is Crushed
Idealism that is counter to the cherished beliefs of the present
will be destroyed physically, however justified and noble it is
otherwise. (MSS)
See MSS Article on the Film 'The Verdict', discussing the Reaction of
Society to the Hero's Attempt to Bring Justice
The
Courage to Take up Society's Opportunities
Society is constantly throwing up new opportunities. But individuals
in the society have no courage to resort to the new opportunities
created by the society because the very same society will condemn such
a pioneer effort. So we must learn to have the courage to take up the
opportunities despite what society says. This applies to the average
individual in his or another field, the leader of the company or of
the nation, etc.
Sometimes we
must take up such pioneering efforts outside of or in spite of the
normal bounds of the current organization or structure.
People see the results of opportunities taken up, but not
the opportunities that arise. (MSS)
World is Unreceptive
to New Ideas: We Can Find out Why
-The world is not receptive to new ideas, particularly new boons.
If one goes on the Internet and learns how the major discoveries were
received by the world, one will be appalled at the treatment they had
received. The world was conservative. It is conservative to the core
today.
-Man is
conservative, traditional and will oppose tooth and nail every good
thing that develops.
-It
will be a GREAT project for a PhD student of an advanced university if
he lists all the BOONS at our doorstep - organisational, political,
technological, educational, social, etc. - and evaluates them in terms
of their contribution and records the reception they get at various
levels of the society. Man's dire need is AWAKENING to the new world
that is springing up around him. (MSS)
On the Character of
Howard Roark in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead
How the fraternity of architects treats him, how the unthinking
social mass disowns him, how much he suffers are all in character -- what
every pioneer or sage has undergone
without exception.
Organization Turns Ideals
Into Falsehood
It is sad to see how the
ideals and truths of great men and movements are turned into falsehoods
through an organization established for the ideal. The true power,
strength, and truth of the ideal comes from the individual, not the
institution set up to organize the ideal. The organization corrupts it,
ruins it. (E.g. the UN itself is undemocratic, in its Security Council, as
it values democracy and equality; Napoleon turns away from his mission and
puts relatives in place as he resorts back to organization of government;
the USSR creates false government structure to implement its social
values; a guru's or thinkers profound insights turn to falsehood through
the organization created, etc.)
The truth of the Force of
evolution that is behind the emerging of new great forces and developments
in the world manifests through the ideals of the awakened Individual, not
through the falsehood of the organization that is set up to further the
ideal, which corrupts it. (Paraphrase of MSS)
Hamlet as
Symbol of Emergence of the Mental Individual in the Human Collective
Hamlet represents the beginning of a new phase in the evolution of
Western society -- the birth of thinking mind and the emergence of mental
individuality in the human collective. Instead of immediately seeking to
revenge his father's death, Hamlet begins to contemplate the nature of
human existence. He perceives the pretense and falsehood of society. He
becomes conscious of his own personal defects. He comes to question the
very purpose of life and action. All this is possible, because the
thinking mind has been born in Hamlet and that mind is giving shape to
his individuality. | Hamlet is a symbol captured in fiction of a real
historical phenomenon that was occurring at the time the play was
written -- the collective development of thinking mind and mental
individuality in Europe. (MSS)
Social Forces Working to Destroy
Hamlet's Mental Progress
The existing social forces are covertly working through
subconscious life channels to weaken or destroy the nascent mental
consciousness in Hamlet by presenting it in its weak condition with an
intolerable burden. It is the same movement that overtly confronted
Socrates, Copernicus, Jesus and innumerable others who represented in
themselves some new manifestation. (MSS)
Hamlet
Represents Something New to Society, But They Feel Threatened
The situation in consciousness expresses literally in
life. Hamlet has grown to manhood, his faculty of knowledge is
developed, but he is excluded from the throne which is the true
power for action. In this respect he is not merely an individual but
a representative of a growth in the society as a whole. He is
part of and represents the royal house of Denmark, the central will
(''head") of the state. Not only is his birth a new development in
the society, but it threatens the existing social consciousness and
evokes a response of fear and hostility from it. In other words, his birth marks the appearance of a greater possibility, a greater
power of consciousness, to rule Denmark. Because it is a higher
development it has a power over the existing society and also poses
a threat to it. But because it is young and not yet integrated with
the present achievements of the civilisation, it is awkward,
unbalanced, weak and its appearance creates a temporary
disequilibrium or gap in the consciousness of the society.
This gap is a weakness which invites a challenge.
The challenge comes from Norway as war. But the vitality of
Denmark embodied in Old Hamlet is strong and the result of the
threat is an expansion of Denmark's sovereignty over a far
greater area. In life, a new emergence usually brings with it an
upset, accident or temporary difficulty. But where the basis is
firm and the new element positive, the net result is an
expansion and progress. In this case Hamlet's birth marks the
rise of Denmark as a greater international power.
(MSS)
Social Forces that Support and
Oppose Hamlet's Evolutionary Advance
At a deeper level the positive support for Hamlet reflects the
readiness and willingness of the country for an evolutionary advance,
namely, to develop a governing mental consciousness. The resistance to
this advance comes from the old established order, not the wider
collectivity and we find the forces of the social life constantly
fostering the movement. (MSS)
Unpopularity of Pioneer in Hometown
As a rule, great men are unpopular in their own hometowns. That
continues to be so even after they attain national or international
fame. (It indicates the smallness and meanness of people there.)
(Paraphrase of MSS)
[Gorbachev was unpopular in Russia after saving Russia and the world.
-editor]
Threat of the Negative
The
positive cannot accomplish at a higher level without overcoming the
threat of the negative. Individuals as well
as society achieve only when the strength is Organised to contain the
mischief of the negative. (MSS)
Reaching the Next Highest Positive Level
The positive cannot accomplish at a higher level without overcoming
the threat of the negative. E.g. a man was meant for higher
accomplishment. As the opportunity emerged, his own dark past rose and
confronted him. His ability to handle it successfully was essential
for his further progress. (Paraphrase of MSS)
A Principle of Life
Within the same
plane, initiatives generate results with lesser or greater difficulty.
They meet with resistance in the measure the initiatives involve an
upward movement within the plane or require energy and capacity beyond
the endowments of the individuals involved. The difficulty is in
proportion to the distance.
Idealism and How
Life Responds
Life sometimes brings a great result to the idealist. Other times
just the opposite occurs. The latter may be the case when one's
ideals are not matched by his other beliefs and actions in life,
thus attracting no positive, or even negative results.
Resistance to New Invention
Orthodoxy,
conservation, tradition are the old ways of life summarised by the
modern term 'Establishment'. That the old strongly resists the new is
the order of the day. The old ways of life are so strong, that they can
come back sooner or later, even if removed effectively. After the French
Revolution, Napoleon made himself the Emperor. Later the royalty was
restored. The same thing happened in England earlier. Even in democratic
countries, the President of the nation behaves like a Monarch and people
at all levels treat him as a King. The old is strongly entrenched, not
easy to remove. As late as 1930, the US public opinion was not in favour
of Darwin's theory of evolution being taught in the schools. There was a
famous case at that time against a teacher who taught the principle of
evolution.
Those who stick to the old methods won't permit a little change of any
description. About 170 years ago the Railways came into existence.
Christians who believed in the sanctity of the Sunday Sabbath would not
allow the Railways to operate on Sundays. For several decades that rule
prevailed. In Scotland it was there for a longer time than in England.
Every innovation - the steamship, the telegraph, the phone, the radio,
etc. - met with the same type of resistance. Science called it
superstition, but later science developed its own orthodoxy. As recently
as 1960 when Eisenhower was President of USA, he disliked the use of
phones, though his position compelled him to use them frequently.
Industrialists introduce new technologies, but try to operate them in
the old way, thereby getting the minimal benefit.
(MSS)
Forces that
Oppose Pioneering Act for the Individual, Society, and the Creation of
the Universe
When an individual tries to grow, that pioneering movement is
thwarted by the various limiting
tendencies of his character and being. When
the society tries to grow through the pioneering efforts of individuals,
the society may try to oppose it, When the universe was created, dark
forces came about in response to the pioneering effort of the ultimate
positive Act of creation.
Also See Thoughts on the
Opposition One Encounters When Moving to a Higher Plane and
the
Influence of the
Atmosphere, Society
Also See
Thoughts on Anachronisms in Society
Growth Online
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