Understanding the environment (of people and the land)
Now that we have looked at the individual in more detail, there is still one other factor to consider: the environment. As we all know, the environment plays an important role in affecting world problems. Understanding the environment and what it is doing to people (how it shapes their thinking and ultimately how they act on the world) can help you realise that there is much we can do to improve the environment. Any improvements are likely to solve numerous social and environmental problems before we even tackle the individual itself. But at the same time, tackling the individual can also solve the environmental problems created by them. It depends on which way you want to go.
We recommend tackling both.
The environment of other people
Here are important things to consider when handling a group of people (i.e., the social environment):
- Choose the right leader for a group of people
The choice of a leader (or leaders where the diversity is there, including the genders) that lead a group, organisation or nation of people are just as important to solving world problems as the individuals themselves at the grass root level. Have the wrong leaders and the problems can persist or even exacerbated or multiply through their poor decisions. Good, well-balanced leaders are essential to solving world problems. You need great leaders with the balanced imagination, visual and rational skills because they always understand how important other people are in solving problems at the local and personal level (and eventually at a global level) and what needs to be done to inspire and encourage people to achieve greatness. All good leaders always show hope (rather than putting fear into people as we see in many socialist nations run by dictators) by giving clear and positive visions of the kind of society, nation and world community we can all live in. Then leaders show by example how it can happen in the real world, usually as a microcosm based on their lives and everyone who needs to observe with their eyes before they are convinced to do anything can and will do something to mimic the approach when they see the benefits. Leaders already know it will work because they have the imagination and are living by example of the approach they know works and will help everyone. And, while showing to others, everyone else who trust their eyes can "see" the reality before they will do anything. Or else, for something that has never been created, we need to paint the picture so clearly and vividly that everyone has to see it in their own minds too and will desire to reach for the goal. Anyone who intends to lead any type of group, no matter what it is, from a few people right up to the size of nations and even the world, he/she must have the true positive and achievable visions and the right imagination coupled with enough of the practical means or knowledge of how to make those visions come true. And finally, great leaders are always continually observing, listening and learning about the environment and the people, thinking about the problems, seeking a more balanced and better solution, and finding the best ways to communicate those solutions to the people with simplicity and with great ease using any tool available to him/her. - People must have an understanding of the principle of love
Before acting on the environment and changing it to what you think is better, you must know the principle of love. Indeed, quality leaders have an understanding of emotions and have thought throw issues very deeply to give them an excellent grasp on the principle of love. They do not allow problems to persist or the wrong short-term solutions to be applied that result in people becoming unhappy or suffer unnecessarily. A true quality leader always seek better, long-term and more balanced solutions in order to avoid any negative situations from developing in the rest of the people. For example, a quality and creative world leader will not persist with harsh economic sanctions on another nation simply because some people in one nation is unhappy by the decisions of another leader in the other nation. If the other leader is of any quality, he/she too will be seeking a balanced position that helps everyone, not just the people in one nation but in both, to be happy. There would be active and carefully considered discussions between world leaders to find a balanced solution, and one that does not cause suffering or harm to the people of both nations. In fact, you cannot be a quality leader without some understanding of human emotions, and not just good rational thinking and creativity to see the right solutions. - Let everyone become their own leader
If leaders in your local community and/or your country do not understand the principle of love and have the necessary creativity to solve problems in more original ways, as well as the rational skills needed to make original and new ideas a reality, you must become a leader in your own right. There is no choice. In the end, the best solutions are often among the ordinary citizens who are living and experience real life and all the problems associated with it. Ask a taxi driver and he/she will give the same practical solutions to problems based on maintaining the current economic system. Find someone with a little more imagination as well as a good practical mind, and the solutions you might receive could provide the potential to fundamentally overhaul the current system in a way that could effectively solve practically all social and environmental problems as we know them today. Understand the problems is one thing. Seeking the solutions is another. Finding the right solutions that help everyone is the ultimate goal. This is considered the most balanced solution there is.
Make sure the solutions we find are the best and meet the principle of love for as many people as you can. Then implement the solutions quietly, without any expectation of a reward. Let others see how your solutions will solve problems. Time will tell if more and more people will realise your solutions are better and should be applied.
- Get enough people to experience what it is like for the problem to be properly solved
Other people in the environment may not make the serious effort to experience the situation firsthand by living and working with those individuals (or living things) who are affected by a given problem. As a result, people tend to fall short of getting the full picture, including all the emotions. In such circumstances, sometimes we need to help other people to experience what others go through in that environment if we are to get ourselves and other people to become the solution, rather than the problem. - Avoid applying solutions that reinforces old belief systems and ways of doing things
If some people in society do think about a problem and how to solve it, there is a tendency for them to apply too much of the L-brain (and memory skills) believing that more talking and memory will help them find a solution. This is half the picture. And sometimes existing solutions may be recognised and could work in the present. However, care must be taken with this approach as things that may have worked in the past may not work in the present. Or else, it may seem to work in the short term. Part of the problem is because of certain people with strong L-brain skills often have their own agendas of what they want to see happen that gives them greater benefit, maintain a certain way of life, or maintain a certain belief (perhaps based on the Bible or some other ancient religious text, or simply the fact that they can become rich and enjoy the benefits from it) that they are not willing to let go no matter how imbalanced or harmful it might be, or they are afraid to try something different in order to achieve greater balance (maybe because they might lose the power they enjoy right now). There doesn't seem to be sufficient balance through R-brain creativity and visual skills combined with just enough L-brain practical considerations of how a potential new solution can work and be implemented to truly solve problems permanently. Good world leaders with the right amount of imagination and practical skills have no trouble getting this balance right and in seeking the right solutions, even original ones if need be. They are not afraid to find these solutions and implement them. - Search for an original balanced solution
Along a similar line of sticking to what people think they know best or makes sense to them based on their L-brain skills and memory, sometimes certain belief systems created by other people and are imposed on everyone else (a form of interference on the affairs of others) can stifle creativity and prevent people from seeing a new ways of doing things that can bring greater balance. This includes certain so-called rational leaders of Western democratic systems and socialist/communist systems. Why do people do it? People are generally inclined to stick to their own beliefs because this is what's more comfortable for them to do and helps them to survive (or be more powerful and rich). People will often do everything they can to justify their own position or way of doing things even if if still causes harm to other people. Should this continue and communication is not enough to convince others of how things should be done, communication is often pushed aside and action by way of war is implemented as the only solution in the minds of L-brain types. To solve this situation, we all must re-analyse our beliefs and resolve the initial problem of how to survive and be comfortable again by seeking a new balanced position with the help of others, especially those who are harmed by the old belief system.
The environment in general
- Not all problems are caused by other people in the environment. Sometimes the natural environment itself can create problems. For example, if you live near a volcano that seems not to be active or doing anything for a long time, you may be tempted to stay where you are (because of the benefits of a fertile soil to grow lots of nutritionally-dense foods). But if one day the volcano erupts, certain problems will emerge for the people living there. Solution: Consider moving to an area where it is safer to live, or build tools to better prepare everyone for this eventuality and ultimately implement other solutions to help evacuate the people from the area as quickly as possible.
- Another source of problems in the environment is the way we develop our artificial landscape of skyrise buildings, roads and concrete paths. The lack of greenery and places that people can feel cosy, secure and comfortable without the world constantly watching them is not conducive to developing a creative mind or making people feel relaxed. And it can make people feel cold and isolated in a world that cannot show a few large and well-developed trees for people to associate themselves with and see with their own eyes to help break up the monotony of a concrete jungle. If you want people to be more creative in solving problems, provide vast areas of parks and places that people can walk, relax, and make them think more broadly about how to solve problems.
- However, on the whole, most problems relating to the environment are generally caused by people. For example, we only have to look at climate change in the 21st century to see the impact human activity is having on world climate. There simply is not enough volcanoes to account for the extra carbon dioxide and increasing methane levels entering the atmosphere. In this circumstance, better leaders with the emotions, creativity and rational skills and citizens willing to do the right and more balanced thing, will be important when solving these kinds of problems.