Oct 20, 2019
EMM and IMM Ways of Being
Dear friends.
Our minds are malleable all through life. We originally evolved to successfully adapt to a large range of environmental niches. Recall our forest ancestors gradually adapted to life on wide plains of grasses and other low-ground plants.
Our current problem is that at some point in the distant past an elite male group created a set of tools based in force, including deadly force, beatings of carefully precise destruction, rape (of everyone), gaslighting, and elite male acquisition and deployment of all resources (all living things and all Earth objects). Our minds and theirs’ have been adapting to this condition for more than 10,000 years (see archeology of war). The behaviors devolving from this kind of mind are driving the sixth mass extinction and the depression, anger, violence, suicide, and domestic violence endemic to Earth cultures operating from the Elite Male Model (EMM). The EMM is based on might makes right, power-over, us versus them, hierarchies of value (elite males at the top, cast-offs at the bottom), and there can be only one. These are permitted EMM social tools. This is a rigid tool set individuals are required to learn to accept and use that have been dispersed among the minds of all categories of individuals living in EMM societies including priests, poets, garbage collectors, doctors, mothers, fathers, children, architects, thinkers, leaders, judges, warriors, cast-offs [homeless people are cast-offs], etc.).
A current example of EMM mind in action: All types of actors (good, bad, neutral) are using the power of social media (all types) to push their agendas using EMM methods in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Their missives reflect might makes right, power-over, and us versus them. There is always a flawed angel versus an evil demon and your choice is obvious. The actions of whole societies are being manipulated by these actors using these methods. But, once we know this, our minds can stabilize and clear. How?
Our defense is to finally understand human mind (the average or baseline mind) and our own individual minds well enough to deflect this manipulation, observe real things in action, and formulate reasonable actions to ensure the survival of our race, which means ensuring the survival of all living beings here on Planet Earth, Blue Among the Stars.
And this is going to sound dramatic, but if you fearlessly examine many lines of evidence (human and animal health, environmental health, social health), you too may begin to believe that if we do not switch our societies’ EMM way of being NOW in all categories of person, we are out of time to do so, given what we know about how fast evolution can work.
Now is the time to cultivate the Individual Mind Model (IMM) of social structure. Why? It allows us to see ourselves as important receivers and transmitters of local information required to maintain social body and mind health, not just our own.
How can we create and use IMM? This is being described in my various posts on medium.com (https://medium.com/@teresadlonghawkes), tagged as Way of the Wanderer. It is an entirely different way of being that is based on friendship, gifting, cooperation, organization, ongoingness, sensitivity, freedom, responsiveness, complexity, building, dissolution, and compassion.
Check them out! https://medium.com/@teresadlonghawkes
This is just one alternative to EMM. Make your own alternative based on what you think will staunch the damage the human race has done and is doing to itself and this planet. Test it to see if it works in your life. Help others do the same. This will sound prescriptive, and since I am an old white lady, please check your biases and try to realize I have biases too, but do this NOW!
Hugs to all.
