UPLIFT IN ABSTRACT1
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Draft document by Larry Victor
October 2, 20102
This is intended as but one chapter in a larger document about UPLIFT.
This is not an “abstract” or summary of this larger document. The term “abstract”
is used in the sense that this is one, of many projections, or “abstractions”
from the whole. Major and significant features of the whole UPLIFT conceptual
scheme are missing in this document.3
PREFACE
This section could stand alone, and be expanded. It
presents a context for comprehending UPLIFT in terms of a new model for basic
reality, the evolution of humankind, and the rise and fall of civilizations.4
This section should be heavily illustrated with dynamic
diagrams demonstrating visually the social networking and connectivity concepts
and the trinity model of self/data/world.5
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This present version is a very rough draft.
MODELS AND ABSTRACTIONS -- SOCIAL NETWORKS6
All our explanations about things in our environments are
models, or internal representations, simplifications, abstractions from an assumed
“deeper reality".7
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Actually, this is all we can ever know about anything.
And anything we say or write about everything is about a model.8
Some of the time we don't get into trouble when we assume
our model is the whole reality.9
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But often we do get into trouble; especially for things
we can't actually point to, such as societies and economies and populations.10
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So, I propose here a simplified model of humankind on
Earth. I will add different layers to
the model as we go along.11
First imagine a vast network where each node in the net
is a person alive on planet Earth. But, we won't first imagine them where they
might be on the Earth's surface, but simply as a network where each person has
different kinds of links with other persons.12
This network changes as people live their lives,
connecting up with others, and learning about others.13
We can imagine many different types of links between
person nodes.14
One kind of link would indicate that those persons are in
direct synchronous contact, such as F2F or on telephone or in computer chat.15
We
could change the color, texture, width, etc. of each link to represent
different aspects of the synchronous contact.16
Another kind of link would indicate asynchronous contact,
again with a variety of qualities of contact.17
A totally other kind of link would represent a person
simply knowing of another person, never having met them personally.18
Some
of these links could be of people observed, extensively, in the media. Others
might be authors, etc.19
We don't need to go further into detail. We could create our network as detailed as we
like - in our imagination.20
There is a scientific study of these types of networks.21
A
recent book, Connected: The
Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives by Nicholis
Christakis & James Fowler.22
Christakis on TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_how_social_networks_predict_epidemics.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2010-09-21&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email23
Example of polarization in
social networks of red and blue blogs in the USA. 24
C:\Users\Owner\Searches\Pictures\My
Scans\2010-10 (Oct)\WEB-RED-BLUE0001.jpg25
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With
special tools for analysis, these social networks could identify those living
in families, working at a common place of employment or attending the same
educational classes, or any other grouping or organization were persons come
together. All patterns of interpersonal
communication could be identified.26
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Remember, this is an imaginary model; although some
rather large social networks are actually being studied. To actually make such a model real one would
need a powerful surveillance system with equally powerful data processing
tools. But, even if we can't actually
manifest this model, we usually assume that such a changing network is a
fundamental pattern of humankind.27
It must be stated that there are enormous gaps between
(1) having the recorded data of every persons social network, (2) being able to
process, present, and analyze this data, and (3) being able to attempt to
somewhat influence and control individuals and social networks.28
Selective individuals and groups could be affected; but
the image of a full control of the social network of most individuals is well
beyond contemporary competencies, and may be theoretically impossible.29
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TRINITY: SELF/DATA/WORLD30
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Now let us stretch our minds a bit and examine in greater
depth the nature of each node, each person.31
First, imagine that we had
a complete record of everything each person did, including what they may have
experienced (read, viewed, etc) and created or produced. All data about that person would be on record
somewhere.32
Some, but not all, of this data is what many are
concerned about re "identity theft".33
This might include data from physiological measures of
the person's body and brain.34
We will postpone consideration of how this data might be
collected, stored, or accessed.35
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However, none of this data is a component of a person, as
a biological being. It is external.36
Second, imagine each person
as an Autopoietic Entity, according to the views of Chilean biologists Maturana
and Varela. What is of concern for us here, are the conscious experiences of
Autopoietic Entities.37
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We model each person as an open physical system, of
extraordinary complexity.38
In terms of our first model of data records, we could
model the detailed biological structure and processes from molecule to
organ. We could record the intake of
air, water and food and excrements. We could know what external energies were
impinging on the being's sensoria, and record the patterns of stimulation as
they move through the neural networks, and record the associated behaviors and
reports of conscious experience.39
Yet, ALL of this is within the first model of data
(although some of this date could be part of sensoria stimulation, as
feedback).40
An Autopoietic Entity is imagined to BE, to EXIST as
itself, in itself. It changes. For
humans, we start as fertilized single cells (from the merging of two other cells
- life does not begin at conception, it continues). Embryonic and fetal
development occurs until birth, and then there is growth, maturity, eldering
and eventually death. But, again, this is from the external point of view from
the data. For the Autopoietic Entity
there is just being and change.41
Conscious experience is part of the Autopoietic
Entity. It cannot be observed as data;
but behavior can lead to reports - which are quite different "things"
than the experiences themselves.42
Physiological data can correlate with data from reports
of experiences; but neither of these ARE the experiences.43
Third, the conscious
experiences of Autopoietic Entities have pattern and content. Reports of some of these experiences flow
through the social networks and are physical stimuli leading to further
experiences. A powerful feature of
Autopoietic Entities, called "cognition", organizes the information
in these reports into "constructed/woven worlds".44
This is NOT done by the consciousness, nor directed by
the experiencer. I shall call this fundamental process "Worldweaving".45
All our conscious experience is in the (unconscious)
context of our inner constructed/woven worlds.46
We
never experience our worlds; we experience only small figures in the gestalt of
the contextual ground (which it itself but a small part of our whole world).47
The
conventional term "constructed" is problematic as it implies an
intentional "making" or "producing".48
Although
ancient persons were aware of this, most people believe in a "naive
realism", where they misinterpret their experiences as of an external,
objective, world. With the best of our
knowledge, we can only experience ourselves within our own constructed/woven
worlds.49
When
being's share the same space, and can point and gesture in agreement, it is
usually safe to treat our experiences as of a shared external environment.50
Our brains probably evolved with this assumption hard
wired. It is only with the advent of
advanced human cognition that the assumption of "naive realism"
causes great difficulty.51
Now, there is ”circularity"
in this model of a trinity of being: data/self/world.52
This trinity model is itself a product of looping between
the three models. Data are essential ingredients for experience and for the
construction/weaving of inner worlds.
Worldweaving is not consciously initiated or performed; it is intrinsic
to the reality of who we are. Yet, all what we do is totally dependent on being
in context with our created/woven worlds.53
In the context of this model, we humans are but a stage
(maybe even an early stage) in the development/evolution/emergence of COSMOS.54
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COSMOS
= the {....whole..Holistic..WHOLE....} -- I can say no more of relevance.55
We
should not be arrogant and assume that we can untangle this knot.56
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But,
by accepting what we are, to the best of our abilities, we can be part of the
continued emergence of COSMOS.57
So, our initial model of a vast, changing social network
as been mystified with this trinity model of each node, each person.58
Personally, I view myself as a trinity: Larry/LJV/nuet.59
Larry = my physiological and mental being.60
LJV (Laurence Joseph Victor) is my personal data in media
and cyberspace.61
"nuet" is the name I give to my internal woven
world.62
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nu
= an alternative to "new" (changes in the Here&Now referenced to
what has been). "nu" refers to changes in
the Here&Now referenced to what might be.63
et
= extra-temporal (aka: extra-terrestrial), explorer-in-time, an
alternative-human, emergence/transformation.64
SEMIOTIC STRUCTURES65
It is discomforting to many to
lose the security of a common external world.
Fortunately we can regain that security when we accept that worlds are
not composed only of material (matter and energy), but also of information. Information is the foundation of what we
exchange in our communications and what we use as components for constructing
our inner worlds.66
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Our ideas and theories about the material world are
represented in information.67
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In your experiential fields you encounter physical
patterns created by others (and yourself): semiotic structures.68
OTHERS.....69
Although,
autopoetically, all we experience is ourselves, there
is ample evidence in our experience for the existence of others.70
But,
we can never experience these others directly - at least through commonly
accepted means.71
Some
will claim, through telepathy or other mystical experience to directly
experience others.72
But all we have is their data reports.73
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To date, there are no means to confirm that the
experiences reported were "direct".74
There
appears to be an emotional drive for many for "direct experience".75
This may be "natural" until a person has
learned to comprehend the more complex reality, and that "meaningful
contact" with others remains possible even though it can never by
"mythologically direct".76
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One
can explore the potential negative consequences of "direct
experience" and conclude that it is "good" that we can't have
it.77
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Humberto
Maturana (author of Autopoiesis) defines "love" as the unconditional
respect for the existence of others.78
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The exemplar of these semiotic structures are TEXTS, but
they also include architecture, landscapes, paintings and other art forms,
music and assemblages of all the above, which compose the texture of culture.79
I shall call all such physical structures, created by
humans that when perceived by other humans generate "meaning",
SEMIOTIC STRUCTURES.80
What is very special about semiotic structures is that
they can be replicated and copied with assurance that the PATTERN is preserved
and can be agreed to be the same by different observers of the semiotic
structures.81
To
my knowledge, these features of semiotic structures have not been yet
acknowledged in "The Literature" (a collection of semiotic
structures).82
A
common aspect of material reality is that you can never enter a river at the
same point.83
Each
time you observe a physical object it is at a different time and may have
changed.84
This
is not the case for semiotic structures.85
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Different
persons may have radically different interpretations and meanings to a given,
commonly observed semiotic structure; but they can always agree that the
physical pattern of that structure is the same for all.86
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Everyone
can be trained to identify accurate copies from those with variations.87
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Different
persons may disagree as to whether small details in an observed semiotic
structure are part of the defined pattern.88
But, they can agree as to what is to be considered the
pattern for interpretation.89
I
discovered this in an experiment where I asked math phobic persons to copy
accurately very complex mathematical expressions (and text in languages using
different scripts). I expected that many wouldn't see details (such as
subscripts, and 2D spatial arrangement of symbols). I was surprised that
everyone could accurately replicate even the most complex patterns.90
Initially some would ignore certain features, but when
the criteria were full replication of all details, these ignored features were
recognized.91
Naive realism has caused humankind its primary
difficulties, as it clouded our ability to accurately assess reality.92
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In the future we must abandon all attempts to discover an
ultimate physical or social reality, as that is impossible.93
What
we have access to are our semiotic structures.
These can be preserved, copied and made available for all to see and
study.94
If you think about it, all that you know about your world
and universe you have gained from semiotic structures.95
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Semiotic structures are part of our local observed
environments.96
They
provide the context for your constructed world where you find meaning in all
your experiences - of wilderness, of sunsets, of fun gatherings of people.97
When semiotic structures lead to conflicting
interpretations, there are information processing means to gather all relevant
semiotic structures and compare them.98
Not
necessarily to decide on one interpretation, but given a specific situation
where a decision of action is needed, as set of actions best fitting the data
at that time can be recommended99
SUMMING UPi100
In this circular complexity, everything we say is limited
to the trinity of realities.101
All communication is an exchange of semiotic structures. Yet
the actual experience of the semiotic structures is within our own woven world.
We must interpret semiotic structures in the context of these worlds, which can
continue to change, evolve and emerge, in part due to what we perceive.102
We continue to talk as if there is an external world,
comprised of others. Actually there is a
COSMOS beyond our woven worlds; it is only that we cannot directly experience
it. Yet, we know it is composed of others.103
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We do have knowledge about others and some things beyond
ourselves; but this knowledge comes from inference from our own woven worlds
and not from direct experience.104
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SOCIAL NETWORKS IN CIVILIZATION105
Imagine our social network showing the evolution of
humankind, from tribal communities and hunting/gathering to the formation of
early civilizations, the modern rise of globalism, and our contemporary
Crisis-of-Crises. Most of this detail
will be left for later.106
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The success of tribal communities and agriculture
resulted in communities growing too large for tribal viability, communities
dividing and organizing as networks of similar communities, and communities of
diverse cultures being forced to interact in "relative peace" by
tyrannical methods.107
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The xenophobia of tribal communities was constrained from
overt conflict, by default, by the force of authority.108
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Societal evolution emerged without much deliberate
intention, and without clear comprehension of what was happening.109
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Very roughly: social networks of individuals form
communities & networks of communities organize into societies.110
Constructed worlds rationalized what was being done,
rather than providing any intelligent guidance.111
This
is consistent with Leon Festinger's theory on the resolution of cognitive
dissonance: dissonance is usually resolved by a movement of the perspective or
worldview to match the behavior.112
Idealists'
belief that once "awakened" to new ideas, most people can change
their behavior is empirically false.113
Very
special conditions are required for the resolution of cognitive dissonance to
be made in favor of new ideas.114
Only
today are we equipped to provide those special conditions.115
The default scenario was the rise of CIVILIZATIONS.116
“Default” meaning that lacking the knowledge and insight
to act otherwise, humankind confronted with tribal success and tribal
xenophobia, drifted towards the only stable societies had the characteristics
of civilization.117
CIVILIZATION was/is a system of class distinction and
power. A small elite, using a bureaucratic technology, coordinates the actions
of the masses for the benefit of the elite (and those working in the
bureaucracy), and suppress revolt of the masses.118
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All civilizations eventually become unstable; but without
viable alternatives, what emerges from the ashes of a civilization was another
civilization.119
A paradox of civilization is that concentrated power
successfully suppresses tribal rivalries, as demonstrated in Tito's Yugoslavia,
Sadam's Iraq, the USSR and modern China.
The disintegration of the USA in the 21st Century into polarized
factions follows this pattern.120
Humankind has yet to learn how communities with radically
diverse cultures can interact peacefully and organize as viable societies.121
Until this is learned, human evolution must cycle through
the formation and collapse of civilizations.122
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Civilizations survive/thrive by their ability to control
the semiotic structures and the indoctrination of (almost) everyone (elite,
bureaucracy and masses) to weave "consistent" worlds.123
Civilizations collapse when their technological
infrastructure becomes unstable and is unable to sustain the overarching,
indoctrinated and propagandized "culture".124
The rise of technology, first with energy and then with
information processing, has greatly disrupted previous historical processes.125
The
Internet and computers have both (1) provided the elite with almost unlimited
power and (2) provides the human population with the means to move beyond
civilization.126
The
outcome is uncertain.127
THE CURSE OF CIVILIZATION128
The consequence of civilization is to severely suppress
the actualization of a viable phenotype from the human genotype.129
GENOTYPE = the inherited
(DNA) potential distributed in the human population.130
A few are born geniuses, and a few are born retarded.
Given a healthy pregnancy, most newborns are healthy and viable.131
Most of the inheritances we are concerned with are for
propensities, with a variation distributed in the population of newborns.132
There is no valid Nature/Nurture debate. Nature provides
propensities, Nurture selects which traits are to manifest or not.133
That civilization manifests some very negative traits for
the majority doesn't imply that many of these traits may not manifest with
alternatives to civilization.134
PHENOTYPE = the development of
traits of living humans, in their environment; a distribution of features of
all living humans.135
The phenotype contains distributions of persons
suffering, dying unnecessarily, starving, in deep poverty and stunted and
retarded in cognitive development.136
Even the elite and the most privileged in civilization
are deficient in many competencies within their potentials.137
The potential genotype of humans is awesome; the actual
phenotype is a temporary tragedy.138
It is unlikely that a species can survive with such a
suppressed phenotype.139
Civilization's most humanistic visions call for a simple
rising of the masses to a level of passive subservience to civilization,
everyone in peace, "educated" and "employed", but minimally
aware of their real potentials.140
In civilization, only a very small elite are assisted in
partially actualizing their genetic potentials.141
Democracy, in civilization, is relegated to periodic
voting on issues and candidates controlled by the elite.142
Today, our Crisis-of-Crises - on honest analysis -
requires the mobilization and training/education of a very large percent of the
population, to both actively create what is needed and for others to not oppose
these changes.143
UPLIFT is a process/scenario to quickly move the
DISTRIBUTION of human competencies to a level required for multi-millennial
survival/thrival of a new Humanity in harmony with GAIA.144
UPLIFT is a process/scenario whose objective is to make
the manifested phenotype commensurate with the potentials of the genotype.145
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UPLIFT directly challenges the premises of civilization: that special elites, aided by a bureaucratic technology,
must rule the vast majority - who can never be lifted to requisite competency,
because they are intrinsically inferior to the elite (according to the
constructed worldview of the elite).146
In our trinity model, civilization severely suppresses
the Worldweaving processes in everyone, but especially the vast majority,
rendering them subservient to the rule of the elite. But, the elite also are severely retarded.147
ORGANIZATIONS IN CIVILIZATIONS148
Again, reality is much more complex than models. So, in
simplicity, most organizations or institutions in civilizations have the same
basic format: elites/bureaucracies/workers-consumers.149
This pattern would be evidenced in an analysis of social
networks and semiotic structures.150
But if we looked in greater detail we would discover a
fine structure: small social networks {cogangs} within organizations that don't
follow the normal organizational flowcharts and where membership in social
networks often overlaps many different organizations.151
I call these "conspiratorial gangs" or
"cogangs".152
Cogangs probably have many features of early tribal
communities, with some obvious differences, as well.153
I
have been motivated in my cogang model by the work of Peter Dale Scott on
"Deep Politics".154
Cogangs view the whole of humankind as an environment for
them to prey upon for mutual benefit.155
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Youth
gangs and drug cartels are versions of cogangs, as are those embedded in the
highest levels of human society, e.g, bankers and
CEOs.156
Cogangs are fluid in both membership and their coming
into and going out of existence, in temporary collaboration with other cogangs,
and often engaging in cogang competition and open warfare.157
The movement of personnel between governmental agencies
and corporations occurs through cogangs.158
I use "conspiratorial" in a general sense that
the members of a cogang are not normally open to others as to their intentions
or strategies.159
Probably
many of the false flag actions and assassinations often attributed to a
"conspiracy" within an formal organization
are done by cogangs operating within different organizations.160
Large
gatherings, such as Bilderbergs, are not themselves conspiracies, but are
venues where cogangs can mingle with their representatives.161
One
joint conspiratorial action of all cogangs is to totally discredit all serious
investigation of "conspiracy" and to brand "conspiratorial
thinking" as the highest level of stupidity and foolishness.162
Although organizations are very real in one sense (e.g.,
the constitutional identity given to corporations) they are quite mythological
in another sense.163
Many people treat social organizations, in the context of
naive realism, as if they were objects with clear boundaries.164
A superficial model of reality is that these
"organizational objects" interact with each other; and that to change
society we must change how these organizations function and interact.165
However,
many of the most significant acts by organizations are not instigated or
executed within the formal system of the organizations (except in retrospect),
but are manipulated by cogangs.166
Thus,
so called formal means of people influencing organizations (both public and
private) is often futile.167
Thus, the processes for change in conventional social
reality, reform and transformation, are not really viable for significant
change.168
Reform is a means by which the organizations of
civilization change and adapt to each other.169
But, the high frequency of tyranny, imperialism, and war
demonstrates that the cogangs are quite willing to sacrifice multitudes for
their narrow, personal gains (although usually embedded in deeply believed
ideologies).170
The upshot of all this is that humankind cannot transcend
civilization by any action within civilization.171
And, it is a sacred tenet of Western Civilization that
the ONLY SAFE means to change is from within.172
Thus, from the perspective of civilization, UPLIFT isn't
possible and even the idea must be suppressed.173
EMERGENCE AND EVOLUTION OF NEW ORGANIZATIONS174
Again, within our abstract model, we can imagine the
social network of individuals change from loose and disorganized associations;
changing until it reflects the characteristics of organizations characteristic
of civilization.175
Throughout the rise and fall of civilizations we might
observe the emergence of new movements and organizations, which eventually
transform the pattern of organized organizations.176
The movement from a few followers of Jesus to a viable
movement of "Christians" to eventually become a ruling bureaucracy in
Europe is a story yet to be comprehended.177
A major factor in social change is technological
innovation.178
E.g.,
as described in the Toffler's book, POWER
SHIFT.179
We would see organizations emerge and form and link into
the networks of pre-existing organizations.180
A few of these new organizations would have major
transformative power over the organization of organizations.181
We must, in this analysis, remain alerted to the
influence of conspiratorial gangs (cogangs) throughout history.182
It is through cogangs that unique persons at unique
moments can wield awesome power.183
Tolstoy's
query as to the competitive role of individuals and collective processes is
resolved: that both are important. At
special moments, special individuals can have great impact. However, their momentary (quantum) impact is
usually quickly dampened by more traditional processes - even though their
action did change the course of history. And, their special powers are
augmented by the special circumstances of the moment that they are able to use.184
Some convergence and seeming organization may be observed
in the data which never coalesced into traditional organizations.185
Usually these convergent social network patterns
plateaued and never impacted significantly the progress of civilization.186
Actually these periodic "infections" of
mainstream are explicitly attended to, and after each "infection" is
suppressed.187
THE SYSTEM learns and prepares to better confront future
"infections".188
In
analogy, this is an exemplar of improper use of antibiotics leading to bacteria
developing resistance to antibiotics.189
Unfortunately,
the limited comprehension of activists (over history) to their real effect on
systems, has actually led to increasing the power of establishments.190
Comments for item 190 |
This
has accelerated in modern times amplified by the use of computer systems.191
Comments for item 191 |
The changes in social networks representative of UPLIFT
will be qualitatively different from what has occurred throughout the history
of civilization.192
Explicitly, UPLIFT will NOT attempt to reform or
transform existing systems, for significant change.193
UPLIFT may occasionally attempt minor actions against
establishment actions so as to better facilitate UPLIFT actions; but these are
never with the intention to significantly reform Establishmenst.194
The goal of UPLIFT is to Support, Enable, Augment, and
Facilitate (SEAF) a totally new emergent pattern of organization in new,
emergent social networks to a new global system that REPLACES the Old Order
with a well crafted, whole-people-supported, new imaginative and scientifically
viable alternative to civilization.195
PREFACE TO UPLIFT196
Although the viability of civilization has been critiqued
by a few throughout history, it is only in the past few decades that
distributed human knowledge has reached a level to permit humankind to
transcend civilization.197
This distributed knowledge is not yet organized in useful
formats, being locked into the competitive ideologies of professional
disciplines.198
Our ancestors should not be blamed for not transcending
civilization.199
In
analogy with individual human development, humankind is more like an infant
than an adolescent. Humankind had/has no
parent. Our evolution/emergence, by
necessity, has been experimental, WITH OURSELVES A CAPTAINS OF THE EXPERIMENT.200
Comments for item 200 |
We can compose scenarios where the very ugly happenings
for human persons during the multi-millennial era of rising and collapsing
civilizations can be viewed as necessary "growing pains".201
This
is little consolation for those billions who experience the suffering; but we
must reflect that in our own embryonic development, from first fertilized cell
to newborn, many of our own cells intentionally die (apoptosis) as our whole
grows and develops.202
We start imagining the social network, globally
today. Without going into detail, the
patterns are disturbing; although many will disagree.203
Almost
all semiotic structures projecting future changes call for reform, or
transFORMation.204
As
Daniel Quinn as pointed out, Western Civilization has been reified, a sacred
and absolute mode of reality, permitting NO alternatives.205
Historically,
efforts of reform usually are adopted and civilization continues; reforms never
have the intention of altering the basic ideology of civilization.206
Today
the corporations control the media and educational systems sufficiently to
effectively suppress any movement of ideas critical of civilization from small
minority fringes to majority populations.207
So far, in discussing this model, we have focused on the
changing patterns in the data about social networks. To better comprehend
UPLIFT, we need to add the changing patterns found in recorded semiotic
structures: what humans have reported what they believed about reality and
themselves.208
What we find most striking is how civilization very
significantly retards the learning and cognitive development of almost
everyone.209
Even the small minority, who are most advanced, on
examination, are also highly restrained by the milieu.210
Most persons adapt, adjust, and plateau early to their
environment. Even when the environments may suddenly shift, as for refuges,
there is usually a quick adjustment to the new situation.211
Some
may take advantage of their environments while others may simply accept what
they can find. Yet, both quickly settle down to a stasis.212
Even
those who become aggressive predators adjust to that pattern.213
Many
persons are open to learning what will enhance their lives within their
adjusted pattern; but make little effort to significantly change their
environment.214
Major
exceptions are revolutionary movements, where an ideology of oppression leads
to organizing in opposition to their rulers.215
However,
on deeper analysis, revolutionary ideology is highly constrained by opposition
to the ruling ideology and seldom gives sufficient attention to constructing a
viable alternative.216
Revolutions
have always leaded to but another variant of civilization, as the default mode.217
Comments for item 217 |
Revolutionaries
are always so busy and preoccupied by their struggle that all attempts to
improve the knowledge and competencies of their people quickly revert to
propaganda.218
In UPLIFT we will observe parallel and interactive
changes in both the social networks and the semiotic structures of those
participating in UPLIFT.219
UPLIFT involves much more than a "raising of
consciousness" or "awakening". Both of these are very
superficial changes in perspectives, and by themselves seldom lead to
significant growth or progress.220
UPLIFT
may be viewed as a sequence of awakenings, each facilitated by new technologies
of social networking that have embraced a bootstrap strategy for both future
changes in persons and collective uplift of the whole human population.221
A MODEL FOR UPLIFT222
Here we will speculate what future humans (or alien
observers) might discover in changing patterns of social networks and semiotic
structures (in cyberspace and other media) as evidence of the emergence of an
UPLIFT process.223
This model will not discuss factors that might make such
a process both possible and potentially viable today.224
The ideology of civilization will claim that UPLIFT is
both impossible or highly unlikely, and ultimately undesirable.225
DATA FEATURES FOR UPLIFT226
The social network for UPLIFT would initiate with a small
number of persons, who prior to the initiation of UPLIFT would exhibit some
unique patterns representing design and preparation for the formal initiation
of UPLIFT.227
These
preliminary behaviors in preparation for UPLIFT will be discussed elsewhere.228
Comments for item 228 |
These
ARE very important, and may be the primary challenge for UPLIFT. For, once UPLIFT is initiated it may be
emerging in harmony with "natural", "spiritual", and
"cosmic" processes. The design
and initial implementation of UPLIFT SCAFFOLDINGS will probably occur within
resistive environments.229
The emergent social network for UPLIFT would exhibit a
much greater density of links than in conventional social networks; but there
would also be a unique fine structure to the UPLIFT social network.230
New
members to the UPLIFT social network would be actively recruited and supported
by an individual member, who is seafed (supported, enabled, augmented, and
facilitated) by a small social network (that had emerged by similar processes).231
There
will be no mass media promotion of UPLIFT.232
One
would not observe a sudden increase in membership without extensive linkages of
members.233
There
would not appear a large increase in a membership list. With an exception that persons may learn of
UPLIFT and request that they be recruited; but being on the recruitment list
does not imply the person is, yet, a member of the UPLIFT process.234
This
is much, much more than asking someone to be your "friend" in
Facebook.235
Learning
materials and special networking tools will be available for the
"recruiter". And these will
improve over time, and become a general resource for the whole emerging UPLIFT
social network.236
A
very early task for a new member is to initiate recruitment of a few
potentially new members. This early
responsibility will be actively seafed by the person and social supportive
network that recruited that new member.
They will not be expected to perform this early recruitment by
themselves.237
A
fine detailed pattern would be observed, which I call the CHAIN GROWTH
RECRUITMENT PROCESS, or CGRP.238
In
one version, CGRP entails each new member actively participating in the
recruitment of at least 14 new members.239
For
example, the new member (A) would quickly recruit B and C as new members, and
be active in supporting them in their learning about UPLIFT and themselves
beginning to each recruit two new members. B would recruit and support D and E;
and C would recruit F and G. A would be
working with B and C in their recruitment of D, E, F and G and A would be
interacting with them.240
CGRP
carries this process one more level. D,
E, F, and G would each begin to recruit two new members. They would be assisted
and supported in this by A, B and C.241
Once
these eight new recruits are recruiting, A may retire from the formal CGRP
process, having been active in the recruitment of 2+4+8=14 new members.242
This
intensive follow-up and support of the recruitment process should insure that
it continues, so long as a population of potential recruits exists.243
In
this process all 14 recruits and the initial member A are all interacting with
each other. These 15 members for a core web in the UPLIFT social network.
Actually, it can include the 14 members who were part of the core web that
recruited member A.244
Comments for item 244 |
These numbers are but examples. Sometimes a member may
recruit more than two, and occasionally be limited to but one. What is to be avoided in CGRP is attempts at mass recruitment.245
The concept that a "hive mind" might
spontaneously emerge from a large but unorganized social network needs careful
analysis.246
If a truly viable web emerges in a "hive", it
will most likely be via a process similar to CGRP within the "hive".247
Otherwise, mass organization within a "hive"
would most likely be typical of civilization organizations with elites,
bureaucracies and masses of sheep.248
Over time many of the connections in a core web would
weaken and be abandoned. Yet, a unique strength for these initial relationships
may be quite strong and persist.249
A
striking pattern to be revealed in UPLIFT emergence would be an exponential
growth of a densely linked social network. Such an exponential growth is
essential if UPLIFT is to succeed.250
Exponential
growth should be a primary criterion for all social movements.251
More fine structure
for an emerging UPLIFT social network.252
SEAFING.
The work of existing members in assisting a new member, in their early
recruitment of other new members, is an example of the seafing process. The
emergence of a seafing network and seafing as a new economic domain (within the
UPLIFT process) is critical for the success of UPLIFT.253
Seafing
will be a new emergent social technology.254
In the complexity of our reality, individuals and teams
are usually unable to utilize the many resources available to them.255
If they are very active in learning and organizing for
their own causes they will find little time or energy to attempt to utilize was
is often not in a form conducive for use.256
Thus, potential synergy is effectively blocked.257
There have been many attempts to assist organization
improve, but these seem always to take on characteristics of civilization,
making a profit, and attempting only reform.
And these helper organizations are themselves blocked from their own
improvement.258
The work of Seymour Sarason has contributed to my
comprehension of this process; and also the works of Donald Michael.259
The technology of CGRP will start off rather crude, but
as more and more participate AND that it will be intentional in the design and
management of CGRP, that they will learn and improve their process.260
Specifically, the process will intentionally attend to
the personal and individual differences (and similarities) for each person in
the social network.261
There will not be a convergence to a few simple formats for
recruitment; rather an expansion to utilize the vast and viable diversity of
humans.262
A seafing “sysnet” may be observed in the data from the
UPLIFT social networks and associated semiotic structures.263
We may be able to distinguish social systems of individuals
working on a specific project and another social system of individuals
supporting, enabling, augmenting, and facilitating (seafing) them.264
I was initially motivated to develop the seafing concept
after reading THE SUPPORT ECONOMY by Shoshana Zuboff and James Maxim (2002).265
Consistent with THE SUPPORT ECONOMY, some teams of a
seafing network would work closely with those they are seafing, becoming
mentors for them and assisting them in linking with others. To support this, others in the seafing
network will organize information about the global resource network, maintain
and improve it, and respond to requests by the mentor seafing teams.266
Zuboff and Maxim forecast that such support systems would
become a wholly new level of economic activity.
I agree, but I cannot foresee it occurring within the ideology of
civilization, where competitiveness and greed are dominant.267
One would observe a rapidly increasing competency and
viability to the seafing network, which would be observed to rapidly accelerate
the growth and viability of UPLIFT itself.268
In metaphor, seafing may be viewed as an enzymatic
process; greatly accelerating processes that without seafing would be too slow
to become viable.269
In biological cells, large molecules slowly interact.
But, when another molecule, of similar components and closely related form,
engages both interacting molecules, the interaction can be greatly speeded up.270
Life could not exist with its current viability without
these enzyme molecules.271
Seafers and the seafing network are social analogs of
molecular enzymes.272
The
UPLIFT process will begin in only a few "locations" or existing
social networks. But, after a few
iterations of revisions of scaffolding versions, many seed sites for UPLIFT
will appear globally. Each tuned to the
specifics of the culture and receptive population.273
It
will be very important that the interaction between different spreading UPLIFT
social networks be intentionally seafed.274
One
population for a second generation UPLIFT would be in the rings of urban slums
around major cities in the world.275
The potentials of this population are discussed by
Steward Brand in WHOLE EARTH DISCIPLINE.276
UPLIFT
webs will also emerge as cogangs in establishment organizations.277
Comments for item 277 |
But, they will not be dedicated to significant reform of
those organizations or to self gain; but they will be "in place" for the
eventual replacement of the established orders by the emergent and well
organized and highly competent UPLIFT population.278
One
challenge of UPLIFT globally will be to transcend the competitive ideologies of
the developed and developing worlds. UPLIFT seeks no approval from existing
institutions.279
The
content of the semiotic structures representing interaction between members of
UPLIFT will also be unique, and results from the design of UPLIFT SCAFFOLDING.280
The
full complexity of UPLIFT cannot be adequately comprehended by most new
members; nor will it be attempted. Long-term (unique) educational processes
will seaf the learning and development of all members, personalized to their
unique cognitive profiles.281
Yet, a variety of Introductions to UPLIFT will be
designed and empirically tested.282
The
primary focus of initial UPLIFT recruitment will be INTERPERSONAL LEARNING.283
This taps into a deep intrinsic need of most (normal)
humans.284
Alienation within civilization is an important tool for
suppression.285
But, it will attempt to avoid traditional topics of
potential controversy.286
Humans, when appropriately approached, have a great
interest in human differences.287
Scaffolding (as evidenced in semiotic structures) would
reveal protocols to assist persons exploring their differences in cognitive
potentials and competencies.288
This would be in formats to collect personal data, to
assist the UPLIFT seafing system in personalizing and indivualizing processes.289
Fun questionnaires and facilitated interview protocols
will make these sessions interesting and useful.290
Measures would be taken to protect the
"privacy" of each person, but the "transparency" necessary
for a viable society must be stressed.291
David Brin's THE TRANSPARENT SOCIETY presents well these
issues.292
Based on competency profiles, all other areas of learning
and organizing will be seafed.293
Personal
survival needs during collapse will be of primary interest to everyone, and
cannot be avoided. However, all effort should be made that the UPLIFT process
not be captured by this need.294
The slow growth and improvement of Relocalization projects
and Transition Cities can be attributed to their primitive means for learning
and organization, usually imitating the systems of civilization.295
The UPLIFT process should greatly improve how persons
learn and organize for community and survival. But a narrow focus on local action
and community, as essential as that focus should be as part of the whole, to be
narrow and exclusive on local action and community (as if often the tendency)
breeds longer term disaster.296
However, a vital component of early UPLIFT will be to
access knowledge and needs and a to create a seafing system assisting persons moving
towards meeting those needs, as best possible and consistent with "realities".297
An
examination of the content of semiotic structures related to UPLIFT would see a
minimum of discussion and effort to reform existing systems.298
Indeed,
to avoid such efforts would likely reduce efforts of establishments to hinder
or counter UPLIFT processes.299
At
some point in the UPLIFT process there will be an organized effort to replace
the old order with a new order; but this process must not be premature, and
when initiated, its success should be only a formality.300
This
is not to exclude special targeted actions by parts of the UPLIFT movement to
block especially negative actions by establishments.301
But, if the likelihood of such counter efforts is
expected to be unsuccessful, they should not be taken if they are likely to
bring down power against UPLIFT.302
Actually, UPLIFT may actually reduce some stress on
establishments and make some UPLIFT activities appear useful.303
However, UPLIFT should never be dependent on
establishments for their success.304
Even temporary and short term support from some
establishments should be resisted, as dependence is likely to occur.305
UPLIFT
SCENARIOS306
UPLIFT scenarios are very sensitive to many factors.307
Primary is whether the UPLIFT concepts can
rapidly mobilize and organize an initial cadre of those with essential
competencies to design the initial UPLIFT SCAFFOLDING and keep its growth and
improvement ahead of the growth of UPLIFT membership.308
The
success of UPLIFT is dependent on the ability of a few to tap into the
distribution of relevant knowledge and create the scaffolding that will seaf
the UPLIFT process.309
UPLIFT
is not a process that will spontaneously arise from the "hive mind",
or from the "grassroots".310
UPLIFT
is dependent on the intrinsic potentials of humans, not on suppressed
contemporary competencies.311
UPLIFT
must involve INTELLIGENT DESIGN, by the human species. The potential is there.312
UPLIFT
is an intelligent, creative process - a "Miraculous Happening" as yet
unique to "nature", but not excluded by "nature".313
UPLIFT scenarios are also very sensitive to the nature
and speed of global societal collapse and Black Swans.314
If and when UPLIFT succeeds, how the new global order
emergent through the UPLIFT process will encounter and replace established old
orders is difficult to imagine in any detail.315
However,
negative scenarios, based on the ideology of civilization, should be examined
but not believed.316
The
power of the UPLIFT movement may well be so superior to the disarray of
established orders that the transition will be much easier than we can now
imagine.317
FACTORS FOR THE SUCCESS OF UPLIFT318
Not included in this model are many factors about
humankind, reality, and change for which the success of UPLIFT is dependent.319
One cluster of factors relate to the hidden potentials of
a new UPLIFT educational/organizational process, based on new knowledge
distributed among many disciplines.320
Another cluster of factors relate to new views of
contemporary societal reality, facing the great power of corporations using
high technology (as well as some deep weaknesses). Will the collapse be too rapid and the
oppression during collapse too severe to permit UPLIFT?321
Another factor will be whether the UPLIFT movement can
shift fundamental protocols early enough so that a comparison of semiotic
structures can become the primary means of Dialog/Deliberation/Decision to
replace the competition for claims of absolute truth.322
It is a matter of "faith" that a large
population having its distribution of cognitive competencies significantly
uplifted will be able to collectively design and implement new participatory
"democratic" processes and equitable and fair economic and financial
systems; all in the face of global economic collapse, accelerating Earth
Changes, including many major catastrophes.323
UPLIFT will not immediately reduce human suffering.
Civilization and empire continue to be the primary cause of human suffering,
and will continue so long as civilization and empire continue.324
Comments for item 324 |
The
objective of UPLIFT is to get at the root causes of human suffering; but not in
the old mode within civilization to simply make the suffering tolerable (or no
longer conscious).325
Comments for item 325 |
In
a strange way, this deep focus on the reduction of suffering has blinded
humankind from seeking a way to eliminate (or significantly reduce) the causes
of human suffering.326
Both
the religions that preach survival after death, and "quality
eternity" and those practices that aim at enabling a person to live in a
situation of suffering and yet not consciously suffer, have blocked humankind's
efforts to move BEYOND SUFFERING.327
Thus,
it is imperative that the UPLIFT movement not be diverted to efforts to reduce
human suffering - among those NOT PART OF THE UPLIFT MOVEMENT.328
However, a highly positive and early objective/consequence
of being a member of the UPLIFT movement would be an immediate reduction of
suffering.329