Replying to LO28599 --
Hi Benjamin
Your questions of Andrew prompt stirrings in the depths of my mind:
'Success' in my 'knowing' is a perception in the mind of the/a perceiver.
If the accumulation of wealth is the goal then it is easy to perceive that
Bill Gates is a success in that context. In the context of 'the subject',
the loss of 2 or 3 billion dollars may conjure despair in his mind in the
same manner as in in the minds of the caravan park family At writes about.
I doubt that I/We can 'know' pain, pleasure, despair, as experienced by
someone else.
The company I work for uses Microsoft products extensively and in terms of
leader/follower the company is a follower, one of a multitude who will
continue to enable the Bill Gate's of this world to prosper materially.
There is no reason for me to think that the leader/follower behaviour will
subside. History tells me it has been there since the beginning of time.
'Oh how the mighty have fallen', yet the striving for might continues
unabated, and in this adversarial existence unfold the stories of Jesus
and Moses and Alexander the Great and Hitler and Mandela and Mugabe, and
Bill Gates and...and...And with them we have the Bush people of Africa,
the Afghans, the Palestinians right down to the Caravan family in
Pretoria.
And throughout the passing of time and in all situations individuals and
organisations have chosen to despair, or to see opportunity. At tells of
contemplating suicide, I too have despaired to a similar degree and the
suicide of a Brother in Law at that time prompted me to change my thinking
and my outlook to life. I continue to learn.
Nor is there an impenetrable wall built around the fortunes of the rich
and mighty. They have discovered the formula to be where they are at.
Others will undoubtedly add to the formula in their favour in the fullness
of time. But despair is despair whether a Bill Gates or an African
Bushman and without the motivation to learn - oh the hell you/they/I must
live in?
>From our esoteric confines we may run situations through a 'Situational
Leadership' model, or work out 'their Myers Briggs' type. At may even
apply the 7 essentialities - is this merely sticking a finger in a leaky
dyke?
I have no answers, yet I do know that my own peace of mind is essential if
I am to 'be' and to 'learn'. Right now my mind is at peace as it has been
for some years now. In my work, my family and in the groups I belong to I
encourage people to seek their own peace from deep within, for in my mind
the more people that are at peace within themselves the more peace there
will be in our families, our communities, our countries - the world.
Arohanui kia Koutou (much love to you all)
Dennis.
--"Dennis Rolleston" <dennisr@ps.gen.nz>
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