ILKI LESSONS FOR HEALING SOCIETY
U R Responsible for Ur Own Actions
.
We have 20 years of experience, but some folks learn more or less in 20 years than average. While it's necessary to have established procedures for efficient action, it's also necessary to avoid getting into ruts, so the status quo has to be questioned constantly (almost). This is part of Responsibility, which is the only means to Prosperity for all.
.
Our mission is to do all we can to promote world peace, freedom, cooperation, love and prosperity for all. Love means caring.
.
The ILKI Lessons will help to get started.
.
And the Online Book, Ending the Abuse of Power [another thread], gives lots of evidence of the extent of abuse in society and some methods to help reduce and end abuses. How can there be meaningful prosperity when abuse continues to be widespread [and largely unrecognized]?
~~~~
LESSONS
.
1. RESPONSIBILITY
2. SENSITIVITY
3. STRESS REDUCTION
4. SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION
5. CODA
6. ENDING POWER ABUSE OR CLASSISM & RACISM
7. GROUP INVENTORY
8. PROSPERITY
9. DIALOG
10. MORE RESPONSIBILITY
11. END THE ENABLING OF TRAUMA AND DOOM
12. POWER ABUSE - DOES IT SPELL SOCIETY'S DOOM?
13. ENDING THE ENABLING OF POWER ABUSE
~~~~
1. Lesson 1. RESPONSIBILITY
.
REQUIRED READING (I'm exaggerating)
Two books should be owned by everyone (at least I used to think so):
1. The 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, from AA [called the 12 & 12]; and
2. Parent Effectiveness Training, by Thomas Gordon [also called P.E.T.].
Read especially Step 4 on Moral Inventory in the first and the Chapter on Active Listening in the second.
.
RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility is doing what needs to be done in order for everyone to have a better life.
Each person's responsibility increases with experience. At birth we have no responsibility at all.
As we learn to crawl and talk and walk, we're given much more responsibility for moving ourselves around and for verbalizing our needs and wants.
As we learn to do small tasks for ourselves, we're given those responsibilities too.
And we're happy to do them, because they're part of growing up and being like an adult.
.
EDUCATION (John Holt: Instead of Education)
How is it that after a few years in school, most of us begin to dread the responsibilities of learning?
Is it because we're not ready for some of those "learning" chores yet?
Are our studies too fast for us, or too slow?
Do we need more time Playing with what we've learned so far already?
Are our more advanced learning Games [lessons] too complicated, or senseless, or "boring?"
Has school become too confining? Do we lack freedom, excitement, or affection?
It seems that only a few students enjoy school, but most of them too seem frustrated often.
As we're hurried along thru the grades, do we become "mind-numbed robots?"
Do we learn to take on new responsibilities when we're not really ready?
If so, are we really being responsible, or just pretending?
Do we give up being really responsible for ourselves and learn to let authorities, or others, or whims, or moods, make our decisions for us?
.
PRISONERS (Holt)
War prisoners pretend to be dumb around their captors in order to seem too incompetent to do tasks.
Acting dumb gives them some freedom from undesirable responsibilities.
Dominant classes naturally come to believe their captives really are dumb, as well as lazy and mischievous.
This is how dominant classes become racist or classist toward captive peoples and regard them as inferior.
It's also how adults come to see some kids, when treated like prisoners, as dumb, lazy and mischievous.
Kids and other captives, who are forced in this way to act incompetent, in trying to get out of undesirable tasks, often come to see themselves as truly inferior, or incompetent, as well.
.
INSENSITIVITY (M. Scott Peck: People of the Lie)
Anyone experiencing misery for long periods becomes insensitive to one's own and other people's suffering.
Lack of freedom, excitement, or affection for long periods produces misery and probably insensitivity too.
For many kids, home or school probably seems like prison and makes them miserable and insensitive.
Most adults who were raised similarly are then insensitive to kids' and others' misery and even their own.
Insensitivity means lack of awareness, so abuse is done to oneself and others unknowingly.
Abuse is any guardian's, or one's own, actions that harm a person physically, mentally, or morally.
Neglect may be considered abuse if it results in similar harm.
Guardians are those in authority over someone, regardless of age.
.
WHAT IS RESPONSIBILITY?
We're responsible for doing for ourselves what we can and for taking care of ourselves.
We're responsible for doing for others what we can, that they need but cannot do.
We're responsible for helping ourselves and others to become more responsible [improvement].
We're responsible for not harming ourselves or others, as far as possible.
We're responsible for taking on proper responsibilities as we get ourselves sufficiently prepared.
We're responsible for being sensitive to our own feelings and those of others.