What Will Psychology Become in the 21st Century
Psychology has been around as a formal science for over 100 years. But it hasn’t escaped its original focus. Born in the laboratories of medicine, it has always been defined as the science of psychopathology, meaning what’s wrong with us. Perceived in this way, psychology has never been a major contributor to a general definition of human nature; we think about ourselves psychologically only when something’s gone amiss.Until about 100 years ago it was most common to think of ourselves as creatures of God; a God Who gave us a small but very powerful piece of Himself – His Spirit. We still call this piece our “soul”, meaning the spiritual core of us. Though we don’t easily think of ourselves as possessing – being in charge – of the spiritual entity from which it derives. We usually think of it as something that belongs to some universal Presence or process – which we must obey to become totally and safely in tune. Tyranny survived for centuries basing itself upon this fearful belief.Enter psychology, the secularizing science. What it’s doing subtly, which is not yet fully recognized by us, is one, to claim the soul as belonging to humans; and two, to discard the notion of “psychopathology”. This process emancipates psychological science from the laboratories of medicine and its emphasis upon illness. Though it still presumes to be the parent of psychology, medicine itself lacks a unified theory of how the body functions as an ecosystem. Best illustration: drugs, which produce almost as many problems as they solve. Medicine has potential pieces of this theory, but obviously not the whole. Thus this parent is fundamentally unqualified to define this new psychological aspect of our nature. It hasn’t even got its own understanding in order.In recent times the pathological aspect of psychology is being eliminated in an effort to render everything user-friendly, by discarding – disowning – the negative aspects of human nature. The usual method is to say everything is normal. Though we don’t entirely believe it because we still suffer. This strategy of erasing the bad parts of the equation by will power is too oversimplified, producing the usual solution to this contradictory dilemma: to make spirituality a function of the brain, as if that organ is the seat of the human soul. Our preference has become – fix, or medicate the brain and the problem is solved. Only a mob could have produced such highly oversimplified thinking.We have always tried to explain ourselves most fundamentally as a physical entity, in which all of our parts can be traced to some aspect of the body. What we avoid imagining most of all is that we might be what religion still insists upon for many – an otherworldly creature with a core nature that isn’t corporeal or tangible, but is instead what might legitimately be regarded as a transcendental spirit. Though the human spirit that will evolve in the new century will belong not to God, but entirely to us. Transcendental will not mean surviving death and rising into heaven. It will mean instead existing only in this life, but in the process rising above physical limitations to achieve a new secular dimension of human nature – our transcendental spirit – that is traditionally understood as a part of religion belonging to God.Indeed we are the only creature on this planet who transcends its physical life beyond a primitive self-awareness, by being consciously aware of itself and so much more on many different levels; thus able to produce all of our electronic marvels. It’s that spiritual life of the mind, heart, imagination, intuition, etc., referring here to our real soul – the human psyche – with all of its marvelous parts that enable us to understand, and to make use of, so much of what is happening around us.But there is a huge hurdle for us to circumvent before we achieve this goal. It is our passion for social experience founded upon our firm belief that two or more people together is better than one. When precisely the opposite is true. The genius of the human species is our individuality. All new original things come from one person at a time. Groups of any size only imitate that wisdom – but only after reducing it to its lowest common denominator. Groups dilute everything they touch. It’s both their virtue – giving us respite – and their principle vice – by reducing our genius to the dumb wisdom of a mob.Unlike traditional religion, which partakes of the spiritual as a social event, being individually inventive leaves us fearfully alone with this intangible spiritual power. This is probably why we have always perceived human understanding and its spiritual power to come from the group. When the truth is that the power of the human psyche comes entirely from being individual, though in our fear we like to pretend that it originates in groups of all kinds, cultural, workplace, etc… so we don’t have to experience being alone with it.When there is nothing that happens in our collective experience that isn’t simply an imitation of what we already know as individuals. That group-celebration can be encouraging, supportive and fun. Though in our terror at being so separate and alone as spiritual individuals, we desperately treat the social group as something much more powerful – a parental entity capable of guiding us to better places – the “moral majority”. When this entity is really a headless monster. We pretend to give it a head by providing it leadership; but that’s mostly pretense no matter how clever that person may be. The problem is that groups don’t think; they act. And leaders don’t change that; yet we treat them as if they, by their thinking efforts, can make groups think and produce change.Anything new is hatched only in individual minds. Altogether, we treat groups, including, and most particularly corporations, with far too much reverence; and individual people with far too much mistrust and abuse. When groups of all kinds may sometimes respect individuals, at least to some extent, but the next day they will devour them as they have done, for instance in economic depressions (Article: see an aristocracy of the “Rich Create Depressions”), and in war – both of which have happened for centuries.Groups produce group-talk, in essence all the various forms of social science that define us as a collective entity walking in the same footsteps, having the same motives and needs that can be implemented in the same political rhetoric or acts. In the meantime what’s really going on between the group and the individual is a relationship of mistrust. Groups regard individual differences, and the dissonances they produce as growing pains, as potentially criminal, if for no other reason than simply by being centered-in-self – “selfish” is the usual accusing term.Psychology is changing the way people are talked about. It is replacing the discussion of people and their problems in the aggregate, as a mob moving through time… with describing people as having internal conflicts that motivate their behaviors. So far these internal conflicts have been perceived pathologically, which strongly implies that contradictions within human character border upon some form of deviance or criminality, politely discussed as “illness”. Instead of being perceived in a larger view as legitimate aspects of the evolution of the human psyche… as our individual souls work out their growing pains – which include such symptoms as hallucination and dissociation (see the article “Is Hallucination Normal” and others). These internal contradictions have more individually personal parts, than they have parts in common with others – for centuries our usual way of talking about each other.The huge advantage of addressing human problems in the individual form is beyond comprehension. The most obvious boon of this altered way of coping with human suffering is the elimination of violence. It’s true even today that the extent to which people address their emotional experience internally, instead of inflicting it together, socially upon some issue or cause, measures the extent to which violence has already been partly defeated.Eventually we will realize that studying the self as an ecosystem, which contains both beneficial as well as contradictory parts, is the most important kind of education we will ever undertake or accomplish. This self-learning will no longer have the sting that “illness” attaches to it; thus it will no longer be called “psychotherapy”. Instead it will become the core of all education, funding every other kind of exploration with the wisdom of self-knowledge.So what will psychology become in the 21st century? It will attempt to define a new concept of human nature that is entirely secular; in which the answers to the problems of the world are to be found inside individual people; defined as contradictions of our individual natures, instead of conflicts with the world at large, whether that be our neighbor, or the country next door. Thereby making war irrelevant to the process of problem solving in human affairs. Lets stop trying to explain our problems with group-talk, and start treating whatever problems we struggle with as belonging intimately to each one of us. We can help each other, but only if we can accept and acknowledge responsibility for our own suffering. This new psychology perceives human dysfunction as an internal event, not an external one. That ancient group-perspective is what has always made us so violence-prone.
Online Auto Loans With Bad Credit – Tips to Get the Financing You Need
Looking for an auto loan online these days is not an easy task. With the economy still in a downward swing, there are several lenders out there who claim that they can get auto loans for bad credit borrowers only to take application money and run, or worse, set you up with a loan designed to make your credit even lower. Finding a bad credit auto loan online is not easy, but it is possible. What you need to do is make sure that you are armed with knowledge before starting the process of searching for a loan in the first place.Take It to the BBBAlso known as the Better Business Bureau, you may be familiar with BBB emblems on some of your favorite online shopping sites. This agency is designed as a protector of consumer interest that makes it a mission to discover who is good and who is bad in the business world.The BBB offers a grading system (similar to the one you had in school) whereby it rates businesses based on a number of factors including customer satisfaction and the reliability of their product or service.Searching the BBB website is a great first step towards discovering if an online lender’s practices are on the up and up. You can use the search bar on BBB’s main page to look for lenders in general or the specific one you are considering. As a general rule, do not work with any business who receives a grade below “B.”Communication Is KeyAny legitimate online lender will provide you with two important pieces of information on their web site: their address and telephone number. The presence of this information may seem like common sense, but they are a really important clue as to who is legit and who is a fraud.Though much of the online lending process can take place over the internet, it may be a good idea to call the company and ask questions before you fill out your application. This will give you increased peace of mind.Pay Nothing Up FrontThe final major sign that a bad credit auto lender is trying to scam you is what are known as pre-approval or application fees. Any company that deals with bad credit borrowers is sensitive to their unique financial position so asking for a fee up front seems counterintuitive.Remember, the ability to give you a loan and get your business is a privilege for the company and they make a lot of money on interest in doing so. Therefore you should not be charged to determine your eligibility. Chances are, if they ask for these fees, they will take them to the bank and you will be out of luck.Finding an Auto Loan OnlineTrying to find an auto loan online with bad credit can be a tough task. It is true that there are many companies out there with less-than-perfect intentions so you need to be diligent in your search. However, the flip side to this is that there are also many great online lenders who would be all too happy to help you get the auto loan you need.
Critical ‘Must Haves’ When Starting A Small Business
Starting a business has been an integral part of the American dream for hundreds of years. This is the segment of the business world that has helped this country grow during its infancy, and it has been a mainstay in helping to keep the American economy afloat ever since. With all of the changes that all of this growth during the years has brought, the most important thing a person needs when starting a small business is knowledge. The amount of training and assistance that is available is staggering to say the least. What you need is to focus on what type of business you plan on operating, and find the assistance and training that is applicable to that field.The time involved to get trained will depend on the type of business you want to have, and whether you plan on having someone train you or you plan on training yourself. Either way, you want this to be comprehensive in that it should cover everything from starting your business, maintaining it and then possibly selling it out when you want to retire. Everything involved may seem overwhelming at first, but it will all be worth it when you see the success starting to overtake the hard work you put in to make it a success.The training you get and any assistance that comes with that training is going to be the foundation on which your business is built. From here, what you will need to get is a business plan. You can keep the plan in your head and just do it, or you can write it down in a professional manner. The latter of those 2 options is preferable for at least 2 reasons. One, having it all written will keep the ideas you have fresh for years to come. Your business, be it large or small, is going to be complex because it involves so many things. From where the business is going to be, how many employee’s you plan on starting with, advertising, marketing, and the list goes on.The second, and possibly most important reason, is that a professionally written business plan is key to getting a loan to help get your business up and running. Now, if you have your own capital this isn’t going to be necessary. Nor would writing down your plan for the purpose of securing a loan, but again, writing down your plan is beneficial. There have been many times when people start their own business with certain things in mind, only to have those certain things change in time. The business world can be very fickle and your own plans may have to change to keep up with the external changes that have a direct or indirect influence on your business.Having all of the applicable business licences is a legal necessity and something you definitely need to plan on getting. The reason this fact is being pointed out after the financial aspect is that some people tend to put the cart before the horse. Securing a loan is typically not contingent upon having the required licences to legally operate the business. However, getting the required licences would be pointless without the cash to get the business up and running. If need be, if the licensing procedures are costly, you can always take out 2 separate loans. One to get the licensing you need, and then when that is taken care of, secure a second loan for the business itself. With small businesses though, this is typically unneeded as many licences can cost as little as ninety-nine dollars.Once you have the capital and the legal obligations taken care of, you need to come up with a name for your business and register that with the state where the business is head-quartered. When starting a small business this is kind of a no-brainer because you, typically, will only have one location. Some people though, when starting out, will have their main offices in one state while having another portion of the business, like a distribution centre for example, in another state. With this being the case, you need to register your business name in the state where the business originates from.Your business name needs to be filed for the obvious legal reasons, but it also needs to be filed because it would be rather hard to advertise and market your business without one. Hopefully, this aspect of your business is a part of your plan because, without it, no other part of your plan is likely to work. This should also be a part of the budget that was included in your start-up loan. The main reason new businesses fail is because they fail to get the word out. Focusing on the best ways to do this should have been a part of the training you received at the outset.Adding to these musts when starting your new business, is to actively retain legal advice. You will want to do this to get advice on contract and documents, as well as ongoing consultation and representation as you build and protect your business. One way to do this, without enormous cost, is to purchase a small business legal plan. You can usually find one that will provide the essentials for a start-up business, as well as ongoing advice as your business matures.Aside from the training, the business plan, the loans, the licensing, and the small business legal plan, perhaps the most important thing you need to start your own business is patience. The old parable about the tortoise and the hare is true. Especially in the business world. No one gets rich quick, at least not legitimately, so slow and steady really does win this race. The rule of thumb to go by is to expect to be in business for 5 years before turning enough of a profit to live comfortably on. This is why many financial institutions that give out loans to small businesses like to see a 5 year plan. They know as well as anyone that 5 years is typically how long it takes to turn a liveable profit.If this all sounds like a lot of work, well, it is. But with education, planning, organization and patience it doesn’t have to be hard. The rewards of owning your own business and being your own boss far outweigh the time and effort it took to become successful. There are many places online and, you can go to get testimonials from people who have “been there, done that”, and succeeded. I wish you good luck and much success with your new business.
Dynasty Trusts Guard Personal Autonomy in Hierarchic Society
A dynasty trust enables a degree of personal autonomy that is otherwise hard to achieve in a global economy characterized by punitive tax rates, job concentration in hierarchic corporations and public-sector agencies, and increasingly precarious property and privacy rights. A well-designed dynasty trust provides to generations of beneficiaries at least the minimum material support necessary for physical survival. A dynasty trust can also preserve family values and serve as perpetual source of funds for new business investments and philanthropic projects.
The term personal autonomy used here generally means the capacity to select choices and make decisions based on one’s own values and preferences, rather than on material exigencies dictated by society, government or employers. Personal autonomy implies the ability to internalize values and beliefs, observe and analyze situations, discern one’s desires and preferences, set goals, and to identify a corresponding course of action. Personal autonomy is strongly correlated with human dignity and self-respect.
Very few members of our society actually control the means of their physical livelihood. Most of us work for wages or salaries as employees in private enterprises or government agencies. As a result, our workplaces and livelihoods are subject to the decisions of managers over whom we have no substantive control. Some people are business owners and have no formal boss, but are nevertheless subject to directions from clients, customers, government regulators, tax collectors, campaign contributors or prevailing public opinion.
In any case, we all pay various combinations of rent, mortgage, medical and dental bills, auto payments, sales tax, business tax, income tax and real estate tax, which are always increasing and which are mercilessly collected. With few exceptions, people are locked into an economic system that affords little flexibility in a relentless struggle to pay their monthly bills. Economic efficiency demands routine compliance with workplace procedures and acquiescence to management decisions. While such conformity makes economic sense, it is somewhat inconsistent with notions of personal autonomy. Thus, despite living in a society that formally affords liberal political and personal freedoms, as a practical matter, most of us have little opportunity to practice personal autonomy in the workplace, much less exercise freedom of choice there. Legally we have the right to quit a job when we disagree. Practically, we have to think about the serious existential consequences of quitting. In other words, the economic reality of our society breeds obedience and compliance. Consciously or unconsciously, every person who must earn a living knows that conformity puts food on the table, and that nonconformity gets him fired.
This is not to say that personal autonomy cannot exist and be exercised in our economy. But even under the best circumstances, conflicts typically arise between an individual’s values and the goals and preferences of his “boss”. If and when the individual surrenders to the organization, which he is likely to do if his physical livelihood depends on it, personal autonomy loses.
The loss of personal autonomy in today’s society is a loss of personal dignity for an individual. Just as important for society as a whole, however, is the resulting moral vacuum in the workplace. An individual accustomed only to performing an economic function in a hierarchical organization and focused on satisfying a supervisor and achieving profit-oriented goals is not psychologically capable of making moral decisions or resisting immoral ones. This phenomenon might help to explain the lack of moral fortitude and the rampant corruption among politicians, government agencies, journalists, Wall Street bankers and media platforms.
A dynasty trust creates at least some amount of financial independence, insulating a beneficiary from the economic pressures described above. A dynasty trust helps to preserve the kind of personal autonomy that is necessary for an individual’s self-respect and for honest, moral decision-making in society.
Critics of dynasty trusts suggest that a dynasty trust encourages irresponsible and nonproductive behavior in beneficiaries because their economic survival is somewhat guaranteed no matter what they do. Although there is some logic to such a view, reality does not conclusively support it. The history of the United States contains innumerable examples of inheritors of family wealth who made significant contributions to society, even though they could easily have squandered their whole lives doing nothing. Further, there is historical support for the idea that inherited wealth facilitated and enabled good work by individuals that they would otherwise not have done. Also, arguably irresponsible or corrupt conduct of individuals is already protected now by the sovereign immunity afforded government officials, and by the limited liability of corporations, LLCs and worker compensation laws. Asset protection of a dynasty trust do not really alter the legal landscape there. Finally, at an extremely basic level, a hypothetical financially independent individual who makes absolutely no overtly positive contribution to society might be better for humanity than a mid-level executive who makes no decisions on his own but who earns a decent living working for an organization (e.g., the CIA and FBI) that does harm in the world.
A dynasty trust does not guarantee personal happiness or moral conduct in society. A dynasty trust, however, might provide the financial independence and security that enable the development and exercise of personal autonomy. Personal autonomy is a necessary component of human dignity and moral decision-making.