Thursday 16 October 2014

Consciousness and Human Evolution

Consciousness and Human Evolution

OK, so we are now using consciousness and mindfulness interchangeably, although many know of a difference and many think there is one. Until this settles down and new meaning is agreed, may I utilise these two words to both indicate that, when a human being is aware both mindfulness and consciousness is present. For this writing both depend on what one is aware of (either mindfully and/or consciously).

Some feel mindful and conscious if awareness of sustainability, equality, authenticity, transparency, etc., are taken into account in communication, decisions, actions, thought. Others are concerned with religion, communities, ethics and others take into account economics, family, nation, spirit and intuition, being-ness and transcendancy. This paper does not seek to look for right and wrong (or up and down!) in any of these areas. It seeks to move the discussion on human evolution forward and in doing so open up all these topics as well as seek a method or route by which humans might regain their ability to evolve through experience, judgement, decision and related action at the individual and community (family, peer, nation, culture and global community levels.

We may, as a first instance, feel that certain behaviours are present but unacceptable or unhelpful to current need. Instances might be anger, aggression and selfishness? Others be not-(sufficiently)-present, such as happiness, joy, wellbeing and fun?

Some behaviours may be emotional, some reflex, some cultural some might be all of these and others might be traits – 'born-with' behaviours. All might be judged as either 'hard-wired' or at least 'firm-wired' – through habit, expectation or acceptability in some form.

What I wish to discuss is the degree to which humanity moves itself to consciously remove the unacceptable from its reportoir of behaviours (communication, decisions, actions, thoughts) due to its being derelict for the purposes of human progress – and maybe even survival....is our future to be bright or dark?

So, are there such derelict and dysfunctional behaviours? What do you consider them to be? How might civilisation move towards their eradication? What role and responsibility does self, family, peer, nation, culture and global community (and maybe other communities) have in such evolution?

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