What is your life

Values and Goals, Freedom and Responsibility

If “freedom and responsibility” are the guiding principles of the human phase of Creation, what shall we use freedom for, and what implies “responsibility”? As do all living beings, we must struggle for our survival. Beyond that, there is room for the enjoyment of existence. Above all, there are our values. It is the development of a life form corresponding to our values and ethical concepts that is the unique opportunity and, consequently, meaning and ultimate purpose of our human existence.
Quite realistically, we cannot dedicate all our waking hours to the pursuit of our values. Many people, if not most in the world, still struggle for bare survival; they have minimal social contact and are necessarily satisfied with basic pleasures.
In our successful societies, most people just want a more comfortable life, to have some significance in society, to be entertained.
Few people on Earth have the time or resources, or the admirable determination, to strive for mental growth, to dedicate some of their resources to public service or charity, to partake with joy in the cultural aspect of their society. This is the resulting ranking matrix of human goals and values:

Highest Level:	Mental Growth Personality Formation	Caring Service & Charity Building a Better Society	Culture, the Arts
Median Level:	Security and Dignity Reserves, Freedom	Positive Significance in Society Action Potential	Entertainment
Basic Level:	Survival, Procreation	Family and Clan	Basic Aesthetics

While most philosophies and religions teach the pursuit of only one value – be it ethical perfection or withdrawal – in fact, any single individual is embedded somewhere in a combination of the three distinct values on three different levels in accordance with personal qualification, constantly requiring balancing compromises.

Survival – food, shelter, medical care – must come first, and procreation is the most natural urge. But the love and caring for one’s family, friends, and an increasing circle of people, is the most important basic “value”. Additionally, some aesthetic preferences and forms of art appear everywhere in the most primitive cultures. Personal strength, effort, and some success is needed to reach the next level, to gain security, dignity, freedom, and resources or to build a power base, while enjoying entertainment. On the highest level one finds the pursuit of mental growth and personality improvement, a dedication to society in charity or public service, and the enjoyment of art and culture. It is disappointing, however, to see success only on the middle level in terms of ever more money or power as the only goal of gifted individuals and whole segments of the human society, all used for nothing else but entertainment or basic pleasures! Fulfillment comes from reaching the highest level of mental growth, caring service, and culture.
It is interesting to note that our highest values and ethical standards, to the extent that they are typical for all humans, become more refined and evolve as our civilizations grow. The values of fighting bands in courage and honor or the value of hard work of pioneers lose their first rank in our times and give way to the values needed in our modern society: personality qualification as expressed by integrity or fairness – and by caring service to the community.
Additional Comments regarding conflicts between different directions in life:

The fact that there are not one but three different directions for our life, the one of personal development, the one of dedication to others and the community, and the aspect of art and culture, necessarily leads to conflicts between those preferences when time and resources are limited. How can one handle the conflicts between specific values – love of family, the arts, conservation of nature, charity? How can one find a compromise? Christ indicated only extreme solutions – preference for celibacy, selling all one’s belongings for the benefit of the poor. There are only two guiding thoughts out of this predicament, Aristotle’s and Kant’s, both of which are unsatisfactory.
Aristotle sees virtue as lying in the right balance between two undesirable extremes, one usually being weak deficiency, the other foolish excess. However, Aristotle cannot indicate what the “right” balance is. This balance may be different from case to case. Nor does Aristotle provide guidance in situations of conflict between different values.
Kant, in his Categorical Imperative, indicates that one should act in such a way that “the guideline of one’s action could be used as a directive for general legislation”. However, all people are different. The situations of their lives are different; and their cultures may be different. Therefore, your own Kantian maxim may not apply to others. If the guidelines were formulated universally for all people on Earth, they could become so vague as to be useless for decision-making in practical situations of life. Kant does not provide guidance in trying to find the universally right guidelines, especially not in situations of conflict.
Ethical standards of inter-human behavior are a central part of our values. They may even be the most important part of values, providing guidance to the formation and the foundation for the functioning of cultures and civilizations – and, thereby, to the lives of all members of those. In this sense, they are founded in our human essence and, hence, in our role in the universe, whether through “religious” inspiration of gifted individuals or, more likely, through the genetic gift of ethics caused by natural evolution in “Creation (evolved as an evolutionary advantage through the resulting formation of social coherence) and expanded through our value-guided minds.
Ethical standards, as discussed before, also suffer from the practical need for limitation and the absence of guidance in handling practical limitations. Nobody will divide his or her property down to the lowest denominator of all the poor people he or she may encounter. There are moments when lying – even killing – is necessary for survival or to help others. Job obligations in an organization do not allow for the pursuit of personal ethical preferences, as in hiring and firing or fighting off competition.
Lack of guidance in the dilemmas of limiting ethical behavior is the most disturbing problem in attempting to clarify one’s convictions and find a clear path through life. Celibacy and poverty for all is not the answer. Conscience, as discussed before, is not an adequate guide – nor are reason, philosophy, theology, and practical experience. Don’t shrug your shoulders, dear reader, and say “that’s the way it is”. That’s not what this essay is about. Rather, it searches for the limits of understanding – and here it can go no further.
What is the conclusion? Compromise of ethical behavior with other demands of life is necessary – time and resources are needed for personal growth in knowledge, skills, and character development, for one’s family and friends, for the arts, a walk through nature, sitting on the porch as an old man and enjoying one’s blessings, pursuing one’s hobbies – all within limits. But which? In any event, in searching for a compromise, one had better stay more on the demanding side of one’s ethical standards.
A summary of these thoughts is presented in the “Abstract and Conclusions” at the beginning of this essay.

6.2. The Path of Our Life

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  Where do we come from? Should we not stand in greatest awe and admiration of the ultimate essence from where the power, structure, and temporal course of the universe and of our own existence came?
  

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  For many people, life is a serious struggle, with limited hope. But as we lift our heads, we can deeply appreciate our human capability to perceive the grandiose universe and to actively participate in the small area and for the limited time of our personal existence.
  

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  This vision of the ultimate origin and evolving existence provides us with the inspiration to rise and responsibly fulfill our life as best we can. This vision can also provide us with peace and can comfort us in accepting the limitations of our life and our ultimate return to where we came from.
  

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  As all nature strives to live, grow and evolve, we must struggle with prudent determination to overcome adversity and, despite setbacks, to further develop our individual human potential in character and thought – through learning, exploring, and maturing, while always actively striving for excellence in our endeavors. We shall not abuse our skills for selfish aims only or to the detriment of others.
  

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  Only in social coherence can we develop our greatest potential, in contributing and receiving light and harmony – in the love of our family, in caring assistance to the needy, in dedicated service to our community, and in responsible stewardship for our environment. We must attempt to compassionately reduce the many forms of suffering and overcome the darkness of the world – and also strive to improve true opportunities in lives fairly for all. We shall not abuse the social forces of society for personal power only or to the detriment of others.
  

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  We possess and gratefully cherish the gift of aesthetic appreciation in nature and the arts. We shall not abuse the intriguing influence of human sensitivity for selfish benefit only or to the detriment of ethical values.
  

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  We are grateful for harmony in our world and need the community with our fellow travelers through existence in supportive congregations and cultures – for encouragement, comfort in suffering, constraint of damaging behavior, and for coordinated contribution to a beneficial evolution of society. We shall not abuse such congregations for vocal dominance or hierarchical power.
  

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Purpose and Direction in Life:

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  We recognize the natural longing for survival, procreation, and companionship. We must learn a marketable skill, find work and work well. But it is not right to gain benefit from the suffering of others and to procreate when caring for offspring is not provided.
  
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  We recognize the striving for additional security and resources, for recognition, and for uplifting rest and joy. But there is no value in the accumulation of resources without their meaningful application, for gaining fame without merit, or for entertainment in frivolity.
  
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  We recognize the personal growth in mental accomplishments or useful skills, the caring dedication to others, and the participation in the aesthetic formation of the human environment as the highest goals of human existence. They find their reward in the deepest human emotions and in benefit for society and the environment.
  

7. My Personal Position -- and CONCLUSIONS

My Personal Position:
When considering the greatness of the universe and the intricacy of nature, I can only most deeply admire the ultimate formative essence that caused this existence to appear, to let Creation occur as it is.

For a religious person, this is the veneration of God.

At the same time, I feel my own insignificance, but also gratefulness, even joy, for being able to experience this existence for the few decades of my life on Earth – under quite favorable circumstances for me, as for many of us. I realiza, however, that many others, if not most, live under difficult circumstances, with much suffering or loneliness, and must experience serious setbacks in the course of their lives.
Our mental capabilities allow us to ask questions about the essence of this Creation, about meaning, purpose, and direction to pursue. That is what this essay is all about. I was trained in the sciences and have always enjoyed exploring and understanding existence in the clarity of scientific methods and terms. I lived the life of a businessman in the practical world. But my and most people’s search for meaning or purpose in existence is emotional, a human search for personal meaning and direction, for support in suffering, and resonance in joy.
I do see the ultimate essence of Creation and existence as abstract and far-away transcendental, or “spiritual”. I see this spirituality in the original formation and ingenious structure of existence and, thereby, in providing for the subsequent evolution of nature, including the historic evolution of human civilizations. I was blessed in my own life with an occasional fundamental sensing of, an occasional harmony with, and, sometimes, dark fear and feeling of cold remoteness of this abstract Essence or “spirituality” of existence – that we cannot describe, whatever name we may give it, “God”.

Furthermore, by my experience, a position of accepting the existence of a transcendental, spiritual formative foundation of existence, God, and accepting the human position in evolution provides a more positive, pro-active, creative outlook on life and adds to personal strength and responsibility. Negating God and human potential could, logically, lead to an excessively utilitarian outlook (pleasure, profit, and power) with a tendency to intellectual cynicism, inaction, resignation, and feeling of being lost when suffering.

Another observation: The image people have of God influences their behavior. Therefore, the question of having faith in the right God may, in many instances, be more important than having faith in any God. Cruelty and destruction in the name of religion – whether by the Aztecs, the Inquisition, the religiously intolerant among the Northern Irish, and now so often by the Muslims, sometimes the orthodox Israelis, or any other religious fundamentalists of our time – is worse than religious apathy. On the other side, examples of the highest ethical behavior and personal almost “saintly” accomplishment have repeatedly been stimulated by underlying religious concepts in many cultures of the world.
I may have used a rather factual or pragmatic approach in this essay in answering the questions about God, meaning, purpose, direction, and human faith. For most people, however, faith is an expression of the “heart” or “soul”. Our scientific age is inclined to be critical toward matters of the heart or soul, relegating them to psychology. I do not agree. I see mental growth, friendship, love, compassion, caring, dedication to the community, and joy about all beauty in the world as the most significant aspects of human existence. Equally, much suffering or loneliness and deep compassion is felt in the “heart” or “soul”, the emotional essence of our lives.

The Christian faith is, largely, the search for the foundation of emotional forces or values in existence. As one accepts these forces or values as real in human existence, as part of Creation, one may possibly want to see their foundation in the essence of Creation, in “God”. Thus, a vision of the ultimate transcendental essence of existence, God, and a realization of the place of humans in evolution can be the source for responsibility, for strength of “heart”, for warmth of “soul”, for consolation in trouble and for personal initiative in life.

What is my position in the midst of contradictions and uncertainty? What do I personally decide to stand for?

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  I hold a spiritual view of existence, seeing an underlying abstract force as the Formative Essence of Existence. There is only one such transcendental, spiritual force, whatever it is called, God, Allah, “X”.
  
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  The force that we call “God” is searched by the human mind in meditation and prayer. My soul often longs for peace in God and guidance. But I do not expect God to respond upon demand nor to interfere with the course of the world – not expecting God to bring blessings, nor blaming God for all the evil. I see God as remaining beyond human reach and understanding.
  
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  The greatest enigma of a spiritual view of existence lies in the occurrence of non-understandable cruelty, destruction, waste, and hopeless confinement, not allowing any liberating, curing, or beneficial action.
  
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  I hold a dynamic view of evolving Creation in the universe – including the fact that all is temporary and the whole universe will ultimately come to its end or dissolution.
  
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  In this view, there is no room for a permanent preservation of “souls”, whether in bliss or penitence. But there is a view of great peace at the end, beyond all struggle.
  
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  I cannot see any ultimate meaning or purpose in this existence but to temporarily be – for nothing but the pleasure of the creating essence, the Creator.
  
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  For our own lives, however, I see meaning, purpose, and a direction in fulfilling the time given to us to exist.
  
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  I hold that we must accept existence in humility, being the creatures, not the Creator. There is comfort in seeing that everything is temporary in this world. We can admire the grandiose universe and its rules of transition that are not under our control. In this view, we may find peace for our souls and strength to act to follow our values where we can.
  
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  Human existence is subject to the principles of the earlier phases of Creation, to the laws of physics and random events, and to the competitive struggle of species and individuals.
  
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  Human existence is different from any earlier part of Creation on Earth. It is based on a degree of mental freedom to explore, understand, and make decisions in the course of life. With this freedom and these capabilities goes the corresponding responsibility for what we accomplish, to pursue the development of our lives and the world in accordance with our human values.
  
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  The meaning and purpose of human life lies in grasping and fulfilling the unique opportunities granted to the human mind as described by the human values.
  
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  The human values refer to three different dimensions – growth for the fulfillment of one’s personal potential, dedicated caring service to others, society, and nature as we inherited it, and, as a mysterious gift of nature, cultural or artistic enjoyment of life.
  
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  The human values are ranked – there is the necessary fulfillment of the basic needs and desires of life, there is the vast majority of pursuits to secure, improve, and enjoy a comfortable life, and there is the striving for the higher aspirations of the human mind and soul. This results in the following matrix:
  

Highest Level	Mental Growth Personality Formation	Caring Service & Charity Building a Better Society	Culture, Aesthetics, the Arts
Median Level	Security and Dignity Reserves, Freedom, Wealth	Positive Significance in Society Action Potential, Power	Entertainment
Basic level	Survival, Procreation	Family and Clan	Basic Aesthetics

The basic level provides life’s natural and most intense rewards, but can also bring harmonious life in modesty. The middle level is the normal destination for the average person and a base for reaching the exceptional level – when not remaining a shallow purpose in itself. It is the top level, however, that lifts humanity to its exceptional potential.

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  Ethical values guide the dedication to others – from the care for the family, friends, and clan, to a meaningful contribution to society, to public service and charity when and where called upon, and to stewardship for the natural world we live in. Ethical values evolved in nature by providing the benefits of social behavior, found their greatest teacher in Jesus Christ, and are the hope for humanity’s future in its global struggle.
  
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  The greatest problem in the pursuit of ethical standards lies in the need for compromise with the pursuit of other directions of human values: self-fulfillment and the enjoyment of life. I hold that any compromise should be in favor of sympathy with the one who beckons for help in calamities. One should assume that few others do their part in helping, and one should see the brother or sister or son or daughter in the needy one. One should also see the beneficial restraint of egoism in a discipline of charity, service, and meditation or prayer.
  
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  The greatest limitation in the pursuit of personal goals and values lies in the weakness of one’s own personality. As we struggle with our own shortcomings, we must have tolerance for others. Exceptional people have set examples of personality improvement in the course of their lives. Role models help us in our lives. Are we called to be role models for others when challenges arise?
  
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  In the conduct of life, I believe in everybody carrying his or her own weight and, beyond that, aiming to contribute.
  
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  Nobody, however, can handle all the challenges of life alone. As we are entitled to accept help, so we must lend a helping hand to others to cope with their lives.
  
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  One can almost always be impressed by life’s multitude of remaining positive perspectives – in a combination of intellectual, emotional/idealistic, and artistic views. I often felt driven – by realizing the shortness of time allotted to our lives. I was grateful for moments of quiet enjoyment – and also for times of fresh initiative and strength for action. I was especially grateful for opportunities to be dedicated to beneficial pursuits, to attempt to provide some leadership in building or preserving some detail of our world, to advance thought, and to contribute positively to other people’s lives.
  
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  I was most grateful for moments of perceiving the benevolent potential of destiny in my life – in family harmony, in sufficient health, in exploring the vastness of the universe, nature, and the multitude of cultures on Earth – for perceiving the beauty of Creation, and for the harmony of human contacts, which were the greatest gifts to my life.
  
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  In sum, I seek the meaning and direction for my life and seek the strength and sensitivity to pursue my course through life in the contemplation of existence by the observing mind, by the spirituality of the soul, by practical experience, and by human sensitivity. I am grateful that I can contemplate the transcendental essence of temporary existence, turning to meditation about the Formative Essence of Existence, God, and our human place in evolution in sorrows and in joy.
  

Our time has experienced great and often intractable geo-political events, the conflicts of ideologies, cultures, and interests, the searching for answers in a competition between science and religion, between knowledge and values. My conclusions at the end of this essay are not Promethean – referring to the one who brought mankind the fire as a symbol of light in confrontation with the gods the world believed in – , not Biblical – where the tree of knowledge in Paradise was savored in confrontation with God – , and not Faustian – where finding of the last essence of existence required a pact with the devil. More than anything else, the conclusions presented in this essay seek a complementing balance between reason and the heart. They express the longing for mental growth to deeper understanding and wider horizons, the call for renewed dedication to our fellow beings, society, and the environment, and a fundamentally positive spirit in appreciating all that is good and beautiful in this world, emphasizing opportunities more than problems. This results in a call for personal initiative based on our values, on practical judgment, and on human responsibility.

On our path through life:

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  We must strive with ongoing initiative and effort to prevail in the struggle for survival and a decent life – hopefully without incurring guilt.
  

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  All of us must struggle for some personal success, to reach security, significance, or personal accomplishment, often by reducing our expectations – hopefully without remaining in frivolous human mediocrity of wealth, power, entertainment, or a wasted life.
  

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  We should strive for fulfillment of our life through our personal mental and character evolution, through caring service for others, the community, and nature, and in enjoying the beauty of the world and the arts.
  

Conclusions:
Repeat of “Abstract and Conclusions” from the beginning of this essay:
A new perception of “existence” occurs when one perceives the miracle of one’s own status of “existing” – as a human – within this grandiose, beautiful, but also quite cruel, universe and nature – at this time in cosmic and human history – for the short period of one’s own life.

Such a view can lead to fundamental questions: How can I understand and interpret cosmic reality and the natural world I find myself in? Is there a transcendental origin and control of existence? Can one perceive a meaning or purpose of existence? Mainly, what shall I do with my own life, what direction shall I pursue during the years of my existence?

Before proceeding, we should first study the various sources of insight available to us in the sciences, theology, philosophy, and our own observation.
Conclusions:

A meaning or purpose of existence cannot be discerned – and a transcendental essence of existence cannot be described in human, anthropomorphic terms.

It is the science-expected, ultimate total end or dissolution of all cosmic structures in giant black holes or ever-dissipating radiation that does not allow the discerning of a “meaning” or purpose of existence.

One can also not see a guiding or helping God in a world where each organism is attacked by diseases, parasites, predators (including humans), or natural catastrophes and the innocent by often terrible calamities.

The observation of human life does not indicate a God who judges fairly here on Earth.

A compensating, eternal life after death cannot be expected in a cosmic or natural structure that is meant to dissolve.

However, the end of personal life can be felt (as I once did) as a deeply peaceful, transcendental homecoming.

What remains is a limitless admiration for the most abstract and ultimate “Structure Providing Essence of Existence”, whatever name we give it, and for the unbelievably intricate functioning of the evolving world we participate in.

Nevertheless, one should not take away a deep-felt, comforting or uplifting faith from the suffering and striving in this world. – especially not, if such faith offers an ethically constructive and benevolent direction in life – as best formulated by Jesus in parts of the “Sermon on the Mount”.

For us humans remains to do the best we can on, or for, this Earth, our common home – to reduce suffering, to increase opportunity fairly for all, and to bring some joy and light to whatever small area over which we have any influence – while being good stewards of nature.
What direction shall we take for our own lives?

Practicality indicates that we first should build and maintain an economic “support base”, to decently support ourselves and our family, while then, or in parallel, seeking fulfillment of life as described below – especially when striving for excellence in our occupation and somewhat succeeding.

The specific results of a fundamental inquiry may remain contradictory as to what one should do and what one wants to do.

An individual direction for us depends upon our starting conditions, or environment, and our natural capabilities, personality, or “character”. Furthermore, destiny or opportunities have a controlling impact.

Most importantly, prudent determination will make the difference.

In any event, one must keep a practical mind and human sensitivity.

One should accept overarching evolution, but along with faith in the individual human potential for impact or change.

The development of our personal potential is the natural goal in life for us all.

Any direction in life can lead upwards in struggle through three levels – supported by corresponding “values”:

On a basic level, often in misery but also in basic human harmony, is the struggle for the satisfaction of the fundamental human needs for food, clothing, shelter, and medical care – all of which, for far too many on Earth, are still inadequate. There also is the basic desire for procreation and search for the warmth of some human company in the family and with friends, even for some joy about artistic embellishment or music.

Beyond this level, on a lighter level of life but also in the pursuit of false values, it is natural, and serves progress, to pursue some wealth for reserves – but this too often remaining a purpose in itself. Within social groups, there is the natural struggle for social rank and power, even empire building – for action potential, but this too often merely serving self-aggrandizement. Complementing these two directions, there is the pursuit of basic entertainment, in sports, TV, and lesser pleasures. All of this characterizes the wide middle level of society – more easily reached when the threshold of satisfaction is lowered, as by admirably modest people or by dropouts.

On the highest level of cultures, however, offering the most light in the fulfillment of life, one finds a striving for accomplishment in not one but three distinct dimensions of human existence:

(1) in personal mental growth (in exploring knowledge, in deeper understanding, in personality formation, and in the development of useful skills), combined with

(2) dedicated service to others (to reduce suffering and increase opportunities fairly for all), service to society, and care for the natural environment – and, added to these,

(3) participation in the artistic joy over the beauty in our culture and this world – a mysterious gift of existence (as is humor).

A balanced accomplishment – on all three levels and in each of the three dimensions – can lead to the positively felt fulfillment of the precious period of our very limited existence in life.

Factual results count, but “value” is attributed by emotions. Therefore, the definition and pursuit of our “values” is significant.

These values are related to

the sensing of fulfillment in growth and exploring (with the values of freedom, truthfulness, openness, and striving),

the all-excelling warmth of love from close human contact and dedicated service (with the values of empathy, selfless help, responsibility, leadership, and trustworthiness),

and the light of artistic joy in culture and nature (with the values of aesthetic beauty, elegance, and positive affection).
In a symbolic expression, the “value” of our lives results from our growth and how we bring some more clarity, light, and warmth into this world – wherever we can – accepting the positive in our own lives with gratitude – possibly with joy.
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a. m. d. g.

A. APPENDIX
A.1. The Practical Conduct of Life
The course of Creation and evolution and the goals and ideals of human life are discussed in the chapters above. It was indicated that human evolution comes from innumerable small steps, but also from the contributions of a few exceptional individuals. Therefore, there is no doubt in my mind that such contributions are expected from all exceptional individuals.

The discussion of the right conduct of life must be a very practical one. Real life has to cope with practical matters, with daily necessities, with compromises, with not being able to do everything one sets out to do, with serious setbacks, but with not giving up either.

The basic values must come first – survival and security, harmony and support within the family, and the natural needs for shelter, food, and procreation. The mid-level of values are a basis for the highest value. By themselves, the mid-level values are a bit too normal to pay much attention to and become important only when their satisfaction is prevented – success and comfort, positive significance in clan and society, refinement and entertainment. The top values give true meaning to our lives – mental growth, service to others, the community, charity, and stewardship for the natural world – and enjoyment of beauty and culture.
A good tree has a good root system, grows a strong and tall trunk toward the light, and develops a broad crown. Your life should be based on thorough learning for the development of your mind and character. You must become an expert and reach excellence in at least one marketable skill. Your network of friends is an important part of your roots. You should develop your position in life in focused growth, obtain rank in your job, make some money, and save a good part of it to be able to make use of opportunities and to stay free. Then, it is time to branch out in hobbies and interests – and in public service or charity. In the two latter areas, you can do more from a position of strength in rank and wealth.
The conduct of life, expressed in modern terms, is a management task. In earlier times, human thinking along those lines was developed in the field of administration and warfare. There are enough books about these subjects, from historical writings to Clausewitz and the newest management handbooks from “Silicon Valley”. Here, I want to summarize a few ideas that appeared important to me in the course of my life and which I may have mentioned earlier to my sons, nephews, and friends from time to time.
The choice of a profession or approach to life is a difficult one for many young people, as well as those in a mid-life crisis. Any one choice means the giving up of others, thus implying a narrowing of life’s horizon. Every choice has negative aspects. There are conflicting motivations to choose one or the other. There is no easy answer. There is only the general experience that any one of the more reasonable and honest choices not conflicting with personal values can, if properly and sincerely pursued, lead to equal happiness or fulfillment of life.
There are at least three successful ways to build your life:

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  Play your strong cards, pursue what you are especially capable off, where you have an advantage over others.
  
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  Follow your dreams. You will be more successful in what you are really committed to do and, mainly, in what you enjoy doing.
  
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  Follow opportunity, let life lead you, give luck a chance. The art lies first in recognizing opportunities and then in grasping them.
  

There are several ways to waste your life:

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  By not ending school and college on a level of excellence in your chosen field.
  
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  Dissipating your outlook and your energies with bad friends, insignificant amusements, drugs, alcohol, “finding yourself”, doing too many things.
  
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  By pettiness and shallow pleasures, by shallow entertainment, by sitting back too long to enjoy rest, by not reaching out and learning more, getting more accomplished, helping more.
  
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  By not putting in honest work for honest pay.
  
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  By over-reaching, not knowing your limits, indulging in hubris.
  

As Clausewitz or some other general said: The more committed combatant has the better chances to win. In our day, the one who puts in the extra hour of study, work, or intelligent thought has the better chance of prospering.

Sit back every day and think about

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  your priorities
  
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  a smarter way to accomplish your task, be creative!!!
  
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  who can help you in doing it or can do it for you
  

Don’t put your money into consumption, put it into investment.
President Reagan is said to have chosen the members of his team by three criteria:

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  Does he or she have integrity?
  
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  Does he or she have the right capability?
  
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  Does he or she get things done?
  

There is no point in trying to buy friendship or love. If somebody does not want to be your friend, deal with him or her on the basis of facts. Minimize your own weaknesses, emphasize your strengths. Collect all the necessary information first, probe the adversary’s behavior pattern and weakness. If you cannot surprise him, observe how he moves. Then, put all your effort into the first encounter, to get rid of him right then and there. Think beforehand what he might do next and block that avenue, too. Turn away and try to never see him or her again. Your defeated enemy may remain revengeful forever.

If you cannot win a decisive engagement the first or next time soon, move away, isolate and fortify yourself against your adversary, build friendly connections with those in power, and wait till your adversary shows weakness or is finished off by somebody else.
Zen (but only some of it) is useful. Understand problems and adversaries from the inside out. Put yourself in their position. When criticizing others, think of what you have done under similar circumstances.
If you cannot expect to win, try to let your adversary understand your side, win him over ... and still go your own way as long as you can.
Anybody whom you defeat, criticize, or fire is prone to become your enemy and, first of all, is prone to spread bad rumors about you.
Don’t explain your unpleasant deeds. It just gets you into endless arguments.
Even when rejecting the requests of others, or when prevailing over others, we must see the brother or sister in the other human being. Try to help those you have to fire. Let them keep their self-respect and try to help him or her toward a new start. Do not expect any thanks for doing this, however.
We should be trustworthy in our dealings with others, be known for our integrity, and better be humble than insist on having it our way. Smart talk is always transparent.
The more people you get along with, the greater your network.
Even a short sentence spoken to another person in passing may be remembered by that person for a long time; it may even influence that person’s life. Say and do what is right, always, also to the meek and humble.
Say only good things (or nothing) about other people behind their backs. In due time, you will become known for that, people will confide in you, and will do the same for you.
We must conduct our lives in accordance with our ethical standards, in a wise compromise with reality.
Life may be longer than your planning horizon. Think in five-year terms, at least, better in ten-year terms, where you want to be at that time. Think how you want to look back on life, especially when it gets late.
All lives offer moments or situations of opportunities. To find opportunities, you may have to begin by casting a wide net, then narrowing down on promising areas.
The art is in recognizing, grasping, and transforming opportunities into success. To learn and implement this must be your highest priority! Opportunities may pass you in plain sight or pass you silently behind your back. Some may turn out to be empty temptations, some may turn into obsession. Prudent determination is needed to reach success.


A.2. The Course of Society
Are individuals for the benefit of society, or is society for the benefit of individuals? Obviously, this is the wrong question to describe the actual relation, setting one up for erroneous consequences, as do so many questions of this type of interrelated needs and benefits.
Individuals must contribute to the benefit of society, and society must see its purpose in the benefit for the individuals. In this sense, society must be supportive of the purpose, goals, and values of individuals.
What is the right structure of society, between families, clans, nations, regional units, interest groups, social groups, ethnic groups? What form do priority ranking and conflict resolution take between these substructures? The answer is obviously not within the scope of this essay. However, a few thoughts can be expressed.
Economic strength makes the solution of many problems much easier.
Building and maintaining economic strength requires some political freedom, lots of leadership capability within the population, intellectual capability, and work ethic, and – one should note – moral strength in the community. This moral strength is needed to maintain law and order and mutual trust, the bases of a functioning society.
Society’s harmony is built on cultural harmony, including ethnic harmony. In the long run, the existence of abusive and selfish subgroups is detrimental.
A culture has a right to maintain its own identity, as families do. One should love and help one’s neighbor, but one cannot let every stranger into one’s house or backyard. Several families sharing a kitchen get into trouble with each other.
Cultural plurality works only if the common cultural band is stronger than the cultural selfishness of the subgroups.

A.3. Summary of Prevalent Views and Proposed Expansions
What do all the previous considerations indicate and how should they be expanded in order to arrive at a convincing concept of existence?

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  What are the traditional concepts within the Christian faith, and how should they be expanded?
  

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  How should the scientific view be expanded, in order to fully understand existence?
  

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  What is the view of practical thought tempered by human sensitivity – and how should it be expanded?
  

A.3.1. Summary of Traditional Christian Teaching or Theology –

and Their Proposed Expansion

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  Creation is seen as a one-time event and as static.
  
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  Christian tradition is presented as being based only on Jewish tradition.
  
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  The image of God is the “God-father”.
  
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  Theodicy (for example, the “Job question”) generally arrives at positive conclusions.
  
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  Divine predeterminism (and providence) is assumed by many believers.
  
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  Trinity is a central concept.
  
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  There is a devil as a God-opposed spiritual force acting in this world.
  
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  Jesus, God’s only son, taught a God-father image, the superiority of human needs over the Jewish Law, the importance of the spirit of the Law over the letter of the Law, the ethics of compassionate brotherly love, and respect for the meek, the poor, the merciful, and the peacemakers. Jesus did miracles and sacrificed himself for mankind’s salvation.
  
• 
  Christian ethical demands are absolute, with no limitations or compromises being discussed.
  
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  The concepts of “soul”, as the essence of the human being, and the soul’s immortality are of central importance.
  
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  The concepts of sin, good deeds, faith, ultimate divine judgment, and divine punishment or redemption form the important structure of Christian life and afterlife.
  
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  The church centers its teaching on human sinfulness, need for loyal faith, possible divine forgiving, grace, and the afterlife. In the Catholic faith, special importance is given to the role of saints and Mary, and a central significance to priests and their hierarchy.
  
• 
  The church’s theology is nature-based, emphasizing the “dignity” of all human life (above other creatures and the environment), contrary to utilitarian or politically totalitarian concepts of personal life. In this sense, Christian doctrine offers a religion that is supportive of human life. (However, all Christian teachings could be and were perverted by the church and numerous sects.)
  
• 
  The church’s hierarchy is often narrowly focused and projects a pompous appearance.
  

How should the traditional Christian theological view be expanded?

Following are comments regarding the above statements:

“Creation is seen as a one-time event and existence, in this sense, as static.”

Traditional Christian theology does not consider the dynamic aspect of Creation in natural evolution, the evolution of the human mind, and the evolution of human cultures. This leads to important shortcomings in understanding God and the reality of existence in this world.

An expanded Christian view would have to see God as an ongoing creator, from the inanimate first phase of Creation, with its natural laws and subject to random events, to the animate second phase that is subject to the Darwinian laws of selection. Aspects of fairness and compassion appear only in the very late third phase of Creation, as humans appear with their “humane” values. Humans are still subject, however, to the inanimate events and the struggle of species and individuals. Such a view would be challenged by scientific observation. This view would necessarily lead to a contradictory, if not cruel, image of God.
Traditional Christian theology does not consider the probability of intelligent life in other places in the universe. This leads to additional shortcomings in understanding God or existence and church dogma. An expanded view would not see the centrality of mankind on Earth. This would require a reformulation of the dogma of Jesus as “God’s only son” who had to be killed on this little Earth – and possibly on other civilized planets – as the proper means for the salvation of those humans or other beings who believe in him.
With the concept of evolution and the probability of intelligent life in many other places in the universe, the concepts of the inherent sinfulness of humans and the need for Jesus, God’s “only” son, to be sacrificed for the salvation of mankind become untenable when taken verbatim. Exegesis is unsatisfactory in this case. Are all intelligent species in the universe inherently sinful, or only some or only the humans on Earth? Does Jesus have to be crucified once on each inhabited planet in the universe for the respective salvation of the subject species, ongoing through the ages as these civilizations appear?
“Christian tradition is presented as being based on Jewish tradition only.”

The Christian view, based only on the Jewish tradition and on God’s love only for Israel, may be historically understandable in the West. This narrow view is, however, inadequate. The assumption that all Divine communication in pre-Christian times came only through the Jewish people, as recorded in the Bible, is no longer acceptable in our time of a globalized human society of many cultures. Jewish religious thought during biblical times did not develop in isolation. It was influenced by the Jewish people’s living in Egypt and Babylon and by always being at the crossroads of empires and trade routes. A global God-image and religion for all people on Earth – from Indonesia via China, India, and all of Europe, to North and South America – cannot negate God’s action in history and possible Divine inspiration in those areas. A constant reference to God as the God of Israel, with Jerusalem as its capital in all Christian church ritual and hymnals, is incredible and embarrassing. How can the global community on Earth accept an identification with Israel, considering the modern state of Israel’s conduct?

“The image of God as the father.”

The Christian image of God as a fatherly spiritual essence is too anthropomorphically limited and does not apply to the Darwinian pre-human phase of animal nature that was without fairness and compassion. Also, too much of our own human lives is still bound up in Darwinian struggle. In sum, the father-image is simplistic and anthropomorphic. God’s ways are above human ways, not precluding our joyful, sometimes fearful, and often grateful admiration of His universe and our existence therein.

“Theodicy (for example, the Job question) generally arrives at positive conclusions.”

The problem of theodicy remains unresolved. The universe is too large and complex, and too far beyond human understanding, to suggest a basically human notion of God. On Earth, there is too much senseless destruction and cruelty. What is suggested is the greatest reverence for the grandiose spiritual force of existence, the greatest gratitude to be felt by those who were blessed in their lives, and humble acceptance of their fate within the fabric of Creation by those who were not blessed, possibly even abandoned.

“Divine predeterminism (and providence) is assumed by many believers.”

As discussed before, the assumption of Divine predeterminism is in contradiction to Divine free will, ongoing Creation, and scientific understanding. In sum, this argument is one of anthropomorphic intellectualism, inadequate for an understanding of the essence of existence.

“Trinity is a central concept. There is a Devil as a God-opposed spiritual force.”

Thoughts or theological statements about the Trinity or the Devil are anthropomorphisms. One cannot see but one spiritual essence of existence, God.

“Jesus, God’s only son, taught a God-father image, the superiority of humane needs over the Jewish Law, the importance of the spirit of the Law over the letter of the Law, the ethics of compassionate brotherly love, and respect for the meek, the poor, and the peace-makers. Jesus performed miracles and sacrificed himself for mankind’s salvation.”
Christian ethics are the highest expression of religious ethics on Earth and the greatest comfort to the suffering. However, Jesus’ life and teaching, as recorded, must be understood in its own time and cultural setting. How else could it have been effective? This leaves open the option to find a deeper interpretation of Christ’s spirit and teaching which can still be valid in our time and our cultural setting. The other option is to hope for a new great teacher of mankind, another messiah, as an inspired teacher for our times.
“The Christian ethical demands are absolute, no limitations, or compromises being discussed.”

The absolute demands give Christian ethics their ideal purity. But the fundamentalist lack of guidance regarding the necessary limitations of ethical standards in practical life is the main shortcoming of Christian ethical teaching (as of any other code of ethics).

Christian ethical teachings are, generally, accepted as the highest ideal for all mankind. However, as in earlier times so also in our present times, the hard facts of practical life make it necessary to limit ethical behavior. How many asylum-seekers should a country accept? How many migrants in search of a better life should be accepted? Why does Socialism not work, and what do Christians do about that? What do we do about the drug users and other abusers of themselves and society, who just want to pursue self-realization? To what degree do we mitigate the problems and accommodate the wishes of all citizens in the ever more crowded world and in the big cities of the international community, globally interconnected by instant and pervasive electronic communication? Christian ethics are a necessary ideal, but in the practical world we are helplessly left to our own compromising judgment.
“The concept of ‘soul’ as the essence of the human being and immortality is of central importance.”

The concept of “soul” is fraught with much philosophical and theological burden accumulated during the last two thousand years. There have been various interpretations of this concept of soul throughout history by various thinkers. The “soul” included either all the mental capabilities of an individual or only the moral and emotional part thereof. In any event, the soul was seen as the immortal essence of an individual. A view of the soul as a “homunculus” is no longer realistic. The time may be ripe for what is called these days a ”paradigm shift”.

Modern science and neuropsychology have left us insecure about the traditional concept of “soul”. Would this not have to include all the thought capabilities and memories inherent in an individual’s brain? These capabilities grow and fade with age or health, just as the brain does. Is the soul the essence of personality, which many people wish they could change, which can be changed by accidents, psycho-pharmaceutical products, and brain surgery, and which also changes with age? Does the soul include the valuation of thoughts, subject to experience, learning, and cultural conditions? Is the soul the essence of what consciousness causes to appear in everybody’s mind as “I” and what looks out from oneself to the surrounding existence through individual consciousness (explained in the author’s essay on “Mental Creativity” as a virtual phenomenon resulting from the remembrance of thoughts and perceptions)? We must accept that an individual is defined by the totality of his or her mental capabilities and behavior patterns, changing not only with learning but also with aging and health, and with the individual’s momentary focus.
Does this mental totality of an individual have eternal life? Can biological functions live independently of their biological base? Why should the universe want to collect and conserve such a multitude of remnants of past human existences on Earth, from all people through pre-history and history, from Bushmen to Inuit, from New Yorkers to monks on Mount Athos? An afterlife in eternity in the verbal meaning of the expression is unrealistic when considering the ultimate end of the universe within predictable time.
Anybody who has had a “near-death experience” knows that the elements of time and corporeality lose their meaning when the experience of going beyond existence sets in. Therefore, I see death, while momentary and final in physical terms, as the transition into a “timeless” mental phase. What do we know about the essence of time? In gratefulness, I can say that I experienced this phase as indescribably harmonious and peaceful.
“Sin or good deeds, judgment, and punishment or redemption form the important structure of Christian life and afterlife.”

The view of existence comprising ongoing Creation, natural evolution, and human existence in the universe leads to questioning the validity of a Christian life’s structure based solely on sin or good deeds, judgment, and punishment or redemption in afterlife. More emphasis on the unique human potential and opportunities in Creation in the pursuit of values and on mental growth, service and charity, and culture would be indicated. This still leaves Jesus as the bringer of elevated divine revelation to mankind, who even had to accept death rather than surrender to oppressive forces, in order to let mankind keep faith in his mission and gain light for their “souls”.

“The church centers its teaching on human sinfulness, need for loyal faith, possible forgiving, and the afterlife. In the Catholic faith, special importance is given to the role of saints and Mary, and a central significance to priests and their hierarchy. The church’s theology is nature-based, emphasizing the “dignity” of all human life (above other creatures and the environment), contrary to utilitarian or politically totalitarian concepts of personal life. In this sense, Christian doctrine offers a human life supporting potential of religion. (However, all Christian teachings could and were perverted by the church and sects)”.

There is a close connection between the following religious and dogmatic concepts and views in the Christian churches:

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  Ethical and moral laws are based on the commandments of God to mankind.
  
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  God is the supreme judge, rewarding the good and punishing the bad.
  
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  Sin, guilt, punishment, or redemption and grace are the central themes of human existence and are the basic mechanism of life and afterlife.
  
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  The problem of theodicy – the observation that so many horrors, senseless destructions, and wasted lives occur and that God does not visibly reward all good people and does not punish all bad people in this life – is unresolved.
  
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  There is expectation of a judgment in the afterlife and of following reward or punishment.
  

Considering the universe and evolution, the God-image of the strict judge appears anthropomorphically narrow and inadequate. Are the concepts of judgment and afterlife really necessary for a life guided by values, for charity in society, for a “God-pleasing” and fulfilled life, for comfort in distress and guidance or restraint in success?

Ethics and values can be seen as part of the Divine Creation, as an option for humanity with its freedom and responsibility to pursue its own course through existence. Injustice may have to be accepted as part of Creation as it is, since it follows the laws of nature and is affected by random or probabilistic events. The strength to counteract and control abuse may also be found in this view of existence.
The attempt to see Divine compensation for each human action, through Divine intervention in the course of the world or in a summary way after some periods of time, is as inappropriate to expect as it is unproved by observation. The transfer of compensation to an afterlife is humanly understandable but appears simplistic. The necessity of somebody’s sacrifice (Jesus’ or a saint’s) in compensation for other individuals’ sins would let God appear as anthropomorphically trading in punishment and reward (and definitely not as the loving father). One should assume that God’s ways are above human understanding.
“The church’s hierarchy is often narrowly focused and projects a pompous appearance.”

Luther saw what is still apparent: many problems of the Catholic church come from Rome and result from its hierarchical structure, multiplying human weakness in high positions.

To date, no religious (or worldly) organization has escaped this problem. This is especially deplorable in view of the high ideals of the Christian faith and the need for an ever-higher view of the spiritual force behind existence as the human mind progresses.
In addition, the clergy of all denominations face the problems of the limits of ethics, as discussed before. This leads to the clergy supporting odd, impractical, or cruel schemes, while at the same time claiming ethical purity. Although this often is understandable in personal terms, it should not be done in the name of God or his representatives on Earth.
Overall, one should not overlook the “silent majority” of the numerous clergymen and members of religious orders who do humble works of charity and unselfish goodness in the service of the needy, often in loneliness and harsh self-denial, without raising dogmatic or public questions about it.

A.3.2. Summary of The Modern “Scientific” View – and Its Proposed Expansion

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  Creation, defined as the beginning of existence, cannot be explained since, by definition, there can be no knowledge of anything antecedent. Consequently, the origin of the basic forces, the laws of nature, and the selection of the natural constants cannot be explained either.
  
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  Since the beginning of existence, everything has been in a dynamic evolution, either through gradual changes or through the occurrence of random events and the subsequent selection of the fittest.
  
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  In view of the preceding two statements, the assumption of a spiritual essence still active in existence is speculation without practical significance and is possibly misleading, as shown by many negative religious behaviors throughout history.
  
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  In view of the ultimate end of the universe, there is no visible meaning in existence. With evolution progressing by what happens and is viable, there is no purpose or goal in general existence either.
  
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  There is specific purpose, however, in natural drives that want to be fulfilled. There is self-chosen purpose in goal-oriented societies, whether to expand their turf, build empires, or reach religious goals. There is culturally established purpose in modern societies, where everybody wants to get ahead in life, enjoy it as best he or she can, and possibly find distinction or fame in public service or unselfish deeds.
  
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  One’s own values are determined largely by the values of the culture one lives in.
  
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  Ethics evolved as a means for improving survival rates. For humans, ethics is a combination of genetically given responses, education, cultural habits, and practical concerns – all helping to make life more bearable or enjoyable.