Do we have the power to change the world?

Forgive me if I sound naiive. I tend to want the best for everybody in the whole entire world, and well, frankly, it doesn't seem to be going very well right now, lol. I have a niece and a nephew, 5 and 3. I want to make the world a better place for them, and my future children, and your future children. You get the point. I'm kind of terrified to raise kids in the kind of world that we live in. So here's my question, I want to hear what you all have to say.

Do we, the human race, have the power to change the world, to make it into a positive place? I'm not extremely informed on what I'm about to mention, so bear with me. I've heard about our collective consciousness...how it can make disasters happen, etc. Why can't we do the opposite? And we all know how the law of attraction works. If there was a way to get the whole world to think positive thoughts and expel negative ones, don't you think the world would be a drastically different place? We could end hunger, suffering. I really feel like humans CAN do this. It's just a matter of people knowing they can do it. I guess it would start with people knowing they can change their own life into a positive one. How can we spread this knoweledge? What would it take? So many questions. I have high hopes in us. I think we can do it. I just haven't the slightest idea HOW or where to start.

reply to post by Seekingmyself


I think the hippie generation gave it a go and it didn't turn out very well. Looking at society, it seems to have been on a steady decline for a looooooooong time. I am an admitted pessimist, so my opinion on the subject is that it isn't possible. The will of people to do evil is far stronger than the will of people to do good. All it takes is a few strong willed evil people to dominate a world of good intentions.

In my opinion, all you can do is try to change yourself and lead by example. Maybe people will see the example that you set and want to be like you. Then it could spread.

I don't have high hopes though.

Originally posted by Seekingmyself
I just haven't the slightest idea HOW or where to start.

It starts with you. You're not going to change the world, people who believe they can usually end up frustrated and bitter.

Be the change you want to see in the world, it's the only thing you can do.

Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do
I am he and she is she but you're the only you
No one else has got your eyes, can see the things you see
It's up to you to change you life and my life's up to me
The problems that you suffer from are problems that you make
The # we have to climb through is the # we choose to take
If you don't like the life you live, change it now it's yours
Nothing has effect if you don't recognise the cause
If the programs not the one you want, get up, turn off the set
It's only you that can decide what life you're gonna get
If you don't like religion you can be the antichrist
If you're tired of politics you can be an anarchist. CRASS

Originally posted by Karlhungis
reply to post by Seekingmyself

 

I think the hippie generation gave it a go and it didn't turn out very well. Looking at society, it seems to have been on a steady decline for a looooooooong time. I am an admitted pessimist, so my opinion on the subject is that it isn't possible. The will of people to do evil is far stronger than the will of people to do good. All it takes is a few strong willed evil people to dominate a world of good intentions.

In my opinion, all you can do is try to change yourself and lead by example. Maybe people will see the example that you set and want to be like you. Then it could spread.

I don't have high hopes though.

i think you should change your mind on the whole pessimist thing. It's not gonna get you anywhere!

My biggest question isn't one you can answer; it isn't one that anyone can answer; it's just something that's always baffled and bothered me: Why, why, why, do people WANT to do evil things and be evil minded. where does it come from, the animosity. i understand people have rough circumstances, but heck, I've had one interesting life thus far as far as tough situations go... and all I want to do is spread good and love. so why does evil have to be part of our free will. what's the point. i'm rambling now... but... these are things i wonder everyday.

I'd like to operate in this matter but trying to share such knowledge with certain people bent on negativity simply ridicule it and are closed off to it. It stays hidden from you even if you are handed a book so it goes that any individual has to initiate themselves. It can never be forced nor it seems even suggested to anyone without them having done some mental transmutation work of their own.

Originally posted by ANOK
It starts with you. You're not going to change the world, people who believe they can usually end up frustrated and bitter.

That's totally backwards. The only ones that do are the ones that believe they can.

reply to post by Seekingmyself


I have tried to be an optimist before, but I always end up being let down in the end. I currently reside on the pessimistic side of realism. Sadly, I tend to get dissapointed a lot less here.

Why are people evil? Good question... some people feel justified in it. Some people convince themselves that they are serving a greater good. Some people seem to be completely devoid of empathy. Not that I am a saint or anything, so I can't really judge but I try to be a good person. I often wonder about what skeletons other people have. Sometimes I picture the rest of the world being saintly and never making mistakes, which makes for a pretty distorted self image.

reply to post by Seekingmyself

My biggest question isn't one you can answer; it isn't one that anyone can answer; it's just something that's always baffled and bothered me: Why, why, why, do people WANT to do evil things and be evil minded. where does it come from, the animosity. i understand people have rough circumstances, but heck, I've had one interesting life thus far as far as tough situations go... and all I want to do is spread good and love. so why does evil have to be part of our free will. what's the point. i'm rambling now... but... these are things i wonder everyday.

I think generally everyone tries to do good in their life, or at least what they perceived to be the good and descent thing. Even that awful GW Bush, thinks he's doing good. He's just doesn't understand that what he's doing is actually a terrible thing. He thinks he's bringing freedom, and the American way to Iraqis, he doesn't at all see that he's only bringing death, and destruction to a people that never asked nor wanted to be like Americans in the first place.

Doing good starts with the individual, your individual acts of selflessness when you volunteer or donate is good enough, that alone, helps the collective consciousness. When you do good, not only does it makes you feel good, you also help to ease others who may not have it so good.

The problem comes when we try to impose this blurred vision of what good is supposed to mean on others, as in the case of what the Bush regime is doing.

[edit on 28-7-2008 by Gateway]

We have the power to change the world if we believe it and if enough people believe it collectively we can do it
although as you yourself have mentioned before you are alone in thinking about these things all of your friends live in a trance
thats the problem we do not have the numbers

most people are too busy thinking about weekend parties , American Idol and
are too self centered to begin to imagine a better way let alone join hands with us.

There is no path to peace; Peace is the Path.

I believe that we all must strive to perfect ourselves, perfect in the sense of fine tuning the mind. By fine tuning I mean structuring and programming the mind to work for you and not against you.

I believe the biggest task is informing the majority of people in this country to the truth, or at least pointing them in the right direction. Thats why whenever Im shopping, or at the bar, or at the barber shop et c I always talk about topics from ATS after the formalities are over.
I attempt to find a way to wake up the average unconscious american from their waking slumber.

The celeb mags and filth at the register in the supermarket are a great conversational piece for your unsuspecting consumer.


We can look at reality in a positive or negative light. That is our choice as human beings, but I learned a few years ago, that it is pointless to look at the glass as half empty.
Its good to plan for the worst but expect the best, however I think it is only necessary to focus on it for the appropriate amount of time.

Getting depressed or getting upset or being negative in general is simply sending out more of that energy. It all comes back to you, so why not send out as much positive energy as possible?


I believe that each of us are a core component into changing the world. The only things stopping us from creating change is taking action.

how are you taking action


There is no path to peace. Peace is the path

reply to post by Seekingmyself


You're an idealist. What you have to say is level headed enough, it's also a beautiful thought. Unfortunally in the here and now it isn't realistic. What you have to say, within reason and understanding, is correct, but it doesn't contend with the unconscious and subconscious states of human conscious mind set. For such a change to happen would requre people to "know themselves" in such a way as I've not seen much at all if at all in this world here and now.

"Seers" like Nostradamus and Cayce, have always said such things as man can shape it's own destiny, that mankind can change the foreseen negitive futures, and this WAS true enough in theory. It if taken on as a collective effort could have been done. It could have been done upto the last couple decades. Unfortunally, mankind didn't.

We're already locked into a future pattern that is awesome! Awesome doesn't mean good. Awesome means to a degree of "bad" or "good". Mankind is already begun circling the drain. Does this mean mankind as a whole couldn't fix it now? Sure in theory they could, but in reality they don't.

My advice to you is wait to have children until after 2012. Do what you can now to learn what you'll need to know in the short and long term futures.

It's already to late to save the world. This doesn't stop people from putting on superman capes and saying "think positive", but they're just lying at best to themselves at worst to all others that will listen to their empty words.

Oh but to be fair! Yes you can change your world through thinking. I've done it on a personal level. I know it can be done. I still get shocked at what manifests in my life through thoughts.

However as I've said to truly get this to work for you, you'll have to burn away biases and egotisims. It can be done on a personal level!

There is no foreseeable way to get this to work on a global level. Maybe if we had 15 years more, but we don't.

Originally posted by Seekingmyself

Originally posted by Karlhungis
reply to post by Seekingmyself

 

I think the hippie generation gave it a go and it didn't turn out very well. Looking at society, it seems to have been on a steady decline for a looooooooong time. I am an admitted pessimist, so my opinion on the subject is that it isn't possible. The will of people to do evil is far stronger than the will of people to do good. All it takes is a few strong willed evil people to dominate a world of good intentions.

In my opinion, all you can do is try to change yourself and lead by example. Maybe people will see the example that you set and want to be like you. Then it could spread.

I don't have high hopes though.

i think you should change your mind on the whole pessimist thing. It's not gonna get you anywhere!

My biggest question isn't one you can answer; it isn't one that anyone can answer; it's just something that's always baffled and bothered me: Why, why, why, do people WANT to do evil things and be evil minded. where does it come from, the animosity. i understand people have rough circumstances, but heck, I've had one interesting life thus far as far as tough situations go... and all I want to do is spread good and love. so why does evil have to be part of our free will. what's the point. i'm rambling now... but... these are things i wonder everyday.

Wake up and look around! I resepct your idealisims. However you need to realize what you percieve isn't the uniform of society. It's not about personally percieving "negitives" or being pessimists. Seriously, take a look around!

66% of the people on this board point their finger outward and call this one or that one or this group or that group the "problem". They all want to believe they are being held down by others.

I little under 40% believe theres a great evil power at work in the world. They don't trust the people they don't know nor the one's they do know. They are blind to the fact that the person's they can't trust is themselves.

The only one you can take responcability through perceptual powers is yourself!

Well, we at least have the ability to change our perception of the world and our personal life if not the ability to change the world in a grand manner individually.

I do think that changing our perception of the world will be the key to change it. I mean if you look hard enough and realise we are taken by the nose by media and other institutions you can decide not to get yourself to much involved with the whole thing, if you shed the cloak of fear and do not bite when there is another 'enemy of the month'or potential 'disaster of the week' being forced down your throat they do not have any power over you other than the ability to kill you, and that is ok too, rather not but if it is a choice between being herded like human cattle for the rest of you poor resemblance of a life or dying i'll choose dying any day. Fear of death is the ultimate threat hanging over our heads so if you get over that one you will be free, at least inside of your head if nowhere else. A population not susceptible to fear/hate mongering is a population that cannot be controlled irrationally by anyone.

Bottomline, we can change the world by stopping to be affraid and thus changing your perception about what life is all about.

[edit on 28-7-2008 by Harman]

Star and Flag because I totally agree with the OP!!

It's sounds crazy but I was just thinking about this exact same topic. And I was thinking to myself I wonder how best I can help to make the world a better place. Then I decided to go on ATS to see what the some of the latest threads were, and I saw this! And I thought "How uncanny is that?" lol. Yeah I know it sounds crazy.

But I totally understand where you're coming from. I want the best for everybody too. I truly believe that if we want to make the world a better place, we can.

The problem is, I think so many people are disillusioned with what's going on in the world today, that it doesn't even make sense to try. There's so much disappointment, hurt and suffering. And it can leave you thinking why should I bother, it's not worth it, it's not going to change anything.

But you know, it does. Even just a small act of kindness does wonders. The only way people are going to want to change, is to see the actual change of others. Just because it doesn't seem realistic doesn't mean we still can't dream and work toward making the world a better place. IMO, the only way it can be realistic is we try. How can it be realistic if no one ever even tries to get there.

And, I'm just thinking aloud here, maybe more change could've happened before if we hadn't told people it's unrealistic. Maybe just by saying to not worry about it, it's not possible, we're actually making it impossible. For a dream to become reality, you have to believe in it.

Maybe I'm being naive, but I don't really care . I'd rather believe that we can work to make the world a better place, than not.

I believe we all have the power to make the world a better place. Maybe not all at once, but if it at least one person isn't willing to let things be the way they are, then surely there will be others, right?

---

Just another thought, it seems these days, like in the mainstream, that people who have dreams are laughed at because it seems unrealistic and unreasonable. It seems like the whole idea of having a dream and being optimistic has been put down and made to seem stupid. I don't know but, maybe that is another conspiracy? Lol, this is a conspiracy website, so don't laugh .

But it just seems to me, that, especially in Hollywood like the movies they make, there's an increasing pessimistic outlook. Maybe that's just me noticing it? Because I've noticed that people seem to laugh more at the people and the movies that are about following your dreams and never giving up.

I know life isn't fair and there's no use in sugar coating things. But, it doesn't mean we should shoot down the people who are willing to try? Sure it's good to give advice about being realistic and what to expect, but to tell someone it's stupid to even think about hoping? Or to laugh at them? I honestly believe that's just wrong. But it just seems like it's happening more in Hollywood these days and mainstream society. Although it happened a lot before as well. It's as if society is reverting back to the way it was before the 60's

And you know, I've been depressed, like really depressed before, but I've found that the best way to look at things is optimistically. And it's just as if there are all these movies and music about being pessimistic and just you know, like "stuff" happens whatever get on with it. I don't know lol, like I said, maybe it's just me that's noticing this, eh..

Anyway

Originally posted by EnlightenUp
That's totally backwards. The only ones that do are the ones that believe they can.

LOL OK, so all those people who think they can change the world have been successful?

So where is the change?

The point I was trying to make is to change the world you have to be the change you want to see. Only then will things really change.

If people create an unpositive environment, they have to be able to tip the scale in the other direction. I think we have a big responsibility to be positive, it is almost like it's the reason we are here.

Originally posted by Harman
Well, we at least have the ability to change our perception of the world and our personal life if not the ability to change the world in a grand manner individually.

Yes! That's the point. To know yourself is to know your posives and negitive personalized points, and then the journy begins for self perfecting. It wouldn't take all that many people to undergo this to change the world enough that it would start shifting toward the better.

Everyone is always looking to change the world overnight. They always want to start with others. Change comes from within. Perfection should be personalized and then radiate out.

I will give you what I think... It might be gibber and incoherent but i will give it a try.

In the early days of my life I decided god was bs. Within that time i got to study cool things that most people in religion will not dare touch. I decided to pretty much concentrate on the one thing nobody can directly answer no matter how you ask...

The question is: What happens when you die?

This question led me to research death, why because it fascinates me. It is the 1 place we can not go until the end.

Anyway... whats this go to do with this.. well its simple really, in my journeys of research I have come across a lot of things.. Paticularly Astral Projection, OOBE's or what not..

They say in the spirit world which is where we all die these is supposed to be a equal amount of good and an equal amount of bad(evil). But looking at the world today I am not so sure this is correct.

It may have to do with what we are fed.... Like bad sells good sucks, but really.. what good do you really hear... I am convinced maybe this is perhaps hell and we have to work out of it.. But i don't know..

Anyway I don't think we can change.. I used to believe 20 people can pray and stop a war.. But its all bs i guess... because those 20 people are to busy watching American idol or voting in someone who likes to lie so in the end.. no matter how hard u want to change something you are pretty much FCK'd...

I see us not getting out of this mess unless there was serious uprising even then we have to go thru a lot of bad before it gets remotely good..

Anyway sorry for the jibber its what i think...

[edit on 7/28/2008 by ThichHeaded]

Originally posted by ANOK

Originally posted by EnlightenUp
That's totally backwards. The only ones that do are the ones that believe they can.

LOL OK, so all those people who think they can change the world have been successful?

So where is the change?

The point I was trying to make is to change the world you have to be the change you want to see. Only then will things really change.

All the ones that maintain that belief and focus on their little corner of the universe, indeed. A large part of the problem consists of people that want to change the world but in reality (unconsciously most likely) mean "change everyone else's world" - they haven't changed and so nothing changes for them and the law will continue to work along their own lines of thought. It all must start in thought and so starts at your center. At best this corresponds to an improvement in those around you as well by induction. At the worst your own life improves a little bit which can make things seem different in a way corresponding to your better mental attitude in the near term. In any case the changes have to be clearly visualized and not as vague as "change the world".

The ones that know the mental alchemy will succeed and not be discouraged.

We actually seem in effect to be in mutual agreement.