Why A Fair Society Only Needs 10% Of The People To Support It
“We are by no means strangers, and we are linked by a common destiny. And these turbulent times must bind us ever closer together.”
Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
The deepening and unsolvable global crisis symbolizes the collapse of today’s modern, human society which was based on unsustainable foundations.
Our present society is based on isolation, fragmentation, ruthless competition and distrust, with an economic system of excessive and artificial demand. But at the same time humanity evolved into a globally interconnected and interdependent human network within the closed and finite natural system.
The obvious contradiction of the “human bubble” and the vast natural system around it forces us to change ourselves and build a completely new human socio-economic system.
In order to change society first of all the values of society and the education system has to change.
Such changes in both the adult and the children’s societies will create a new atmosphere in our surroundings. These changes will affect every part of our lives—work, family, friends, school, the judicial system, the media, interpersonal relations, international relations, trade relations, and so forth.
Interestingly, we do not need all of society to set this transformation in motion, but a relatively small number of people. Scientists at the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) discovered that even when only 10 percent of the population shares a conviction or belief, the rest of society adopts it. The mathematical models show that there is a sudden leap in acceptance: below 10 percent, the effect is barely discernible, but once the 10 percent mark is reached, the view spreads like a wildfire.
Considering that the Internet in general, and social networks in particular, enable the rapid spread of ideas, it is enough that we begin to talk about the need to connect above all differences for the future of all of us, and invoke as many people as possible into that notion. The scientists at RPI gave Tunisia and Egypt as examples for such a process, saying, “In those countries, dictators who were in power for decades were suddenly overthrown in just a few weeks.”
When you think about it, there are likely far more than 10 percent who want to have a safer, friendlier world than the one we have now, so the chances of making 10 percent of the population adamant about it, thus instigating the shift, are far higher than may appear at first glance.
What A Mutually Beneficial Society Can Give To Everyone
Mutual guarantee is like a sphere that grows by connecting opposites. True, we are different in every way—in our thoughts, our habits, our characters, and in our bodies. But at the same time, we understand that reality dictates that we unite and work together. A society that projects the message that mutual guarantee is the fundamental law of life will make us not only understand this concept intellectually, but will strive to implement it in our daily lives. Just as good advertising creates such a buzz around a new product or service that we feel compelled to buy it, creating a buzz around the concept of mutual guarantee will make us feel that we just have to have it, have to feel what it’s like to live that way.
A systematic and consistent building of a society with global thinking will make each of us develop an inclusive perception of the world. Instead of “me” and “them,” we will begin to see reality as “we” or “all of us.” We will shift from wanting personal gratification to wanting gratification for the general populace. Our viewpoint will expand from personal to collective, and new insights will evoke within us.
“Multiplicity is only apparent. In truth, there is only one mind.”
Erwin Schrödinger, physicist, one of the founders of quantum mechanics
Written by Michael Laitman
Michael Laitman is a global thinker dedicated to generating a transformational shift in society through a new global education, which he views as the key to solving the most pressing issues of our time. He is the Founder of the ARI Institute, Professor of Ontology & Theory of Knowledge, PhD in Philosophy, MS in Medical Cybernetics. You can find him on Google+, YouTube and Twitter