“Till now, man has been up against Nature; from now on, he will be up against his own nature.”
Dennis Gabor — Inventor of holography and awarded 1971 Nobel Prize in physics
Why Nature Requires Balance
Balance is the name of the “game” in Nature. It is the state to which Nature aspires to bring all its elements. The only reason why any substance or object moves, or changes, is its “aspiration” to restore balance. That aspiration creates such phenomena as: wind, spreading of heat into cooler areas, the flow of water toward lower grounds, and many other phenomena. In living organisms, a state of balance is called “homeostasis” from the Greek words hómoios, “similar,” and stásis, “standing still.” Webster’s Dictionary defines homeostasis as “a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group.”
We—as different, but interdependent parts of Nature—are subject to the law of balance, or homeostasis. By definition, this is true in our bodies as well as in our entire population; that is, humanity is not a distinct entity, but an integrated part of Nature. For this reason, we are subject to all of Nature’s laws—within our bodies and within our societies.
The Key to Achieving Balance With Nature
“Unity and complementarity constitute reality.”
Werner Heisenberg, Physicist — One of the key creators of quantum mechanics and the uncertainty principle
On the human level, “being in homeostasis” means expanding our awareness from self-centeredness to social-centeredness and even global-centeredness. We need to increase our consideration of others and our environment, all of which are parts of the same system. Today, we can find multiple scientific and real life examples that illustrate some of the consequences we may suffer if we choose to remain oblivious to our interconnectedness—our interconnectedness with each other and with Nature.
Will We Choose Correctly?
“We are challenged to rise above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. The new world is a world of geographical togetherness. This means that no individual or nation can live alone. We must all learn to live together, or we will be forced to die together.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. — First Annual Conference on Nonviolence and Social Change
Now that human egoism is posing a threat to our existence, we are faced with two choices: We can sit idly by and let Nature take its course, waiting for troubles to knock on our door before doing anything, or we can take action and assume responsibility for our future. It is up to us. We, the human race, can still advance toward balance and harmony with Nature, toward sustainable prosperity. All we need do is implement the method of mutual guarantee—give what you can and receive what you need—and thus become synchronized with Nature.
When we build a society based on the method of mutual guarantee, we will secure for ourselves life that is sustainable, prosperous, secure, and peaceful. After all, how can there be war amongst those who vouch for each other’s well-being?
Thus, mutual guarantee towards each other can safeguard the survival of the human species.
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