last night, I attempted to explain how I see the world. I felt it necessary to give individual examples of human tendencies. I can summarize thus:

All people are selfish.

Its as if we progress to the age of three and a half and then psychologically stop trying to grow up and instead build up our intelligence to support our selfishness. We choose to become crafty rather than accept that the world does not actually revolve around us.

If that tendency were the only tendency driving us, then life would be easy. Everyone would be out for themselves and life would be constantly like some really bad portion of the middle ages. Where people in power repress those without power and the smartest person rises to the top stepping on people along the way. Generation after generation this continues while the rest of the people suffer.

But that's not the only motivator, is it? There are these other things: art, literature, music, and -- oh lest I forget -- peace. That last thing far more ephemeral than any of the other things. There's also science, the quest for truth. Would it surprise anyone to know that all religions started out the way science began? With a quest for truth and understanding of the world in which we live? Science is now its own religion, with believers becoming haters of all that is not science, just as religion devolves into believers who hate non believers. Science is supposed to be above all that, rely on empirical data, but these days the number of followers far outweighs the number of people who truly get it. Thus science is more "religious" than truth.

The quest I mentioned in the middle, the one we call "peace" still hangs around, and everyone seems to understand that it really is a goal which people can strive for. Even if a person admits he's not interested in peace, he'll likely tell you that he sees how it could be a noble purpose for others and he may even mention how much he respects those people.

When I look at the world, what do I see?

I see a bunch of three and a half year olds fighting over toys. "Mine!" "No its mine!" "Hey boys, check out my toy, its a really big gun and it enables me to steal all your toys!" BANG BANG... "Wah! He took my toy!" "He took mine too, lets gang up, build a bigger gun and take our toys back!" "Okay, its a deal."

On and on it goes.

99% of the population do that. They attempt to get everything they can for themselves and use all the tools they have (art, music, film, science, religion, etc) as a means to that end. Their intention lies in the old brain, the one that wants, the one that thinks it needs. There are even individuals who use the concept of peace (or some perverted version of it) to gather money, power, fame, and more toys.

99% of the population are psychologically only three and a half years old. "Me Me Me!" or "Mine Mine Mine!" They shout either out loud or more usually through their subtle actions. Life, they say, is all about them and nothing else matters.

Have I painted a bleak picture? Isn't there anyone grown up out there?

Sure there is: the other one percent. These are people who in general face some sort of hardship which cause them to grow beyond the fear of death and beyond the need to acquire toys. They mature beyond the psychological child.

Some of them create works which are mature, grown up, and amazing. You can see them throughout history. Frank Herbert is one of my favorites right now. He really groks people and humanity.

I'm still three and a half years old, but I want to grow up! So I'm out looking for the truths told by fore bearers who actually grew up. Its often difficult to see the difference, after all wisdom isn't only owned by the wise. Still, I keep looking.

I hope someday to be able to write about my journey. Every time I try to now it becomes a pile of words with no meaning. Maybe some day. If I'm lucky that will change.