The first priority of the normal brain is to survive. Yet we don’t want merely to survive, we want a high quality life, we want to flourish. We want to optimize personal well-being. This is built into our very biology. The question then becomes: How best to do it?
The answer: Let science, the arts, and the other humanities be our guide. Science is a humanistic enterprise; as Polyani has shown it is guided by beauty. Scientists select projects to work on because they find them beautiful, and intriguingly interesting! They love the symmetries they find … the parity, and fractal shapes, the swirls of the nebulii,the elusiveness of the boson, etc. Science won’t explain everything. It never claimed it could. There will thus always remain some Mystery.
If we let science be our guide, the odds are that some marvelous technologies will follow. It has been demonstrated that engineering, and designing, are arts; they are applied science. Every art is either applied science or is employing some science in the creation of the art. [size=85][Maybe story-telling and the oral transmission of folklore is an exception …and there may be others.][/size]
What science would best guide our Ethical life?
Why, a science of Ethics, of course !!! {It doesn’t even have to be named that, as long as it fosters harmony and cooperation, lessens violence, and gross, egregious immorality.}
The universal aim of ethics is to give us a quality life, and a science of The Moral Sense, or a science of effective self-development would be the road to achieving the aim. Such an endeavor is neuro-axiology, otherwise known as Axiogenics. - See: amindforsucces.com – It has trained over ten thousand people - but is aiming for one billion - a critical mass. When enough are trained, a tipping point is reached. The liquid crystallizes; a lynchpin opens. The wold changes for the better as those coached in the new habits are now value-generating individuals. This is achievable. This is why you should pay attention. We ‘lost travelers’ let the science give us a sense of direction. We let it serve as a guide. Each individual then has freer choices, more autonomy, more individuality, more personal liberty. Each is self-regulating and does everything in an effective manner. Each one gets worthwhile things done. Each is caring and people-oriented.
He/she is liberated from corruption, slavery to temptation, greed, gluttony, and other deadly sins. He lives a full, rich life. He celebrates it. He is filled with gratitude and overflows with thanksgiving. His days are filled with beauty, love, and kindness.
As the people at Jean’s Gift Co. have noted:
"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time,
carrying our hopes for love, joy, and celebration.
The hummingbird’s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning, and that laughter is life’s greatest creation."
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