Human Energy's Value Proposition

Human Energy’s Value Proposition Marta Lenartowicz, Weaver D.R. Weinbaum, and Ellen M. Rigsby 6.11.2023 1. Human Energy is inspiring a serious, scientific investigation into the most important question of human existence: What is the purpose of human life? In times of unprecedented technological and social transformations affecting the planet, the human longing for a sense of meaning and purpose is perhaps more challenging to fulfill than ever before. Thrust into the maelstrom of a VUCA world, we face change that is rapid and often disrupts the status quo (Volatility), outcomes that are unpredictable (Uncertainty), forces interacting in ways too complex for complete explanation (Complexity), and the fading reliability of former cognitive tools that once offered clear, dependable answers (Ambiguity). Having gained enough knowledge to come to increasingly doubt the received, often simple stories that used to orientate us before, humanity requires a new, more sophisticated, scientifically coherent, long-term, large-picture outlook to live by. Because our cultures contain different organizing principles and values, the stories that work for our groups do not necessarily translate or cross over to other groups. The challenge the Human Energy project has extended to the academic community is this: can you bring your findings and insights together in a manner that would offer an understanding complex and nuanced enough, to be true and inspiring for all? -1- Thomas Khun in 'The Structure of the Scientific Revolutions' famously notes that: 'The transition between competing paradigms cannot be made a step at a time, forced by logic and neutral experience. Like the gestalt switch, it must occur all at once (though not necessarily in an instant) or not at all.’ Humanity is in dire need of a new knowledge paradigm that inspires, orientates, and teaches how we should mobilize and invest our human energy. An astonishing story is being woven in response to this need. A story that is neither just a collection of dry scientific facts nor just an inspiring fairytale. Facts about the universe and our place in it, when investigated in depth, come together into a coherent approach to understanding humanity's place in the world. Human Energy challenges the scientific community to learn to tell that story well. The uplifting, futuristic, and scientifically valid idea of the noosphere envisioned by Teilhard de Chardin is the central organizing concept for this endeavor. Elaborating contemporary insights Teilhard's into the original logic theoretical of sketches evolutionary with processes, self-organization across multiple scales, and a deep appreciation of the singularly complex role of the human as a conscious being in a universal perspective, the Human Energy project is gaining confidence that scientific-explanatory narratives can be leveraged to orient humanity in the long-term. 2. Human Energy is curating an integrative, realistic worldview In our times, we are flooded with ideas, competing worldviews, beliefs, facts, and narratives. Various ways of thinking compete for our attention, almost like viruses seeking hosts. Therefore, it's crucial to become aware, first and -2- foremost, that there are many different ways of viewing the world and different ways of thinking about it. How we ‘connect the dots'—and consequently interact with the objects and events that emerge in front of our eyes—is not a fixed given; rather it is a choice. And such a choice must be well-informed, for it changes the world as you see it and consequently, it changes the world. How can one recognize a worthy worldview? Well, once you know that you have a choice—and you do!—you may want to opt for a way of thinking that makes you feel inspired, creative, intelligent, alive… Why would you ever opt for anything less? If the lens—the glasses—through which you view the world makes you feel powerless and doomed, such an outlook will eventually shape how you interact with the world. The results of such an approach can't bring humanity forward. We are too precious to waste life’s energy in such a way. You might object at this point, thinking that perhaps it would be wiser to be pessimistic rather than excessively optimistic—or better said, that being realistic is the safe way to go. We concur. We wholeheartedly concur. What we are advocating for is a move towards realism—to adopt a comprehensive, nuanced perspective of the world and our role within it. Why? Because, throughout human history, individuals who could cultivate such a perspective, without oversimplifying what they can see and without fitting it into crippling pre-existing dogmas and narratives, were among the most inspiring, dynamic, and creative individuals on Earth. Many of today's leading scientists are profoundly inspired and filled with awe. Why? Simply listen to the physicists as they endeavor to unveil the astonishing properties of matter. Tune in to neuroscientists as they delve into the intricacies of brain function. Or follow biologists as they decipher the languages of animals and plants. -3- Those at the frontiers of scientific discovery, almost without exception, are awestruck by the wonders that surround us. They feel deeply connected to the world, not in opposition to it. The key, it seems, lies in choosing to belong. Abraham Maslow, one of the pioneers of humanistic psychology, had a keen interest in what he referred to as the ‘farther reaches of human nature.’ He devoted his studies to the worldviews of individuals who had transcended neurosis and the sense of alienation, individuals who learned to perceive the world differently—as an interconnected whole. He wrote, ‘There is a fusion with the reality being observed (with the matter-in-hand ...), a oneness where there was once duality, an integration of the self with the non-self. Universally reported is the revelation of formerly concealed truths, a peeling away of veils, and, almost invariably, an experience of bliss, ecstasy, rapture, and exaltation.’ Such is the experience of discovery and understanding! 3. Human Energy is educating widely Human Energy aspires to ensure that its worldview reaches far and wide, serving as a source of inspiration for people across the world. Like in all other endeavors of this nature, only a small fraction of individuals can be relied upon as proactive early adopters. These individuals actively seek what they need, so if a narrative that addresses their need for meaning is published, they will discover it and put it to use. However, the ambition of our project goes beyond this. Human Energy seeks to bridge the quantitative gap between this small fraction of proactive thinkers and the broader public. The challenge lies in how the understanding of our conscious interconnectedness both with one another and of all of us with the universe at large can reach those who are not actively seeking to -4- broaden their horizons of understanding. This challenge conceals yet another, deeper one—the challenge of the narrative genuinely impacting people's lives. The real challenge here is that of bridging a qualitative divide. One side of this divide is merely being informed about the term 'noosphere,' while the other side involves actively reshaping one's thought processes to the effect of recognizing one's intimate connection with 'the brain of brains' as a genuine source of meaning and purpose. To actively perceive the entire reality as a grand exploratory process, to see oneself as a conscious agent within that process, and to relate to all other conscious beings in the world as similarly engaged, requires a cognitive disposition distinct from simply identifying with a narrative that presents these ideas. The crucial distinction is between knowing a story and living it. Bridging this qualitative divide is a complex cognitive, psychological, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual process that typically doesn't occur spontaneously. The 'early adopters' in this context might be those who are ready and capable of undergoing such reorientations independently. For others, an active and attractive invitation through social environments—via upbringing, socialization, and education—is necessary for a significant bridging to occur. While human intelligence is incredibly adaptable and flexible, shifts in our mental frameworks often only happen when new patterns and habits are systematically presented by those whom we trust. Historically, comprehensive cognitive reorientations that enable individuals to bridge such a qualitative divide were primarily addressed in mystical, religious, and spiritual terms. Such changes were often referred to as 'enlightenment' or 'sainthood.' However, this traditional compartmentalization of the human cognitive disposition into realms that are considered supernatural or involve magical thinking is counterproductive. It creates a -5- divide between aspects of our existence that can be addressed rationally and scientifically and those that derive meaning through the work of imagination. When approached within the conceptual frameworks of philosophy of mind, psychology, sociology, and cognitive science, the educational vision aiming to systematically bridge this qualitative divide need not remain obscure. It's time for humanity to strive for a level of dependability in this domain analogous to the dependability we've achieved in other realms of 'practical magic,' such as enabling heavier-than-air aircraft to fly or listening to each other’s thoughts while physically far away, et cetera. It's time for our educational institutions to rationally operationalize and methodically make accessible the farthest reaches of human nature, as Abraham Maslow suggests: 'We need to teach our children unitive perception, the Zen experience of being able to see the temporal and the eternal simultaneously, the sacred and the profane in the same object.' 4. Human Energy is training educators From where we stand today, the future of humanity contains more unknowns than ever. How to equip young people to live creatively, with energy and joy, in such an unpredictable, open-ended, shape-shifting reality? Where is their sense of safety and belonging supposed to be coming from - then? Here, in this very question lies the core problem we—today’s responsible adults—must face. It is the problem in our thinking: that we are used to equating safety with stability. In our minds, things that change and shift are in opposition to what can be safely relied upon. -6- In the hidden assumptions found in today’s school curricula, we are still stuck in the dichotomy between understanding what is and what we can potentially do. We continue to approach knowledge, the academic knowledge that is, as a collection of fixed states of affairs, a collection of fact-objects. We organize knowledge in a series of boxes: one contains numbers and arithmetic, one poems and letters, one animals and plants, one the laws of physics, one chemical reactions, and so on. These containers are way too fixed, and almost everyone knows that already… And yet, in the next school year, the same is repeated. Are we ever going to show them—our young ones—how these boxes appeared in the first place? What are they made of? Who is sorting these facts and objects—and how? Where are the ideas coming from? Are we going to explain how the different boxes interact? Do we even understand that ourselves? Understanding of interdependencies, the generative, diverse interactions, and the creative processes of knowledge-making cannot be set aside and postponed until after one's Ph.D. if one ever gets to write one. These processes and interactions are what is - and what creates. And the human creative agency—the impactful choices we are making—are involved all along! If we want our children to grow confidently creative, to truly understand the world, and to derive a sense of orientation from being a vital, active part of that world, we have to help them see the magnificent wonders of reality as an endless work in progress: the adventure of existence in which they belong! The Human Energy project is inviting scientists, educators, engineers, philosophers, and artists to redraw the deep assumptions and the conventional images that shape educational practices around the world. They are invited to provide schools with stories and tools that will empower -7- students to thrive in our complex, open-ended, inventive, evolving universe. The factual knowledge about the world and the sense of meaning and orientation in life cannot make sense if they are kept apart. -8-