Levels of Development: The World

As Caroline Myss would say, whatever is happening in the micro is also happening in the macro (and vice-versa). So we can look at the Levels of Development not just in terms of individuals but also in terms of countries and the world. People make up societies and societies make up countries so it follows that if people are not doing well then society does not do well and neither does the country. And it works the other way too. If a country is suffering - economically and politically - then its society suffers and so do the people of that country - all of which impacts the world.

Right now we can see that many countries are in trouble for one reason or another: be it war or famine or extreme weather events, firearms or political corruption, prejudice - racial or sexual, a lack of affordable housing or sharp rises in the cost of living, we have just come through a pandemic... the list goes on. One thing they all have in common is that people are at the centre of it all. Of course, famine, drought and extreme weather events have always existed but human beings have both the capacity to make situations much worse or, in many cases, to actually solve a problem. That is our gift and it is also our responsibility.

So where are we now? Well, it may be more instructive to look at what healthy countries don't do.

A healthy country does not invade another one, nor does it exploit poorer countries, just as the wealthiest people in a healthy society do not exploit the poorest or weakest in that society. Healthy societies understand that we are all interconnected, that we gain most by working together, not against each other, and we certainly don't kill each other. A healthy society understands that every action, however small, has consequences. Most obviously, but it is worth saying, healthy societies do not destroy their own habitat, their own home. No animal destroys its environment. It doesn't destroy what gives it life.

And yet... we have a situation where a superpower has invaded its neighbour, where wealthy and powerful countries have exploited poorer countries just as wealthy and powerful people and organisations have taken advantage of those without wealth or power. We have created societies in which the richest have been allowed to become more rich and the poorest to starve, where, far from working together, societies are dividing up and becoming partisan and in some cases killing their fellow citizens because they don't have the same beliefs as they do. Most importantly we are destroying our own home, our one and only home that gives and sustains life.

It should be obvious therefore, that the world is operating in the unhealthy levels. The good news is that although we may personally not be in a position of much influence or have much control over our circumstances or external events, we do all have power to change ourselves. And by changing ourselves we start to change our societies and our governments and so the world. We influence through our choices and we do ultimately have choice over ourselves. To pay attention and learn - from others, from ourselves and from what nature is telling us - or not. It's our choice.