I was just thinking about the concept of ambition - why some people have it, others don't, what does it even mean, how to get it, and why we would even want it. We have STO and STS, and both are pretty ambitious in their own ways. We know what motivates STS - acquisition of power, wealth, and sensate. Basically they like to get people to do things, they like shiny things, and they like stimulating their physical nerve endings that their brain interprets as pleasure. Pretty boring. Most of the prominent figures on this planet are examples of STS ambition, and it's no wonder that many people have no ambition at all because they see THAT as the pinnacle of human achievement, and not sharing the same STS drive, they kinda abandon ship and don't do much with their lives, thinking it's either that or nothing. So they choose nothing, and kinda just go through the motions. But they haven't really explored the opposite - STO. There are very few examples of STO (if any), explanations of how and why it is "desirable" (for lack of a better term), and it's not exactly advertised or taught in any comprehensive way. And often when it is discussed, it's somehow still STS in disguise - to make yourself feel good about doing something for others. Or just to be nice to others. No one explains why, how, to what end, etc.
On the futility of STS - imagine being a rich caveman. Or even rich in medieval times. What the hell could they possibly even buy that's worth all this trouble? A big rock? How fancy! 1000 years from now people will, if humanity kept advancing, look the same way at Bill Gates. You got all this money - but all you can do with it is get something incredibly primitive and pointless. An iPhone 11, maybe a bunch of them, and a big screen TV! A house and an island you can't even utilize. Wow! And so on. We might as well mentally skip this right away, and say being rich, just to get whatever shiny things your primitive society produces, is always rather pointless. So of course most people will just say "I don't want an island, a giant rock, a billion iPhones, or a huge empty mansion, or a Bugatti". And society doesn't really have a lot of alternatives - we are labeled as consumers, and consumerism is supposed to be "good enough" motivator to go to work each morning.
Let's look at STO. You serve self through others. You give all to those who ask. Why would this motivate someone? How can this be explained or taught in a way that can inspire? It's always mischaracterized - either as altruism and self sacrifice or as I said above, as STS in disguise. Basically, I think that's one of the reasons the world is the way it is - people are bored with STS but don't have a good role model (or just a conceptual model) of STO as a practical and effective way they can thrive. So they either have to follow in the footsteps of ambitious STS and hope that leads to happiness (it won't), or probe blindly by simply following their hearts, and single-handedly fight off inner and outer programs/obstacles to try to achieving some semblance of STO candidacy, if they don't get swept up and derailed along the way.
So my thought was - there ought to be an instruction manual for STO. At the end of the day, there is no reason to do anything unless you are properly motivated, and the motivation comes from the heart, but without guidance, that's how well-meaning people hurt themselves and others, get taken advantage of by manipulators, etc. I remember in one of the sessions the C's were asked about depression, and the answer was something like "do something for someone else". I think that's a good answer for a lot of struggles or suffering we experience - figure it out, even if only so you can help someone else avoid the same suffering.
I think there's a lot of answers in "Creating a new world" thread, Cass wiki, the Romantic Reading thread, and just this forum in general. I'm imagining some kind of small booklet that is basically a self-help booklet (self help through others lol), but focused on STO philosophy. It focuses just as much on the "why" as the "how", the potential pitfalls, the benefits for everyone involved, etc.
As the world gets more and more chaotic and genuinely scary, the old systems are tightening their noose and starting to fail as people turn away from the lords of chaos. But people don't have an alternative model except to say "this one sucks". There's a real danger of "out of the frying pan, into the fire" situation. That's kinda always the case with revolutions - the new boss is always the same or worse than the old boss. Even if the booklet serves to jump-start something that evolves over time, it would be food for the heart, and for thought.
Anyway, just an idea. I'll compile my thoughts and put together a rough draft in this thread the best I can (may take me a few days to do) - let me know if this is a fruitless exercise, or if the idea is dumb, or whatever. All thoughts, help, criticism, etc obviously welcome.
I think this forum has an intimidating amount of information for newcomers and old timers alike - the threads are long, the books are many, and stuff is always being added. I think for some topics it is unavoidable, but other stuff can be summarized without losing its essence or being dangerous to do (like health topics). Perhaps there's value in doing it, especially given the attention span of the average person these days.
On the futility of STS - imagine being a rich caveman. Or even rich in medieval times. What the hell could they possibly even buy that's worth all this trouble? A big rock? How fancy! 1000 years from now people will, if humanity kept advancing, look the same way at Bill Gates. You got all this money - but all you can do with it is get something incredibly primitive and pointless. An iPhone 11, maybe a bunch of them, and a big screen TV! A house and an island you can't even utilize. Wow! And so on. We might as well mentally skip this right away, and say being rich, just to get whatever shiny things your primitive society produces, is always rather pointless. So of course most people will just say "I don't want an island, a giant rock, a billion iPhones, or a huge empty mansion, or a Bugatti". And society doesn't really have a lot of alternatives - we are labeled as consumers, and consumerism is supposed to be "good enough" motivator to go to work each morning.
Let's look at STO. You serve self through others. You give all to those who ask. Why would this motivate someone? How can this be explained or taught in a way that can inspire? It's always mischaracterized - either as altruism and self sacrifice or as I said above, as STS in disguise. Basically, I think that's one of the reasons the world is the way it is - people are bored with STS but don't have a good role model (or just a conceptual model) of STO as a practical and effective way they can thrive. So they either have to follow in the footsteps of ambitious STS and hope that leads to happiness (it won't), or probe blindly by simply following their hearts, and single-handedly fight off inner and outer programs/obstacles to try to achieving some semblance of STO candidacy, if they don't get swept up and derailed along the way.
So my thought was - there ought to be an instruction manual for STO. At the end of the day, there is no reason to do anything unless you are properly motivated, and the motivation comes from the heart, but without guidance, that's how well-meaning people hurt themselves and others, get taken advantage of by manipulators, etc. I remember in one of the sessions the C's were asked about depression, and the answer was something like "do something for someone else". I think that's a good answer for a lot of struggles or suffering we experience - figure it out, even if only so you can help someone else avoid the same suffering.
I think there's a lot of answers in "Creating a new world" thread, Cass wiki, the Romantic Reading thread, and just this forum in general. I'm imagining some kind of small booklet that is basically a self-help booklet (self help through others lol), but focused on STO philosophy. It focuses just as much on the "why" as the "how", the potential pitfalls, the benefits for everyone involved, etc.
As the world gets more and more chaotic and genuinely scary, the old systems are tightening their noose and starting to fail as people turn away from the lords of chaos. But people don't have an alternative model except to say "this one sucks". There's a real danger of "out of the frying pan, into the fire" situation. That's kinda always the case with revolutions - the new boss is always the same or worse than the old boss. Even if the booklet serves to jump-start something that evolves over time, it would be food for the heart, and for thought.
Anyway, just an idea. I'll compile my thoughts and put together a rough draft in this thread the best I can (may take me a few days to do) - let me know if this is a fruitless exercise, or if the idea is dumb, or whatever. All thoughts, help, criticism, etc obviously welcome.
I think this forum has an intimidating amount of information for newcomers and old timers alike - the threads are long, the books are many, and stuff is always being added. I think for some topics it is unavoidable, but other stuff can be summarized without losing its essence or being dangerous to do (like health topics). Perhaps there's value in doing it, especially given the attention span of the average person these days.