COOPERATION VS. COMPETITION

 

We choose what kind of world we want to live in. 

My observation is, there are two camps, or two ways of being in this world. We decide, at some point in life, how we are going to live in the world. 

We either choose to adhere to an Us versus Them mentality or a You and I vision. We either believe we are separate from others, so whatever is happening out there does not really affect us, or we focus on the whole because we know that we are all connected, and therefore what affects one, affects all. 

US VERSUS THEM

In an Us vs. Them way of thinking, we believe someone or something is causing our life to be as it is. Somebody is taking my chips. Someone out there is responsible for my not having what I want, or for me being in the situation I am in. In this stance, we are victims and therefore powerless because someone else is causing all of our headaches. 

If not for them, we would have more money, a better job, a bigger house, or more stuff. THEY are unfair-it is their fault our lives are as they are. In this state of being we live from fear. We fear anything unlike ourselves. We fear other's beliefs. We fear other ethnicities, religious beliefs or no beliefs, sexual orientation and different color skin, We compete, fight, go to war, kill, put down, persecute, shame and vilify anything or anyone who we perceive as being in the way or threatening our way of being or our way of seeing the world.

Instead of celebrating differences, we tend to shut them down, shut them up and get rid of them, if possible. This type of thinking views struggle and competition as natural and the way to get what we want. When we live in this me vs. them place, we tend to create chaos. We often turn to violence as a means to an end. This is a small box to be in. It is extremely limited because it excludes anything unlike it. 

YOU AND I

The other side of the coin is You and I thinking. When we occupy this space, or perhaps this space occupies us, we take responsibility for who and where we are. We know, and we understand, that we are all connected, i.e., our lives are enriched by the whole. In a world where we know we are all brothers and sisters, we include all. 

In this place, if I do not have what I want, it is not because someone is taking it away from me. I do not look to the "other" to see who I can blame for what does not work in my life. I look within. 

In a you and I world, we share instead of compete. We cooperate with others instead of making them wrong and resorting to name calling and labeling. In a you and I world we strive for community and we allow others to have their own thoughts, feelings and beliefs. We may not always agree with others, but instead of resorting to fighting and hate, we listen and look for a way to cooperate and care. 

A PYRAMID OF THINKING 

I read a lot of books on quantum theory, and one of my favorite authors on the topic is Gregg Braden. I like to read Gregg's books because he has a way of explaining what I normally would have a hard time processing. When I read Gregg's words I somehow can understand higher truths.  

While reading Resilience from the Heart, by Gregg, I was struck by his ideas about our thought processes and how we view the world.  In this part of the book, Gregg posits a hierarchy of thinking. *

The following is his pyramid of thinking, in which he starts with our thoughts on the origin of life and ends with the tipping point of crisis. 

We vs. Them                                                                    You and I

                               1.  The Origin of Life 

1. Random occurrence,  chance                                     1. Directed process of design

                                         2. The Origin of Human Life

2. Chance occurrence of random process                      2.Rare combination of designed systems                       

                                         3. Our Relationship to Our Body

3. Separate & powerless                                                 3. Connected& linked

                                         4. Our Relationship to the World

4. Separate & independent                                              4. Connected & interdependent

                                          5. The History of Civilization

5. Linear, one-way trend                                                  5. Cyclic & conditions & crises repeat                        

                                          6. The Tipping Point of Crisis

6. Solved through competition,                                        6. Solved through cooperation, 
force & conflict                                                                     understanding & mutual aid

Personally, I embrace the concept of cooperation, sharing and community. I find an innate power in taking responsibility for my life as opposed to playing a victim and blaming everyone else. Victims present themselves as powerless. Victims need someone else to come along and save them as opposed to one who takes responsibility for shifting their life. 

Which world would you rather live in? An Us versus Them one where you have to fear others because life is about competition, or a You and I one where you live in harmony with others.

I know what I choose. 

 *Braden, Gregg, The Good News, Resilience from the Heart, Hay House, 2014, pg. 181