Lack of love or love struggle was part of our human society way before money existed, and became a medium of exchange. Money like any human management system is neutral. On one hand, it becomes good, constructive, and meaningful when it is used benevolently, and ethically. On the other hand, it becomes evil, destructive, and worthless when it is used selfishly, and corruptly.
Money in itself doesn't change a person, but a person changes due to decisions he makes, not necessarily why he makes those decisions. Those decisions are basically motivated by spring of love; or lack of love, not necessarily the need of survival or development. In essence the battle during decisions making, and implanting process is fundamentally between serving, balancing or compromising the interest, and well being of others, and oneself. This is the main source of human problems: love struggle.
In this juncture, we need to comprehend that money only affords one with the power to buy or trade. It furthermore positions one who is moneyed with the power to influence. In this case we should not be oblivious that it is not money but the nature, state, or character of a person which influences how they use their affordability or power thereof.
Here I strongly argue capitalism and socialism as economic systems are not problematic themselves. Firstly, they both deal with economic problem of scarcity by mobilizing and utilizing capital be it human, natural, and fiscal resources. The difference being capitalism affords individuals and groups with more economic power, opportunity, and space, and socialism affords community and governments with more economic power, opportunity, and space.
The bottom line is how is this economic power or any power for that matter being used on all levels of individual, group, community, and government. Surely this is not about individuality, age, gender, race, class, ethnicity, and nationality, but it is about whether those who have money, or are in position to spend money are guided by ‘love paradigm, and love consciousness’ or not. To then say “love for money is the source of evils” is outrageously fallacious. Rather, loveless seeking, and spending of money contributes to evils of the world.
We must love money because our spiritual and material lives are connected to money. Money is neutral; the question is what are your motives, purpose, and direction of its accumulation and spending.
On one hand Love Paradigm guide people to balance between spiritual and material values, to be principled, show compassion to oneself and others, and mature in emotional intelligence. On the other hand, love consciousness guide people to overcome selfishness with selflessness, through balancing the work for the well-being of others and oneself, by striving for unity, peace, and happiness centered on “love-centric attitude and principles”.
Love Paradigm and Love Consciousness should be the center of guiding people who have power, but also the constituency should follow suit. This is of great significance, since growth, and sustainability comes as a result of cooperation, as opposed to contradiction. In order to properly and genuinely cooperate, love paradigm and consciousness are of necessity. On a lower level, as individuals or families, the manner in which money is made and spend (will) reflect how much you love yourself and your family. On a higher level, corporations, and governments methods, and priorities of mobilization, and distribution of capital reflects not only their ethics, but the degree of Love Consciousness, especially towards their constituencies.
While current economic systems are structured problems, and while capital class divisions in our societies are also a structural problem, it must be emphasized that economic system is not the main human problem; however it is structured human problem. The main human problem is love struggle, which manifest as lack, confusion, and misdirection of love. It motivation is selfishness with contents of unfairness, corruption, and abuse.
Why would they be suffocation with credit? Why would they be bad spending and wastage? Why would they be lack of maintenance when one affords? Why would they be an extreme side of the rich and the extreme side of the poor? Why are they boycotts, and strikes? Why is there unproductive and counterproductive attitudes, and operations? Why is wealthy unequally distributed? All these questions can now be understood from the perspective of Love Struggle.
The problem of money, and economy to the larger extent, is simply because of lack, confusion, and misdirection of love: Love Struggle. On an individual level, whereby a person struggles to love themselves, or on a group level whereby employers and employees struggle to love each other, or their corporate issues.
The political economy and socioeconomic activities should take this diagnosis into consideration, if we are to pursue a correct path for economic freedom, personally and collectively.
To realize, economic emancipation on an individual level and economic freedom on national society, two things must unfold. Firstly, our socioeconomic values must change towards mutual prosperity, interdependence, and universal shared values. Secondly, there must be a unification of capitalistic and socialistic systems forming a new and high economic system centered on love consciousness and guided by love paradigm.
This love driven change, will redress unnecessary production, unjust distribution, and unreasonable consumption. When we live a love driven life, all people, and nations will work towards public and greater good by having an adequate production of needed commodities, tolerable and efficient distribution of goods and wealth, and sensible and appropriate consumption. The model of this love driven economics can be drawn from what biology and physiology teaches about human body systems. For example we can draw economic lessons about production form digestive system, distribution lessons drawn from circular system, we can look at cells and tissues for consumption, and about the reserves we can draw lessons from the liver.
In order to deal with love struggle in our socioeconomic contradiction, and bury the greediness that currently prevails, we ought to live a love driven life which will substantively transform our human relations and the direction of human development. In turn; this will serve as the basis for World Economic Revolution and the pursuit of economic freedom in our life time.
Reece Phatudi is the author of Essentials of Love, and the founder of Love Driven Life Project
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