In my last but one post ‘Vegetable, Animal and Human People’
I wondered aloud how one could tell which of these one is.
Since then, I think I may have found a way for finding out if I'm potentially fully human!
The psychologist Oliver Burkeman mentioned some important
research in his newspaper column last week. As part of this research, people
were asked to choose between the two following options.
Either:
a)
A smaller rise in income, leaving them wealthier
than those around them;
Or
b)
A larger rise in income, with others receiving
even more.
If answer b) to you seems obvious, and furthermore would
give you considerable pleasure, even if nobody else ever finds out you’re
responsible for their extra wealth, I want to be your friend!
I have previously blogged about the Higher Self in 'The Human Being'. Discussing the Higher Self’s indifference to the ego’s
seeming preference, not only to have lots of things, and/or power, but for others
to see it has lots of things or power, a friend remarked that within his
particular community, masculinity was judged by the car you were driving;
i.e. the more expensive it is, the better provider for your family you must be,
and therefore the more of a man you are. There are some illogicalities in this –
a man’s money might have all gone on the car, rather than on his family for
example. However, a flash car seems to be one of the main things by which a man
is judged. A ‘merely’ adequate car with efficient fuel use would not cut the
mustard.
So, could I suggest that one way of identifying oneself as a
vegetable person is by wanting to keep up with the average level of possessions in one’s community, even if that's
more than one needs. One way of identifying ourselves as animal people might be
that we only feel worthwhile or happy if we have
something more in the way of possessions or power or fame than our peers. This not
the only way of identifying ourselves as 'animal' though.
In the research to which Burkeman refers it was found that ‘many
people’ (he does not say how many) would choose option a) above, rather than b).
Frustratingly, he does not say whether the respondents thought their choice
would be broadcast. I think I know a few animal people who would choose option b) ‘because
it’s the right thing to do’ but would not be particularly happy in that choice.
Burkeman suggests that, to make our lives easier, we ‘comparison-proof’
our lives, for example, be seem to be consciously ‘opting out’. In a way I
guess this is what aiming to identify with your Higher Self rather than your
ego is all about. And when by meditation, contemplation, prayer and/or practising living a
good life, you get to the point where you would joyfully choose option b) over a) you
and everybody around you is in a win-win situation.
OK. So I’ve a little way to go then….
