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Stefan Claudiu
The Zeitgeist Movement - Orientation Guide
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this by its constant depictions of "the possibilities", often
making
people question their own self worth because they do not "have the best things in life", etc.
Jealousy appears to begin cultivation at a very early age, perhaps when the school teacher would praise the student who would make high marks, and scold the student who didn't,
making
that student feel envious of the
person
who made the high grade. Regardless of its origin, a classic tactic of advertising is to exploit this neurosis by using the media to depict a
person
with something that you do not have,
making
you feel as though you need to have it in order to be "equal". This is very similar to greed, with the exception being that people grow to despise others for what they have, creating social tension and often conflict. Ego is often defined as `a feeling of
superiority
to others'. This distortion takes essentially two forms: 1) General
superiority
based on wealth class / or position in the social hierarchy 2) Arrogance regarding one's creative contribution, demanding prestige, acknowledgement or other "rewards".
The latter, for many, almost seems "natural", for people today love to "take credit" for their ideas and inventions. This has a strong reinforcement in the monetary system, for when it comes to
making
a "profit", one is literally being "rewarded" and "acknowledged" for their
person
al inventions and actions. This further compounds the propensity for a
person
to demand credit for what they do, even if it has nothing to do with money. It should be pointed out that no human really "invents" or creates anything on his or her own. Every idea and creation that has emerged has been done so based on the contributions of prior generations' work, environmental influences and/or peer feedback. As Isaac Newton once said: "If I have seen further, it is only by standing on the shoulders of Giants"11. His point was that he built his research, and hence discoveries, upon the work of many other great scientists who lived before him. His credit therefore is not only his, it goes to the whole body of scientific discovery that he had learned and worked with.
This form of Ego has no position when a
person
understands that ALL inventions and creations are actually collaborations developed serially, one way or another.
Now, as for the former distinction of Ego noted above ("General
superiority
based...") this is a class oriented disposition which, on one level, is a psychological means to make one feel better for having more than another human. A wealthy
person
walking down the street finds it much easier to dismiss a homeless
person
, by saying "he is just a lazy bum", as opposed to recognizing him as a victim of
11
Newton, Isaac, Letter to Robert Hooke February 5th 1675 17
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