While many times these were not freely chosen paths (fear can be a GREAT motivator, too), none-the-less, their behaviors assisted and contributed to the ‘successes’and ‘conquerings’.  It is important to note this may have included people simply not speaking up or identifying issues or data which would have revealed the problems or plans.  This lack of action allowed, assisted or enabled others to succeed, thereby becoming another form of collusion.  We NEED to teach individuals of society to take responsibility for their known segments, IF future people are to be prevented from unfair or unlawful gains at the expense of others.

I believe people still do not get it concerning ‘behavior’.  There is no quintessential ‘evil’ individual, but rather events which push, trap or seduce people into powerful positions where they use that energy against others.  This is in comparison  to ‘sharing’, as defined by psychologist Abraham Maslow in his “Hierachy of Needs”.  His final level of addressing one’s needs is “Self-Actualization”, or what I refer to as ‘Creativity’, used to enhance the lives of others, while resulting in an enhanced sense of accomplishment through the helping of others.  As groups get more frustrated, desperate or merely by chance, share their views of their situations, they will come to see their personal or social situations are often the result of a leader’s ‘energy’ being negatively used against them (while the aim was primarily for personal gain).  These people are often ‘innocent victims’ merely in the wrong place at the wrong time, without any personal attacks intended.  That is, these are illustrations of a greater ‘core issue’, in this case it is oppression of others for personal gain.  These are examples of ‘win-lose’ situations versus those of ‘win-win’ situations where people use cooperation.

For example, during a talk about ‘friendships’ I conducted at a local men’s group, a participant summarily dismissed a newspaper article about Ford Motor Company’s recent pledge of $10 Million towards fighting workplace racism and sexual harassment.  He said that they were not the same and, therefore, could not be dealt with by such a program.  He quickly dismissed the article, without exploring whether the program was, indeed, attempting to address the issues within one conceptual framework (IF so, I believe demonstrating keen insight concerning ‘oppression’), or whether there were multiple programs simply reported upon within one article.  The participant’s response strongly suggested he would probably not look into its merits, and would not participant or support others’ participation – losing an opportunity for cooperation leading to the potential betterment of all.  I suggest his passivity would inadvertently further assist others’ oppression, whether he realizes it or not.

As the world is becoming a ‘global village’, people will have the opportunity and eventually a requirement of working together in ever closer environments.  At the same time, through the power of enhanced communications, people are able to isolate and separate themselves (and issues they find others relate to as ‘like-minded’), in ways we could hardly image just a few years ago (local ‘gangs’ are a current negative example of this process). These new ‘focus groups’ will go on to develop their own group views, values, morals, and expectations of ‘acceptable behaviors’, creating new “virtual reality nations” of like-minded individuals.  These new virtual nations, groups or societies will exist even though they may live at great distances and have little else in common.  This will also increase individuals’ sense of isolation and loneliness.  Others will need to learn how to cooperatively work with these new ‘neighbors’.
   
I have come to conclude that someone needs to declare their views, in each ‘village’ or group of interrelating individuals, where there is the real or potential misuse or misappropriation of energies.  It does not matter whether these observations or concerns include money, funds, resources, time, energy or simply ‘goodies’.  What they view the interactions to be and the ‘facts’ which they believe support their conclusions NEEDS TO BE SPOKEN or SHARED IN SOME OBSERVABLE MANNER since “facts set people free – or hang them”.  In comparing their views to others’ views, I believe participants will come to develop a broader perspective of what may be going on, or come to transpire.  This includes activities or events by or for a few self-selected individuals, larger groups, organizations, corporations or nations.  Whether there is a ‘hidden agenda’, ‘self-serving promotions’ or simply ignorance, I believe someone needs to protect the future of the populations’ resources by breaking from our current ‘code of silence’, declaring loudly and proudly: “The emperor has no clothes!”.  This may eventually help others to see their feelings about the situation as a consequence of the actions of others (and raise concerns about those actions being ‘oppressive’), rather than feeling ‘personally attacked’, as I so often hear people declare as they recount traumatic encounters.  This will greatly assist individuals and groups to develop rational approaches to their interactions, reducing the ‘reactions’ and the resulting expenses of revenge, hate or hurt feelings.  People can heal the past and get on to a self-directed future.

One study recently concluded 12% of the people who experience ‘rude behavior’ in the workplace quit their jobs to avoid the perpetrator.  In this same study 52% reported losing work time worrying and 22% deliberately decreased their work effort.  The majority (78%) said ‘incivility’ has worsened in the past 10 years.  In a 1998 workplace study, 92% of the employees cited job dissatisfaction as the second most significant factor leading to time lost from work.  There is a tremendous need for workers of many kinds and many levels throughout our country – just look at the help wanted signs in almost every store window and how often stores do not have adequate assistance for customers!  The quality of these jobs (rewards of money) are an additional issue.  IF we know that some workers, employers and leaders are not getting the message that ‘abuse’ (including ‘neglect’) will no longer be tolerated, someone needs to inform them (and others who may be able to assist changes) that their behaviors are ‘not with the program’.  Just as employers are discovering that assisting employees with ‘wellness’ and personal health programs, we NEED to make our observations to assist in the creation of healthier workplaces, cities and societies (and the 1998 study found a cost-benefit ratio of around 1-to-3, the companies reported gaining $3 worth of health benefits for every dollar spent),  As people talk, they will hopefully take time to think about what is going on, as well as how they feel.  These three activities – talking, thinking and feeling, will do a great deal to expose abusers (and their accomplices), as well as suggest starting points for turning around the future activities of the individuals and groups involved.

Finally, the Associated Press recently estimated Washington, D.C. businesses, interest groups and labor unions are spending more than $100 MILLION A MONTH to lobby the federal government.  How far do you think this monthly spending could go to facilitate a healthier and more rational society IF someone could get the public to see how this was causing politicians to not vote according to what was necessarily in the best interest of their constituents?  Who is assisting (or enabling) whom in the shifting of these GREAT resources to the benefit of which relatively few?