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An analogy is a comparison based upon resemblance in some particulars between things otherwise
unlike each other. From this perspective, I see the ability of the vast majority of our population to be disciplined and move about respecting each other when I compare the circumstance of driving a car
to the journey through life. When the first person to come alive on our planet took their first steps, that person began the journey of human life as we know it. Since those moments, there have been many people come to live and die, and everything that happened in between was part of their life’s journey.
Living life is much like any other journey. With this in mind, looking at the journey of our lives within
the context of its analogous relationship to a journey in a car, a very clear picture emerges. In this analogy, the car is likened to the human in that the car is the human body. The carburetor is like the heart, as the gas is like the blood. The driver inside the car is like the brain inside the body. The wheels are like the limbs, etc.
With the journey in a car as well as the journey of life, thoughts alone will not move the car. Thusly, thoughts alone have no effect on reality. It is what thoughts lead one to do that moves the car/affects reality. When persons are in their cars, they become the brain of that physical body which houses them. They can choose to be calm and humored, or irate and going nuts. None of these thoughts alone has any affect on the other cars. It is what the car itself does that affects the cars/reality around it. It is the actions of the person that truly matter. The cars/persons can think what they like. As long as they do not swerve, collide, or come into conflict with one another, the turmoil remains within the car/mind itself and there is no negative impact on the reality around it. Our personal problems are just that, and we should take our cars/ persons to the appropriate “mechanics” to have those problems corrected. The cars/persons we interact with along the paths of our journey are not responsible for our troubles, so we should not be imposing our frustrations on them.
In life, we are supposed to move in one direction and in harmony with one another. This “one” direction
is the positive direction. We could also say that this direction is forward. There are times when we cannot avoid going backwards, but whatever happens, we must regain our right direction. This direction is forward, or positive. As we move forward, we must recognize that we are not the only individuals on the road/planet, and others have as much right to exist and move freely as we do. Rules were established to allow us all to move about in harmony and without conflict. It is not a choice, but an obligation to obey these rules.
This is because driving and living within a civilized society are privileges. Obeying the rules allow us all
to coexist in an orderly fashion using compromise, tolerance, and balance as we move forward toward our destinations. There are rules, both inferred and define, that govern the conduct of vehicles as they travel along the structured system of roads that is the path of their journey. Likewise, there are rules, both
inferred and define, that govern the conduct of humans as they travel along the structured/civilized
system of existence that is the path of their journey. Making a comparison of the similarities between
the rules of conduct associated with these like journeys will perhaps simplify an understanding of the
need and benefit of staying within the parameters of the system of interaction.
When we set out to travel to a destination, it is the same as working to achieve a goal. Each of us begins
at point A, and our goal is to arrive at point B. Relative to vehicular travel, each of us understands that we are supposed to make this trip lawfully and without creating conflict along the way. None of us readily
travels in the wrong direction down a one-way street (which is unlawful), or drives through buildings,
or over median strips. The reason we resist the temptation to do these things is not only because they are unlawful, we also recognize the possible harm that can be caused to our own cars and others with our
actions. The same applies to the journey of life. We must choose a lawful, positive path for the course
of our lives. We must resist the temptation to do wrong not only because of any fear of judicial
repercussion, but also to avoid doing harm to our own bodies and others with our actions.
Every individual car/person has a destination that the other cars/persons cannot discern as they pass each other within the flow of the system of interaction. The right-of-way is the customary or legal right of a person, vessel, or vehicle to pass in front of another. To yield is to give in to another. It is to concede. To yield is to exercise compromise and tolerance. Relative to human interaction, yielding is conduct that is a core element of civility. It is the foundation of common courtesy. We must be yielding and courteous because we have no way of knowing whose “destination” is more significant at any specific moment in time. The significance of
a car’s/person’s journey is obvious if that individual entity is wearing a uniform (fire engine/man or woman, police car/man or woman, ambulance/doctor, etc.). However, things are not always so obvious. In addition,
a courteous, civil pattern of behavior makes all movement occur with less resistance, thereby saving the expenditure of energy that would otherwise be used to overcome relative hindrances.
By looking at the journey through our lives from the perspective of its analogous relationship to the flow
of vehicular traffic, there are countless ways in which we can come to a more objective understanding of the “flow” of life. One reason that life’s circumstances can be synonymous with traffic circumstances is because both entail traveling along a path of a journey towards a destination with an objective in mind. If individuals do not have a destination or an objective in mind, they wander aimlessly about. Indulge me the examination of a few other similarities. Anyone who has a valid driver’s license is given the privilege of freely operating
a vehicle in a legal manner. This privilege is theirs as long as they continue to operate legally or within the code of conduct required by the traffic system. This allows them to arrive at the destination of their choosing without having infringed upon the privileges of others to do the same. In American life, citizenship gives the individual the privilege of freely operating as he or she sees fit. This privilege is theirs as long as they continue to operate legally or within the code of conduct required by the social system. This allows them to arrive
at the goal(s) of their choosing without having infringed upon the privileges of others to do the same.
In a traffic situation, individuals are traveling down a road, steering themselves in whatever direction they choose, to whatever destination they choose, while only being in control of the physical structure that carries their person. In the situation we call life, individuals are traveling down the road that is the journey of that life, steering themselves in whatever direction they choose, to whatever destination they choose, while only being in control of the physical structure that carries their conscious mind. In neither circumstance can an individual presume to control any other car/person. The object is for each individual car/person to reach their respective destinations at their own pace, safely and satisfactorily. As with the system of traffic interaction and with the system of human interaction, the pathways these entities are to travel was designed to produce a consistent, balanced, harmonious flow of movement through compromise and tolerance.
The flow of traffic generally goes in one direction, forward (positive). This is also true of life. Along
these respective journeys, there are sometimes mishaps. In cars, we refer to them as troubles and accidents. In life, we refer to them as trials and tribulations. Some are circumstances that affect only the one car/person involved, i.e. running out of gas, flat tires, mechanical problems, etc. Some are circumstances that affect more than one car/person, i.e. cutting someone off, running lights and stop signs, vehicle wrecks, etc. During these travels, when two cars/ persons come into physical contact with each other, we call this a “collision/conflict.” Sometimes the collision/conflict is slight and sometimes it is extensive. Sometimes the driver/brain is harmed in some way, and sometimes not. Whatever the nature of the mishap (trial or tribulation), every car/person can expect to have them during the course of their existence simply because of the magnitude of motion and interaction that exists within a mass of moving entities. Some are lucky to avoid these “mishaps”, but each
of us must be conscious of their possible occurrence.
Within the context of traffic, each of us must respect the area that the individual cars comprise, because regardless of what an individual may feel about the other car, they know that it physically exists. Each of us knows the damage that will ultimately occur if an encounter becomes physical. Individuals also know that to hit another makes them liable or legally responsible for the damage they cause. They also know that they will cause harm and damage to themselves. So regardless of the intensity of an encounter, rarely does one car ram or purposely hit another. It is the same in life’s interactions. Each of us must respect other persons in much the same way. It does not matter how we feel about one another, each of us must still respect the fact that the other exists. Moreover, we must consciously refrain from physical violence because in a civilized society we do not cause harm to ourselves or others.
When a person enters the collective movements of traffic, which can be liken to the mainstream of the human movement as a collective, he or she accelerates and/or passes, doing what is appropriate to get into
the flow of interactive movements. Once that person has found a place among the many, that person can move along at his or her own pace. As long as that person obeys the rules and does not get in anyone's way, that person can go as he or she pleases within comfortable limits. That is also how it works with life interactions. In traffic, if a person is near someone with an irritating pattern of driving or acting, indulging
in confrontational behavior individuals exceed the parameters of compromise and tolerance. All persons
need do is to tolerate that circumstance (usually lasting only a few seconds or minutes of an individuals
70 year lifespan) until they can pick a safe time to put distance between them and that other person,
putting as much distance between the them as is possible. That is the way it should be within the
context of human interaction.
When individuals pull up to stop signs and stop, this is a manifestation of the discipline required to live within the rules, i.e. the limits of social order. Persons are supposed to come to a complete stop at stop signs.
If there is no one around to witness or enforce compliance, persons stop out of an understanding of the possible harsh ramifications that will result from behavior that blatantly disregards established standards.
If persons obey all the rules of the road, obeying the speed limit and going with the flow of the traffic,
there will be places along their journey where they will have an opportunity to exceed the prescribed parameters. Persons can cruise at a speed higher than the limit and perhaps they will not be caught.
This is not right, but if individuals stay within the traffic pattern, i.e. the flow of their life, each can
sometimes get away with minor excesses. In traffic, if individuals do the right thing all the time, each
will get where they are going safely. This is accomplished by obeying all the laws and following the rules, yielding in the interest of harmony, and showing discipline through compromise and tolerance. In traffic,
the pedestrian always has the right-of-way. As in life, the one with the least advantage in an encounter
is to be given extra protection and consideration.
What follows are a few more examples that also serve to clarify how readily we can come to understand the movements of our individual lives within the context of a vehicular journey. One traffic rule is "keep
right except to pass." The principle behind that being, people go through their respective journeys at different speeds. If most everyone stays within the same vein of progression, those people who consciously choose to go at a faster pace than others have a safe avenue through which to travel. However, there are
those who think they are moving at the same speed as everyone else so it does not matter what vein they are in, and they sometimes drive in the left lane. That is their choice, but they must deal with the repercussions
of their actions. As keeping right except to pass is a law, those people are in violation, and if they are caught, they must pay the price. There are people who are in that lane because they are passing or for whatever valid reason. Some people are there intent on impeding the progress of others for a variety of unfounded reasons. They impose their will on others by not letting them pass. The thing to be remembered by the one who wishes to pass is that they should not exhibit malicious intent resulting from these actions because that only increases the level of negative flowing energy. Yes, that person impeding the ease of the flow of it all is an ass. However, you do not have to like that person, you only have to respect the fact that they exist and occupy a space along the journey of your life. In addition, the direction of action (behavior) to pursue is positive, regardless of the choice others make. There will definitely be an opportunity to put distance between yourself and that car/person. It is just a matter of patiently waiting for that opportunity to present itself safely. That person who impedes the flow can very well be likened to one who exhibits discriminatory tendencies. Their actions are based on assumptions they make about people they have no knowledge of (who knows who is in a
random car), nor prior contact. They allow their competitive spirit to inter-mix with their bias (subjective) views, and it causes them to react in a malicious manner towards people who, more often than not,
have no relevance to their journey through life.
When racism is examined within the context of the analogous relationship between life’s journey and vehicular journey, the excessive subjectivity and irrationality of this way of thinking becomes crystal clear. Racism is the result of “an excessive and irrational belief in or advocacy of the superiority of a given group, people, or nation, usually one’s own, on the basis of racial differences having no scientific validity; it is social action or government policy based upon such assumed differences.” The first part of the definition identifies two aspects of reality that are contrary to our true spiritual nature, and the laws of the system of Nature.
The first is the fact that it is excessive. This indicates it will lead to imbalance and inequality. The second
is that it is a subjective interpretation of reality, a manipulation of the truth. Road rage is the result of an excessive and irrational belief that one individual has superiority over another, thereby granting that individual the right to impose their desire to move a certain way onto another. It is the action that is based upon such an assumption. Not one of us believes the mentality that produces road rage is valid. Likewise,
we must all see that the mentality that produces racism is not a valid perspective either.
There are many more examples that illustrate the analogous relationship between life’s journey and
a vehicular journey. What all these examples show is that statically, according to the analysis of traffic travel, humans can move harmoniously on a mass scale while pursuing individual goals. The difference in these two circumstances is that relative to vehicle interaction, the consequences of wrongdoing or negative action is immediate and obvious. While the repercussions of wrongdoing or negative action relative to personal interaction is not. In the interest of our individual and collective future, we must take the precedent set
by our patterns of behavior during our vehicular travels, and apply the truth within this knowledge to
our full, civilized existence.
There is a normal pattern to traffic. Therefore, according to the foregoing analogy, there should be a normal pattern to human behavior. Existence or time is generated by continuous movement in a specific direction. This “continuous” movement translates into a “series” of actions defined by degrees. With regard to human beings and our relationship to the system of Nature, it is every choice that individuals make added together that defines their life, not each individual one. Every new choice that is made is connected to the last choice. Every moment and the action contained in it are connected to the next. It is the series of choices made that defines the direction of one’s life. As persons connect their actions together, each builds up momentum. Once individuals establish momentum in their lives, it becomes easier to maintain direction. To stop momentum takes a strong, radical effort. If persons buildup positive momentum, it usually takes more
than one extremely weighty negative occurrence to alter the direction of the positive momentum, and
vise versa.
Humanity has established momentum. To effect corrections to the course of our existence, we must embrace strong, radical changes to be effective. This is why each of us must be continually positive and continually objective. It is about a pattern of behavior that can truly be regarded as normal relative to the definition of our social structure. We live our lives within a social structure defined as civilized. Acting within the context of what is normal or common relative to the definition of a living entity is a part of the physical responsibility that a living entity has to the system of Nature. In America, the definition of the living entity we label “human” is that of a civilized being. If something is a reality, it sets precedent that must be considered in the formation of individual perspective.
As the word “normal” refers to a statistically average type of behavior, we must recognize it as an essential part of the flow of our lives within the context of both Nature and Spirituality. The term “normal” refers to an action and/or movement-filled series of moments that transpire as a natural occurrence, thereby allowing for a systematic analysis from which a pattern can emerge. The standard by which to measure normal is average. Average includes both success and failure. Comparing the behavior of the best of us and the worst, and everything in between is how average behavior is determined. We must all work toward and aspire to being the best we could possibly become within the structure of our lives. Our goal should be to meet the civilized standard determined to be average, and we must be satisfied with whatever achievement we reap. This is because whatever happens is still a part of the average. The standard of the average encompasses our individuality, because everyone must be included to derive an average. The standard of the average is the measure of our collective existence, so it encompasses our relationship as a species group. To pursue the behavior and performance of the average person is to function within the parameters of the standards that give structure to our civilized value system.
Within a collective social group, no individual is expected to be anything more than average. This truth
is relevant to the fact that individuals are different, some better and some worst. An individual can accurately determine their own response to a circumstance of their existence, or measure their own achievement in an endeavor, as it compares to others in their same range of existence or demographic. Whatever the condition of an average person of similar demographics in a given circumstance was, when faced with that same circumstance, one can compare themselves against the standard of the average because they can be only better or worse in that instance. Each of us must try to function at a level that is equal to or better than
what could be concluded to be the average as it applied to the given condition. This is how we achieve growth. As each of us strives to be better, the achievement of the average becomes higher. This elevates the prosperity of the entire group. As long as an individual is working to produce and thereby contribute, they are a factor in arriving at the average. The performance and contribution of everyone from the highest achiever to the lowest achiever in our society is important.
While everyone wants to be thought of as an "individual", each of us is still a part of a group and a member of an interdependent species of earthly animal. To the degree that this is true, we must accept
and utilize this knowledge to the full limits of its benefit. Because there is the inherent system or pattern
of human behavior, how each of us acts must reflect the standard set by the system within which we exist
or move. What is extremely important about this is that there is nothing inherently wrong with general conformity or assimilation. The current level of liberty in American society allows persons to exert their individuality at times and in areas where it is beneficial for them to do so. However, this does not necessarily need to include every waking moment of a person’s life, simply because that person wants to be seen as totally in control of his or her life. As individuals, we are never totally in control of our existence because we are an interdependent, socialized species and are therefore required by the laws of Nature to be dependent upon each other for our collective survival.
In a capitalist society such as ours, freedom and control is base upon economic position. Time is not cheap. We all know and understand that things of value have a price. Within this context, the phrase “free time” does not accurately apply to the moments to which are being referred. The more accurate label for the time that individuals have bought for themselves is “leisure time.” Even for the child, the time that is his or hers
is bought or paid for by someone, usually the parents. Leisure time is something that is earned. In a capitalist society, leisure time is more of a privilege than a right. Within the context of the system of Nature, leisure
time is naturally earned after any animal has completed the necessities of its existence, i.e. its divine responsibilities. The time to indulge and submerge oneself in individuality is leisure time. This is the
time when individuals are free from the demands and commitments of work or duty. Leisure time is
the reward individuals receive from having worked.
All in all, each of us only deals with society, or better put, the public, during a specific part of our day. That part being the time we spend outside our dwelling place. During the time we are out and about, we should focus our energies on the circumstances and tasks at hand, so as to facilitate the positive impact
upon our existence that righteous spiritual movement promises. When the activities of the "workday" are satisfactorily completed, we can then shift the focus of our energies to our personal lives and the elements therein (i.e. our families, ourselves, our friends, etc.). During leisure time is when individuals are with the people who comprise the group they interact with on a personal level. This is a subgroup or subculture.
It is during this that individuals can interact anyway they choose. However, when persons are dealing
with the general public, i.e. the mainstream of society, each must relate as we all do, because there has
to be trust and responsibility. It is all about balance and compromise. Individuals want things from the system, like the ability to live freely.
The system of Nature is a balanced system, action leading to reaction. If an individual wants, that individual must also give. Each of us must compromise to achieve balance. If a person wants to act a
certain way all the time, then he or she has to accumulate the resources that supports the time to do that. Positive action dictates that all individuals do that legally. Therefore, persons must pursue the difficult path of learning and attaining knowledge or skill, so that each may contribute to the mainstream of society and prosper within this capitalist system. This is so that each can have all that leisure time to indulge as is liked.
It is a process that more often than not takes time. That time is supported in a natural sense through the family structure, the nucleus of our nation. The timeframes of this process are labeled as infancy, childhood, puberty, teenage years, and adulthood. Once an Adult, the better-prepared persons are to gain whatever it is they want out of life, the faster and easier it is going to be to attain those goals. Each of us has a responsibility to the system of Nature to refrain from using negative action to achieve our goals in a short period of time, because this type of action is not a part of our natural system of existence. Spiritually speaking, negative action conflicts with our natural presence here on our planet. Regardless of what individuals are doing,
they must always be consciously guiding their actions in the direction of positive change. Change is an inevitable result of the combination of action and reactions, together with moving reality, better known
as time.
To pursue social betterment within the context of the physical properties of this electromagnetically charged circle that we are all on (i.e. our Earth) is to seek to have every system of reality work correctly, rightly, or positively. In essence, each system is supposed to have action and/or move in the right and/or positive direction. As we work to achieve this, we must start from the smallest systems of existence and progress in sequence to the larger systems of existence. From the standpoint of the individual human being, the smallest system is that of the self. Each person is composed of the body, which houses the mind and the soul. These three elements of human composition work together to form the system that brings to life the individual human existence. There is a system of reality that supports each element of our being. As we seek to perfect ourselves, we must also seek to perfect these worldly support systems if we are to maintain the gains we have made as well as the ones we have yet to achieve.
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AVOID THE COLLISIONS IN LIFE
LIKE YOU AVOID VEHICLE COLLISIONS
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