My response to Bruce Lipton's perspective of change

This a response I posted on the LinkedIn group of Social Entrepreneur Empowerment Network about Bruce Lipton's interview:

What a great perspective of change! I concur with Bruce that the dominant forces driving collective psychology among our society nowadays are deeply rooted on a realistic sense of conflict and self-destruction that proliferate through our very own power discourses and institutions established in the past 200 years. I couldn't agree more with his statement of "institutions won't solve the problem they themselves create".

However, my personal research on this subject has led me to believe that change has to stop being the end but rather become the means itself. Deeply rooted and inherent norms and values are conceived by most of us as 'fixed', which creates a pattern of negation of change itself. Empirical evidence has led us to believe that shock therapy and trauma as a means to destabilize this profound pattern are the sole path to achieve dramatic and positive change. I wholeheartedly disagree with the latter, and I believe so does Bruce and the people that have joined this group.

Bruce's analogy when comparing the relationship of humans with society to that of cells with the body it is just a perfect description of the notion of inter-dependence. However, what keeps on bringing Social Darwinism and the likes as driving forces implicit in this behavioral patterns? In my view, I tend to think that teleological constructions underlying at different cultural levels are one of the big reasons why this behavioral pattern takes the shape of a vicious circle. Take the example of the Aristotelian cosmic model that ruled about 1800 years until Galileo dared to defy it. In brief, the model states that we (human beings, the Earth) are the center of the universe, and that everything else circles around us. Galileo proved this wrong and obviously today the dominant vision is the one science has been able to offer us, but I believe this Aristotelian notion of egocentrism still dominates the conception of old dominant tenets implicit in religion, philosophy, economic theory and other schools of thought and doctrines that shape the world we live in. In other words, we still tend to believe we are unique in the universe and this notion deeply distorts the reality of human existence and interdependence.

So the question is, how to break with this vicious circle? I agree with Petrea in this sense, we cannot focus solely on the agents and variables that are tangible to us at a surface level. In order to commit ourselves to deep structural change we must deconstruct those very same agents that are proliferating concepts such as the Darwinian sense of survival, self-destruction, realism, and so on. I believe that the prospect of change is indeed a reality, but as Ghandi wisely said, we must first begin by "being the change we want to see". I strongly agree with Bruce's insights on change, and in my view change itself starts by understanding the cognitive meaning of interdependence.

Bruce Lipton's perspective on change

I would like to share with you an interview made to Bruce Lipton, an inspiring American biologist known for promoting the idea that genes and DNA can be manipulated by a person's beliefs. You may have to sign to the Social Entrepreneur Empowerment Network, however I strongly suggest you do so since it allows you to get free access to a number of interviews to some of the most inspiring leaders in the world. Enjoy the interview and please share your thoughts on the matter! 

Click here:
Bruce Lipton speaks on "Bridging Mind, Body, Science, and Spirit"

"Civilization is on the threshold of a profound evolutionary leap and social entrepreneurs can help. Bruce will answer the question, "Why are so many of our institutions, from health care to banking, all failing at once?" And, "Why is this good news?" We will discuss the biology of belief, spontaneous evolution, bridging science and spirit, mind and body. Finally, we will discuss the importance of reprogramming your subconscious mind in order to create business success, as well as contribute to the creation of a sustainable world."

Algunas reflexiones sobre Egipto

Las manifestaciones en Egipto cada día dejan más claro que la población no se tranzará por nada inferior a un cambio total y radical. Tres décadas de represión política y civil sumadas a un modesto o incluso nulo crecimiento económico y en materia de desarrollo han ido alimentado un tsunami colectivo sin precedentes en el mundo Árabe desde la revolución Iraní en 1979. De la actual revolución vale la pena resaltar y destacar el grado de uniformidad con el que se expresa la voz de oposición; niños, mujeres, viejos, cristianos, musulmanes y jóvenes claman por su libertad - aquella condición humana que ha inspirado a multitudes a impulsar revoluciones históricas a través de los siglos que han acompañado el curso de la historia de la humanidad.

Sin embargo llaman la atención las contradicciones implícitas en las dinámicas del cambio transicional de la autocracia de Mubarak a - posiblemente -  un gobierno democrático. En primer lugar está la paradójica intervención de EE.UU por medio de sus más altos oficiales, los cuales no parecen tener clara una posición ante la situación de la dictadura de Mubarak. Al inicio de las protestas, el secretario de prensa de la Casa Blanca Robert Gibbs describió el régimen como "estable", tal vez ocultando entre dientes el temor de que un llamado inmediato a elecciones sin ningún líder con el guiño de Washington en el panorama pueda traer al grupo extremista "Muslim Brotherhood" (MB) al poder legítimamente. Si bien es comprensible dicha prudencia manifestada por los altos oficiales de la administración de Obama, simultáneamente da pie para que se genere una dialéctica en la retórica de los valores liberales tan firmemente predicados en la política exterior de EE.UU; no se pueden apoyar tan abiertamente los conceptos de democracia y libertades cíviles pero cuestionarlos cuando su establecimiento interfiere con los intereses nacionales. 

Solo el tiempo dirá que pasará con Egipto y su gente, y como un cambio de gobierno en Egipto afectará la estabilidad política de la región. Por lo pronto solo nos queda expresar un sentimiento de solidaridad y apoyo a las miles de personas que luchan por sobrevivir en medio del caos y la incertidumbre que reina en el país. La insaciable búsqueda de la libertad merece desafiar las estructuras de poder dominantes, donde solo unos pocos gozan de ella. La libertad no es un privilegio, es una condición humana que todos tenemos derecho y razón de valorar.