1. Some things are important, but
most things are only necessary.
2. Necessary things are only important when you do not have them
and are generally ignored when they are amply supplied. These
include oxygen, food, drink. shelter, and all physical needs.
3. Important things are important all the time whether you have
them or not, whether you realize it or not.
4. People who regard necessary things as important are unhappy and
frustrated even when they get them and even if they are quite
unaware that the important things exist.
5. Important things are those which can be made ends in themselves,
worth seeking and worth having. Necessary things, since they are
not important for their own sakes, should never made ends in
themselves, but must be permitted only to be means to important
ends. Thus, material wealth, power, popularity, and prestige should
never be ends but only means to ends, because however necessary
they may be they are never important.
6. THE ONLY THING WHICH IS IMPORTANT IS TRUTH -- that is the total
structure of reality. The meaning of anything arises from its
relationship to that total structure. The reason that material
things are not important is because of the subordinate position
they hold in that total structure.
7. From this point of view, important things may exist on any level
of reality. For example, physical health, exercise. and
coordination are important on the physical level, but are not as
important as things on higher levels, even though they can be made
ends in themselves.
8. On the higher levels are such things as feelings. and
intellectual awareness.
9. The important things are those concerned with the realization of
the potentialities of an individual because such realization brings
the individual in closer contact with the total structure of
reality -- that is, with TRUTH.
10. Each individual is so inadequate that there are only a few
things he can do to help realize his potentialities. Among these
few are will - the desire to do this and the determination to do
it.
11. Because of the inadequacy of the individual -- that is, his
basic need for other persons and his inability to direct his
efforts unless he has recognition of his relationships with the
rest of reality, the individual can achieve nothing by seeking to
obtain things for himself, because this makes him the center of the
universe, which he is not. Thus, selfishness achieves
nothing.
12. Thus the chief immediate aim in life of each individual must be
to help others realize their potentialities. This is what Kant
meant when he said that others must never be treated as means to be
used, but always as ends in themselves. It is basic in human
experience that those things a person seeks for himself directly
are never obtained. They are only obtained indirectly as a
by-product of an effort to obtain them for others. Thus the man who
seeks only wealth for himself never feels rich, as the man who
seeks power never feels secure, and the man who seeks pleasure
never feels satisfied. But the man who seeks important things for
others often feels rich, secure, and satisfied.
13. The need for others is present on all levels, the physical.
emotional, and intellectual. Indeed, every relationship has in it
all three aspects. The desire to help others experience these
things and to grow as a result of such experiences is called love.
Such love is the real motivating force of the universe and is, in
its ultimate nature. a manifestation of the love of God. Because
while God is pure Reason and man' s ultimate goal is Reason, it can
not be reached directly and must always be approached step by step,
not alone but in companionship with others, and thus through love.
Thus love of others, ultimately love of God, are the steps by which
man develops reason and slowly approaches pure
Reason.
Life.htm
