I would like to look at the world in general terms through the lenses of “Me” and “We.”
Me: The fundamental concept I’m working with here is that the world, as I choose, revolves around me. How much material wealth can I acquire? What is my purpose to acquire such wealth? What intellect or stature can I achieve? How can I persuade people for my benefit? How much pleasure can I enjoy and how much pain can I avoid? How long can I live? If need be, what will I do in order to survive or gain pleasure? Take what can be taken? Will I steal what I need? Will I disregard another humans rights or emotional well-being, kill if the human doesn’t agree with me, lie and manipulate to achieve my result, think the weaker and less fortunate should perish if they can’t make ends meet?
I think all of these are rational thought, when one’s purpose is to survive or seek pleasure. Everything you can think of is fair game. Are there really any rules to live by other than not getting caught and risking the loss of your freedom?
A self-centered existence more than likely doesn’t hold one’s self accountable to something bigger because there is no purpose for it. There may be no benefit from living a life that is helpful to others.
Another thought comes to mind under a “me” mentality: Why do humans find it necessary to control people in order to benefit themselves? Why do they find it necessary to amass enormous wealth and not spread it to the very people that made it happen for them? Where did this come from? Is it a product of Capitalism? Is it greed? It certainly doesn’t help with spreading the wealth and I don’t think it helps with looking out for the well-being of others.
We: The earth is made to support the lives of all of its human population as well as its plants and animals. You are no better than anyone else and no-one is better than you. The human population is bettered as a whole.
The world offers plenty of “wealth” that can be used to support its human population. What should be valuable in a “we” society? Helping one another would be priority, assisting with such necessities as shelter, water, food, and energy – with compromise, empathy, compassion, and unfettered access to learning to better the whole. Finally, a health care system comes to mind.
A way of trading amongst ourselves is needed, but the goal is not to amass wealth or material goods but to make the resources work over and over to benefit the whole. Everyone in a “we” system should be wealthy and live at a level that is fundamentally sustainable and ample with an upside that has no monetarily induced obstacles. How much is our planet worth? A gazillion dollars? Unmeasurable? It seems like there is plenty to make everyone “wealthy” forever. It’s only when someone wants to control it does it become limited and unavailable to do what it’s supposed to.
I think it’s a rational thought that the earth would provide what is needed for its humans, animals, and plants to flourish since that is where the building blocks of our existence came from.
A selfless existence would be accountable to something bigger and therefore have a purpose for its existence.