A Critical Mass of Love – Pt.1

WWH – In previous articles of mine, I have tried to convince those who need convincing (there are many who don’t but there are still some who do) that the “connectedness of all beings” is not just some poetic notion but a reality. It is scientific fact. Now there is even more evidence that this is true as explained through interviews and experiments in the documentary movie, I AM. I found it fascinating and inspiring. Nevertheless, I wanted to corroborate some of the information given by well-known experts representing the fields of Religion, Philosophy, History, Physics, Evolutionary Biology, Psychotherapy, Environmental Activism, Zoology, and Genetics.

The salient points of this documentary are very clear. Because of our connectedness, our natural state is one of cooperation and democracy, not competition and plutocracy. If this is true, then why are there wars, a huge disparity between the haves and have-nots, health care for some, but not all? Why do we allow corporations to ruin the planet and exploit the weak? Why all this jockeying for positions of power at the expense of a truly representative government? Why all this greed, fear and hate?

Many social scientists of the conservative Republican persuasion would like us to believe that competition and survival of the fittest is the natural state of being human. Is it no wonder? This has been ingrained in us since the latter half of the 19th C. when a strong advocate of Darwin’s, a biologist named Thomas Henry Huxley, promoted, through writings and debates, Darwin’s theories. Unfortunately, Huxley chose to focus on the “survival of the fittest” instead of “cooperation.” Since he was a leader in education at the time and emphasized the theory of “natural selection” or the “survival of the fittest” in his classroom, the phrase has become falsely equated with Darwin. Whenever one mentions Darwin, “survival of the fittest” comes to their minds.

This is the philosophical rationale adopted by anyone who believes that if you are poor and homeless, it is your own fault. You are not fit. But if you are wealthy, it is a sign you are among those superior in fitness. It is as nature has intended and decreed. It is natural selection and the unfit who do not deserve to share in the wealth of the world. It is their right to bestow upon themselves the riches they make off the backs of the unfit, because they are among the “fittest.”

This is nonsense and antithetical to what Darwin espoused. In my own reading of the book, I found only three references to “survival of the fittest” and 85 descriptions of “cooperation” among the societies of more highly evolved animals.

In “The Descent of Man” Darwin writes:

“In the earlier editions of my ‘Origin of Species’ I probably attributed too much to the action of natural selection or the survival of the fittest. This I believe to be one of the greatest oversights as yet to be detected in my work. …If I have erred in giving to natural selection great power…, I have at least as I hope, done good service to overthrowing the dogma. Anyone with this assumption in his mind would naturally extend the action of natural selection too far.”

Yes, the conservative agenda has gone too far in exploiting a misinterpretation of Darwin’s research. They have gone too far in rationalizing their greed and the capitalistic way of life. They have gone too far in believing they have some kind of innate, inherent right to retain their superiority through force or manipulation.

We are all guilty of allowing this hogwash to be forced down our throats. We send our 4-year old girls to compete in beauty pageants. We send our young boys to boxing classes. Survival of the fittest is what they learn from their parents and to be among the fittest at any cost, even if it means climbing on the backs of others. We must wean ourselves from this myth immediately. It has become the mantra of all warriors, be they on the battlefield, in the executive suite, or the floor of the stock exchange.

Not only are the vast majority of species “cooperative,” they are also “democratic.” The idea of an alpha male dominating a herd of deer is a myth. Picture a large herd of deer in a meadow. They are thirsty and there are three watering holes nearby. But also nearby is a lion. The alpha male may point his nose in the direction of a certain watering hole, but if one of the herd disagrees, he or she will point its nose in the direction of a different watering hole. In mere minutes, when studied in slow motion, a second deer may point to the same watering hole; then a third, and so on. When 51% of the herd are pointing in the same direction, that is where they will go. If there were 100 deer in the herd, as soon as the 51st deer points in that direction, the entire herd takes off, and if necessary, leave the “alpha” male standing there in bewilderment. They “vote” democratically to which watering hole they should go.

Have you ever seen a flock of swallows swoop in one direction and then suddenly take off in another as if they were one being? In slow motion, they are doing the same thing the deer have done, they are “voting” on where to go. When 51% of the flock agrees, that is where they will fly. They have reached the point of a critical mass of agreement. It happens in the blink of an eye. Democracy and cooperation are ingrained in their DNA.

Ever go snorkeling? Did you see those schools of fish glimmer as they changed direction so quickly back and forth? Democracy in action. They are voting! A flock of geese flying in a V formation? Do you think one of them is the leader, their master, their chosen one? No! If you look closely you will notice the geese constantly reforming themselves, taking turns at being the leader. Sometimes one will take off in a different direction. When 51% of them vote to follow, that is where they will fly. The V pattern is only a pattern. The geese cooperate by taking turns at the helm.

There is no need to be a scientist to discover these things. Just a careful observation of animals in their natural habitat will provide the proof you need to learn that democracy and cooperation are the actual predominant traits among species. Except for us!

We have allowed ourselves to accept the lies handed down generation after generation. It is time to be strong and time to reject these ideas of “survival of the fittest” and “competition.” 65-70% of Americans polled do not want their unions busted, their Social Security eliminated, or their Medicare tampered with. Yet will the overwhelming number have any clout? The decisions will be made most likely by those who believe in competition and survival of the fittest.

When the person who decides to be the 51st out of a hundred to accept the scientific fact that it is human nature to cooperate and act democratically; when the 51st decides to live from their heart which validates these acts; when the 51st decides that it is absolutely true we are all connected, then maybe we will have reached the critical mass of accepting cooperation and pure democracy as the essence of what it means to be human. We will reject “survival of the fittest” and “competition.” We will have reached a Critical Mass of Love. (to be continued)

To contact Phil or find out more: check out his website and blog For a copy of HUNGA DUNGA
Phil Polizatto – Worldwide Hippies Bureau Chief – West Coast USA, is a graduate of The School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. He was a feature writer for the overseas division of UPI, a copywriter for CBS, and an award-winning corporate film producer. Mr. Polizatto is a published poet and a regular contributor to Worldwide Hippies as well as a variety of other arts and literary journals. Hunga Dunga is his first published novel. He resides in the Pacific Northwest.