Levelling Up the Human Species…By Expanding Our “We” and Choosing Love Over Fear

Hello again, my friends!  Here we are in 2021.  I find myself still pondering big and deep questions; I don’t have all the answers and yet want to keep sharing my insights and ponderings.  Last November, I developed a framework for what I describe as “levelling up” the human species.  I feel like it is crazy for me to be thinking and writing about this – who am I to be opining on this weighty topic…?  And yet, what if no one else is?  Or what if I have a few kernels of ideas that could make a difference and I don’t share them?

So, here we are talking about levelling up the human species.  I am blessed to be stumbling upon the information I need, seemingly, just when I need it.  It reminds me of a quote. 

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

Buddhist Proverb

Some teachers who are informing my thinking are:  john a. powell (the capitalization is purposeful), whose work is on Othering and Belonging, and Ruth Pittard, who talks about adopting Love as our Operating System.  Based on their ideas, the central issue we face in levelling up as a species is rejecting othering – everywhere it appears – and making room for Belonging.  Othering is based on creating and perpetuating fear about people or groups that we cast as “other”; “other” is a label we apply to people or groups who are not part of “us”.  When we reject fear-based othering and choose Love as an operating system, we start to create the space for the evolution of human relationships and consciousness. 

I’ve also being impacted by ideas from the anti-racist movement.  I recently had an anti-racism teacher tell me that the white race is very violent.  I am not disputing that, and yet, I am beginning to see racism and othering as a HUMAN problem. 

Last night, in a discussion about race and racism with some wise friends, we agreed that racism is an attempt to create a power hierarchy, which is used to oppress some groups and advantage other groups.   Looking at human history, we are tribal in some sense, always trying to discern who is part of “us” and who is “other”.  While this othering behavior may have been advantageous in our evolution to this point, I believe it is harmful for our continued evolution as a species. 

I posit here that to build the society we want to live in, we have to reject othering and expand our sense of who is “us” or “we”.   We have to embrace Love as our operating system.  Doing these things feels like the start of the path.  It’s no easy road to follow.  Othering exists on both ends of our political spectrum; fear is frequently used as a call to action by our leaders. Having embarked on this journey of choosing love over fear and rejecting othering, I am humbled every day.  Picking myself up each time I fail is the only thing to do. 

My “Levelling Up” model includes: 

• Doing the Personal Work – to evolve as a species, we have to evolve as individuals; this is foundational. 
• Relational Skills is about how we stay in relationship with one another, even when we disagree and especially when it’s hard.  (Love and Belonging fit here, among some other places). 
• Civics 2.0 is about a new model for what being a good citizen looks like in 2021. 
• Caring for Our Earth is about humans forging a different relationship with the natural world, shifting from being human-centric to being life-centric. 
• Social Equity is about ending marginalization and creating systems that ensure all humans can realize their potential. 
• The New Economy is about moving to a system that prioritizes the well-being of life on Earth and sustainability over profit. 
• The New Good Life Model is about realigning our expectations for what a good life looks like; if we’re living in harmony with the nature and un-doing the marginalization of so many, what does a good life look like. 

Having described my model, I feel compelled to tell you that it’s incomplete, maybe uninformed, and blah blah blah.  Nevertheless, it’s a place to start and that’s all it really needs to be right now. 

If you leave this with one idea clear in your head, I hope it’s that you should take every opportunity to expand your sense of who “We” is and keep saying no to fear and yes to Love. 

Friends, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this idea of “levelling up” as a species.  What else would you include in a model for achieving this? 

With Love, Hope, and Action for a Better World,

Colleen