I've been listening to Christian music for a very long time now. One of my favorite albums came out 40 years ago and was entitled "Escape from the Fallen Planet". Many of the song centered around the idea that we live in a world which is broken and we should try to escape the bonds that it places on us. Considering it came at a time when many things were uncertain in my life and many things weren't going well, it resonated with me. Without those songs I doubt I would have turned out as I have.
But the Hive Learners is asking about what if people lived in a perfect world? What if Utopia exists?
Well, as I read my Bible it does mention that exactly such a time will happen and it will last for a thousand years. OK... I'm not going to start quoting chapter and verse and I'm certainly not going into any philosophical discussion plus any theological discussion is just not going to happen either. What I would like to discuss is my thoughts on personal growth in a perfect society.
Now it has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. But what if there is no necessity? Does that mean there is no invention? In a similar fashion most people will say that stress is a negative part of their life. However, stress is a motivator that forces people to get stuff done and get out of bed in the morning. Stress forces people to get up and do things. So if there is no stress do people just stagnate?
Interesting question and there are two ways I can look at it.
Now one article I read talked about a Nordic country which had an exceptional social welfare system. I won't name the country for two reasons: First, I forgot exactly which one it was and Second, I don't want to generalize about one group of people. However, the idea of the article was simple: A number of young adults had access to a social welfare system that would make sure that they had adequate housing, food, medical care and even an allowance without requiring them to work at all.
The problem was that they had no need to ever leave their apartment. They had social media. They had streaming services and computer games. They had food delivery. Their lives were very secure from a physical needs standpoint. Unfortunately, that left them with no sense of purpose. They didn't connect with their community, they didn't connect with a faith, they didn't find value in any sort of work. They just sort of existed.
From this point of view I could say that by providing everything someone needs you remove their purpose and therefore their drive to become more than they are. Stagnation occurs and people tend to regress.
Having a life where everything is available but without purpose is miserable and certainly not a Utopia. A true Utopia or perfect world to me would be a place where you have everything you need, including a purpose.
Indeed, if I am ever asked to think about "Heaven" it certainly isn't sitting on clouds playing a harp. Ugh. Doing that for eternity would be a special kind of torture or at least extremely unpleasant.
I far prefer to think of Utopia or a perfect world as being one in which everything works the way it should, where everyone can be trusted to do what is right and beneficial to all, and where there can be unlimited options to explore whatever your passion is.
Or if I were to quote the Bible (what it actually says ... no harps or clouds)
Revelation 21:4“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.”
It just says no more death, mourning, crying or pain. It amuses me that it doesn't mention no frustration, no struggle and no work.
Now you might think that a perfect world means there is nothing left to see or do. I think that would be a bit too narrow.
Imagine you are an excellent musician. You create a truly excellent piece of music. Does that mean there is no more music to write?
Imagine you love to travel. You just went to a perfect beach resort. Does that mean there are no more places to visit?
Imagine you love to build. You just built the perfect island resort. Does that mean you can't build something totally different, yet also totally perfect for a very different location?
Striving to make things better. Striving to do more. Striving to see more. Striving to learn more. Discover more. All of those things take on even more merit and value.
Now I've been posting on Actifit for a few years now. One thing I've found while walking the dog on the very same route every day for almost four years is that the exact same location, at the exact same time of day, with the exact same person and dog can have a different feel and beauty.
The park in fall is very different than in spring. Every sunset and every sunrise is different depending on a wide variety of things. Even lousy weather can bring beautiful moments like when I see the perfect reflection in a giant puddle. Or I see a tree dancing in strong winds. Or even when I see a corpse flower blooming in late November when no flower should be in bloom.
Even in a "Perfect world" there will still be precious moments to chase. Precious conversations to share. Unique moments and thoughts that you can miss if you don't happen to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time looking in exactly the right direction.
The fun part is that if we explore everything there is to see on our own earth? There are an infinite number of other planets, galaxies and places in the Universe yet to be explored. Sure they aren't accessible to us now but given enough time? Who knows what we will be able to see and experience.
The Hive learners post asks if we live in a "perfect world without obstacles". I would reject that and say that a perfect world just means things work as they should but that doesn't mean there are no obstacles. The obstacles in a perfect world are like little challenges to overcome.
As a Christian I have strong views on perfect vs broken. I believe the world (and Universe) were made perfect, are currently broken, and will one day be restored. I also believe it was made for life and growth not stagnation and death. I believe that challenges, obstacles and even the impermanence of fleeting moments are what give us something to always work towards.
But then again, that's just me. I'd love to hear other ideas in the comments.
And thanks for reading this far. Always appreciate eyes on the posts whether you agree with me or not :)
