Probability Costs

Probability costs are hidden lost opportunities to make the world a better place. Here is what this meme means.

The earth has gone through many transitions... some small and insignificant, and others large and more meaningful. When they are major, they get names, such as the Cenazoic Era, or the Jerrasic.

These epocs are turning points, and mark the endings of certain forms of life, and the emergence of new ones.

What is important for us now is that each of these shifts in earth functioning carried with it certain probabilities of survival for the species alive at that time. Each species which was to make it had a specific chance, and, based on that value, either made it forward, or died off.

At this moment in our history, we humans are at risk, and the whole living earth system is changing based on our activities. There is a probability that we will survive, and it is not a given that this is 100%. In fact, if were are fully objective about the situation, we might have to admit that this number is quite low... perhaps even zero!

Each time we forgo doing what is right, making the adaptation that is needed, or working for the benefit of all life, we lessen the probability that we will make it as a species. It's that simple.

Each war, each symptomatic fix, each missed opportunity to strengthen our sense of global community takes its hidden toll. Unfortunately, the overall chance for continuity is an accumulation of the smaller contributing probabilities. This is why things are getting worse today.

The good news - thankfully - is that, just as negative thinking, and unhealthy choices lessen life chances, so do positive choices add to the number.

So what are the positive choices we need to make? Here is a short list of ideas...

* We need to re-identify individually and collectively with the whole living system.

* We need to re-align all of our relationships to be fully inclusive.

* We need to work together to emerge a new, living culture, which works for the benefit of all life.

* We need to make love the prevailing human function.

* We need to build global community.

How do we do this in a practical sense? This will be discussed on the page entitled 500M by Five.