20120722 Michael Speaks: Consumerism vs. Citizenry

[DanielaS]

12:31 PM 7/22/2012

MICHAEL SPEAKS
Consumerism vs Citizenry

Channel: Troy Tolley

 

[MEntity]
Hello to each of you. We are here, now. Barely, but here. We will continue to move more into focus as we deliver on the topic of choice.

 

We understand the topic of interest to be that of the shift between what might be referred to as a paradigm of Consumerism to a paradigm of Citizenship, or Citizenry.

 

This is, basically, the shift between a Young Soul Paradigm and a Mature Soul Paradigm, except in specific terms of how one's interactions in the world contribute to that paradigm, and not just how one experiences it.

 

The levels of paradigm we describe by Consumerism vs Citizenry are levels most applicable to the environment of economy and resources.

 

While any group is sharing a paradigm of Consumerism, the aim is primarily toward COLLECTING.

 

While any group is sharing a paradigm of Citizenry, the aim is primarily toward CONTRIBUTION.

 

A paradigm, here, is the larger context in which everyone is expected to participate, and is taught as being a meaningful or appealing value, both in the positive and negative poles of that paradigm.

 

CONSUMERISM AND COLLECTING

 

In the paradigm of Consumerism with its aim for Collecting, this value is regarded as meaningful and appealing, when the Collecting is done through hard work, exploitation, entitlement, investment.

 

Any way to Collect. To take one's part.

 

This paradigm is not good or bad, but simply another way of sharing the experiences of the world.

 

However, when there is a paradigm for Collecting, the dynamic inherently implies a constant imbalance as each tries to take as much as possible.

 

This paradigm, then, inherently brings with it poverty, extremes of Class, Racism, Slavery, Theft, and even violence, as the means for Collecting.

 

This paradigm supports the entire spectrum between earning and taking, as long as there is an aim for Collecting.

 

We will define "Collecting" here as an aim geared toward personal gain, meaning, motivation, fulfillment, satisfaction, craving, longing.

 

Everything that is shared in terms of an economy and resource is subject to this spectrum.

 

Those who do not wish to participate in that paradigm will be pushed to the edges of it, so to speak, and will "play by their own rules," but as quietly as possible so as not to bring attention to the breaking of rules set for that paradigm.

 

As Consumerism is quite in line with the Young Soul, the Young Soul does quite well within this paradigm, and enjoys the spectrum in many ways. It is exciting, competitive, and, forgiving the pun, consuming.

 

Regardless of Soul Age, a paradigm will be an insidious part of any fragment's life.

 

Regardless of how conscious a Personality is, and how Manifested the True Personality and Essence, there will, inherently, be some level of the self that willingly or unwittingly "plays the game."

 

Essence and Personality are not victims of a paradigm, but simply agree that if being born into a paradigm, there would naturally be some sense of it.

 

It is already difficult, if not impossible, to escape the imprinting from a culture and society, even if the imprinting from caretakers is lifted. Therefore, it is more often than not embraced to some extent, even if the Personality is resentful of it.

 

In this case, in order to "ride the rides" of this paradigm, then at least "some of the tickets" must be bought, if you will.

 

It is rare, and certainly of no significant nobility, for an Old/er Soul to opt out of a paradigm that does not cater to an Old Soul.

 

In fact, it is often just the opposite: the Older Soul relishes in the opportunity to call upon the "younger" perspective for new experiences from a broader perspective.

 

Old Souls do not flock to the pastures for retirement and tree-hugging, though many do, but often [more] for the satisfaction of False Personality, than anything, in those cases.

 

If Old Souls wanted to avoid the struggles of a paradigm, they know full well by now that all one has to do is wait for the cycles to turn, and a more comfortable paradigm will emerge.

 

Instead, Old Souls tend to flock to the most challenging of paradigms for the sake of a more complete experience. It is of no coincidence that many can say, "If I knew then what I know now." A return to High School with your adult awareness would change everything about how your choices would be made.

 

Essence gets to do that.

 

The Old Soul in a Consumer paradigm is like going back to High School, and making choices from a more adult perspective. And it is never quite what was anticipated.

 

Many Old Souls get through the entire incarnational cycle of lives without an Old Soul paradigm in place.

 

No specific paradigm is necessary for any Soul Age to evolve. Your evolution is your own, and dependent only on your choices, and what you do with them, both as Personality and Essence.

 

The shift in paradigm is moving, though, and living during a shift is always enticing to every Soul Age.

 

Every global shift tends to attract nearly all fragments still incarnating.

 

One of the reasons a shift takes "so long" is because there are usually not enough bodies to go around for everyone to be involved at once, so it is a gradual process that each gets to experience in unique ways that either passively or actively engages with it.

 

[GeraldineB] that's interesting -- similar to when ISs manifest

 

[MEntity] Geraldine, the Infinite Soul tends to Manifests directly in relation to a shift in paradigm. So the shift and/or the Infinite Soul is attractive.

 

[GeraldineB] Oh, that's right, JC came in during the last shift

 

[MEntity]
Not all shifts must be accompanied by the Infinite Soul and the Logos.

 

Only those that may be sensed as going terribly awry.

 

[GeraldineB] I will have to ask you deeper questions on that during my Project

 

[MEntity]
Though it may seem as if there is a lot of leeway, there is an awareness on the scale of the Infinite Soul that can calculate the probabilities of devastation with either little, or no, recovery for the species.

 

All fragments eventually get to participate in a Manifestation of the Infinite Soul (as it is part of the Soul Ages), as there will always be at least one parallel version of existence that is headed for devastation.

 

In other parallels, a Manifestation has already taken place in the wake of devastating nuclear war, which was averted "here."

 

[GeraldineB] yes . . .back in the 80s

 

[MEntity]
The Manifestation would have been around the millennium mark.

 

Though the war was earlier, yes.

 

For now, "this" parallel (and a great many of its parallels) appear to be doing well in terms of evolving the shift in paradigm.

 

In the parallels that did not do so well, there were fewer Old Souls in bodies. It should never be presumed that one's mere presence does not make a difference.

 

When we say "did not do so well," we do not mean this on the scale of Essence, as all of it is meaningful and valuable, but for the Personalities, "better" can mean the difference between painful suffering and comfortable growth.

 

The shift now into Citizenry is one that is a move away from Consumerism, but not excluding it. No shift in paradigm leaves one behind, but finds a way to build it into the new one.

 

CITIZENRY AND CONTRIBUTION

Citizenry will not eliminate competitiveness and Collecting, but would move it to the side as an emphasis, and bring into focus a new aim of meaningfulness and value.

 

Citizenry here would be defined by us as Conscious Participation.

 

As we said, Citizenry aims for Contribution as the predominant value and meaning instilled for that society, but would include a wide spectrum for how this plays out.

 

This can play out in the forms ranging among philanthropy, charity, mutual benefit, sharing, homogenization, global government, "one world."

 

Citizenry corresponds to a Mature Soul perspective, which can be understood as the Baby Soul perspective, Exalted.

 

The pressure to conform can be very similar to the Baby Soul paradigms, but with the aim for the benefit of each other, and not a central authority.

 

The precarious key here is in deciding what is beneficial for all in a way that does not harm.

 

It is a Mature Soul concept couched in Young Soul terms (or vice versa, for some).

 

Citizenry cannot function well with the part of the phrase "do what thou will."

 

[GeraldineB] LOL -- no, we're finding that out

 

[MEntity]
Unless that "will" is conscious in its awareness of impact on others.

 

That level of consciousness awareness is one that does not evolve "overnight," though the concept and paradigm of Citizenry will have been in place long before that development.

 

So that phrase is a helpful bridge, and has been in place for many for some time, in some form.

 

As Citizenry gathers up a momentum of conscious awareness, the shift, ironically, moves away from "so long as it harm none," to "so long as it benefit any."

 

This would mean that anyone who would be impacted by the choices and actions within that paradigm were somehow AT LEAST capable of being benefited.

 

It is not presumed that everyone will share the same will, of course, but that the aim would be for Contribution, at the very least.

 

When the aim is only for avoiding harm, choices can become clouded by fears, frustrations, guilt, defensiveness, etc., but when there is a realization that a choice may benefit more than just the self, the aim can tend to be light, fueled by enthusiasm, and creativity.

 

[GeraldineB] Would GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) fall in the Contribution category as they purport to give larger crops due to being less susceptible to insect damage -- yet they cause corollary damage and some allergies

 

[MEntity]
Geraldine, such things would fall into the category of "benefit any," so long as there is actual benefit, and benefit that can be opted into or out of without the cost of another benefit.

 

For instance, if this is the only choice for food, or if that foodstuff is not labeled for the sake of choice, then this is not considered a "benefit to any."

 

[Martha] but Monsanto is trying to own the market and take away farmer's choices, does that outweigh the benefit?

 

[MEntity]
However, if without that option there is no other choice, then it would fall into a category of "benefit" for that group.

 

Martha, your point supports our clarification that Citizenry, Contribution and Conscious Participation, always involves an expansion of choice, not a narrowing of it.

 

This may be contextual, in that a starving group may find GMO to be its saving grace of benefit and expanded choice, while an abundant society with GMO imposed may not.

 

However, the entire concept of GMO would have begun to fall by the wayside in a truly embraced paradigm of Citizenry, since this economy would lean toward a Resource-based economy, and would not require such extensive measures to create or sustain food sources.

 

Issues of starvation begin to fall away, as well, since the sharing of resources for the benefit of more than Collecting becomes emphasized.

 

Resources begin being looked at in terms of how they can help others, not in how they can protect, defend, and be withheld.

 

Even the motivation for career and income move toward how one can Contribute, not just Consume.

 

[brian] Michael, you said that the Young Soul aim might be described as COLLECTING and the Mature Soul aim might be described as CONTRIBUTION. For the sake of completeness, what themes might you use to describe the Baby Soul and Old Soul paradigms?

 

[MEntity]
Brian, that might be for Infant an aim for SECURING, and for Baby, an aim for CIVILIZING, and for Old, an aim for EXPERIENCING.

 

To make it easy to understand, one could add "use money for.... _____" and fill in the aim.

 

Old Souls tend to use money for Experiencing.

 

Mature Souls tend to use money for Contributing.

 

Young Souls tend to use money for Collecting.

 

Baby Souls tend to use money for Civilizing.

 

Infant Souls tend to use money for Securing.

 

Of course, "money" might not be what is used, but whatever is the exchange of that economy.

 

No matter what the dominant paradigm, a Soul Age will tend to "use money" for whatever the aim is for that Soul Age, even as they play by the rules of the dominant paradigm.

 

For example, even in the paradigm of Consuming, the Old Soul will tend to gladly gather money, forgo money, spend money when it brings Experiences.

 

MORE QUESTIONS:

 

We will open the floor now to more questions such as these, as we know Troy must comply to a time limit in his current environment.

 

[Bobby] my question was based on right now I feel like money to me is more about security. I suppose that really depends on what is going on in one's life at the moment as well as the major paradigm they find themselves in, correct?

 

[MEntity]
Bobby, as money is currently used within a paradigm of Consuming, with an aim for Collecting, then when one is not able to consume what one is used to consuming, or expects to consume, it can cause great stress.

 

When there is no paradigm in place for Citizenry with an aim for Contribution, there is little to consider as a network of support for fluctuations in what one can Contribute.

 

As long as there is a paradigm of Consuming in place, there will be a paradigm of lack, and the subsequent prompts for what is necessary to remedy that.

 

If that might require help, there may be shame attached to it. If that might require enduring a great shift in what was expected or familiar for Consuming, there can be a great deal of fear provoked.

 

The only remedy for the Older Soul is to INCLUDE its own paradigm as valid.

 

In other words, regardless of income, finances, comfort, there is EXPERIENCE here.

 

This does not mean that the Old Soul would embrace starvation because it is a glorious Experience, but more that the embrace of something such as that as simply being a rich resource of Experience, solutions can tend to come much easier.

 

Embracing whatever paradigm is useful within the grasp of your Soul Age is helpful. This might mean embracing the paradigm of Citizenry, and allowing yourself to ask for help, and to do what you can to help, so as to create that circuit in the life.

 

It will not negate the dominant paradigm, but can, at least, expand paradigms.

 

Thus, expanding solutions, feelings, perspectives, resources.

 

Another way to look at the situation would be in terms of drawing from your rich resources of Experience as a means for helping bring you back into a sense of security. It is not so much that you need to see the current situation as rich with experience, but that you have a bank of experience that is already useful.

 

On the other hand, Security is one of the 9 Needs, and this can tend to be a theme of exploration, regardless of what economy or paradigm is in place.

 

[Maureen] I know this is far off future, but ...Will the Resource Economy start with a Mature Soul world and move into a more "progressed" form in an Old Soul world? What will be the biggest "change" to experience from Mature to Old - especially for Older souls?

 

[MEntity]
The shift of economy for most Mature to Old is toward bartering. A resource-economy would have already been in place for this, as well as a sense of support for any individual's sense of Contribution.

 

Contribution then feeds into Experiences. Foods and goods are not as valuable as experiences.

 

Food and goods would tend to have become so freely shared that lack is a foreign concept, except in terms of experiences, and this is what would then be bartered, specifically in terms of how one might be instrumental in helping to aim for experiences.

 

[Maureen] Do you have an example for us?

 

[MEntity]
There are many examples of this via what is called the Internet.

 

A great amount of resources for expanding upon one's experiences is available there.

 

And often in terms of barter, which is not always specifically negotiated, but implicit.

 

 Simple participation in the web site generated by each of you as "TLE" is an example.

 

There are few, if any, conditions on what is exchanged, with benefit freely offered and received, with Experience as a great part of the aim.

 

That is a working example of something similar that might play out on a large scale.

 

[EricM] Bit of an overarching question, but Is this the first time humanity has ever experienced Mature as a predominant paradigm, or has it happened in the past (or alternatively, might it return to a predominantly young paradigm in the future)? I ask, as I'm trying to clarify how these shifts have happened (i.e. are they more linear or have they had cycles/starts and stops).

 

[MEntity] It is not the first time, and it will not be the last, and while there tends to be a fairly linear cycling on a global scale, they are built from sub-cycles with those that may or may not be linear or obviously connected.

 

[EricM] oh, and examples are appreciate as well

 

[MEntity]
Dominance of paradigm and Soul Age is entirely dependent upon those incarnated and participating in the world.

 

Every cycle of "recorded history" tends to be a set of sub-cycles that lead up to a global manifestation of the average Soul Age of the entire Design.

 

Most of what is currently understood as recorded history only maps the return to an emphasis on Infant and Baby, and then a shift into Young.

 

We must conclude here for today, as Troy's time has come to a close in his environment.

 

Good day to each of you.

[Yin-da]

It was so good to read this again - OMG time has been flying..... seven years!!

Edited September 24, 2019 by Ingun

[NicholasV]

So it’s like in the Legend of Zelda, the main character Link has to collect items but also contributes to the well being of the world by killing bad guys.

[Janet]

On 5/19/2016 at 8:26 AM, Michael said:

It should never be presumed that one's mere presence does not make a difference.

I came across this session today and found this gem of a statement from Michael.