The Drive, The Push, The Pull

Is the Wo/Man in the Mirror Powerless?

Is peace really so fleeting and utopian of an idea that we won't even try to resolve our differences?

Is a war acceptable to any human being that has the capacity for reason, empathy and compassion? No matter where or between whom?

Is it normal that such wars, not to forget homelessness, poverty and hunger all remain issues that we are dealing with today? Even if we have improved drastically over the last few decades (e.g. Factfulness, 2017, Hans Rosling)?

Are we not ashamed of at least some parts of our human story?

What if we could change this story? Our story?

Have you ever considered what change you would make, or contribute? What example you could set, or what ideas you can bring forth to help make your community, city, country - or world - a better place to live in? If not for you today, perhaps for your children, nieces, nephews, students, friends and for all the generations to come? It could be something nice to aspire to given how beautiful this earth really is.

When done meddling around with the superman pose in the mirror, your vote, which is to say your own voice in this dialogue - will not only be welcomed here - it will be considered more valuable than any other currency in circulation... Your voice is our path to Unity and Peace!

"...the emergence of the New Man (and New Woman and all that's in between) who will no longer be the victim of events but, thanks to his clarity of vision, will become able to direct and to mould the future of mankind.” - Montessori

The Elevator Pitch

"An Open Invitation to Reinvent Our Reality"

One House is all we have. So let's Unanimously figure out How We can Live in it in peace and prosperity.

Through our interconnectedness over the Internet and our free access to quality learning, we all have the tools to communicate and to empower all those around us, ensuring that we can all earn our basic human needs. This means that we can also concert all of our tactics and actions to create a life on Earth that we all dream to have.

This platform provides the space for us to do just that. At Anytime, Anyone Anywhere can create an account and join what has the potential to become the largest and most inclusive human conversation that has ever taken place - a monolithic human dialogue on How to Reinvent Our Reality - Together! (Technically, it could become the first Global Direct Democracy and truly Open Government to ever exist!)

     ⇒ Skip the explanatory verbal diarrhea and go directly to THE BLUEPRINT

Tech help: Check your spam folders - generic email notifications often end up there erroneously. If you run into any issues or need help navigating this site, send a quick ping to epangea.info@gmail.com or +13438822015

If the white man did not stand by MLK,
his dream would have never seen today.

If the satisfied turn a blind eye to injustice,
the hungry will never see affluence in practice.

World Peace doesn't have to be a cliche anymore,
unless we keep thinking that it does. Ok. Warre.

A Fixed Mindset, the opposite of a Growth Mindset, is rooted in Self-efficacy. We know that if a learner believes that they cannot learn something in particular, they will not; and vice versa. Such human behaviour, perspective and tendency is also commonly referred to as a self-fulfilling prophecy, and has nothing to do with myth or fiction but rather everything to do with our minds. Isn't Science grand?

The Bird's-Eye View

FIRST, WE REDEFINE: The term vote is redefined as Your Voice, Your thoughts and Your opinions. A vote no longer needs to be some random person's name who will speak on our behalf. No thank you. We all have the capacity and resources to speak for ourselves.

SECOND, WE DESIGN: We design a BLUEPRINT outlining a detailed alternate reality that we envision in our votes (e.g. compile the matters we decided to propose, discuss and debate).

THIRD, WE PLAN: We compose and arrange pilot, migration, transition and exit/revision plans for each section of the Blueprint. This assures us a safe and seamless, progressive move from the status quo to our universally-aware and ideal way of living.

FOURTH, WE PILOT and PROCEED: WE Execute using a modular and scalable approach. WE evaluate. WE tweak plans accordingly, if deemed necessary. WE iterate and proceed until everyone is satisfied.

FINALLY, WE ENJOY (and DESTROY?): WE enjoy Life! Eventually though, and probably very quickly, WE will be dealing with new problems; only because we are human and are impressively vulnerable when it comes to complicating our lives (through a lack of emotional intelligence maybe?). At least we will know that these new problems will never be the same archaic and nonsensical problems that a mass majority of us today are no longer willing to accept (e.g. wars; mass production farming; emigration due to poor healthcare, indoctrinating education and low overall standard of living, and list goes on endlessly).

As all projects begin with initializing and careful planning, so should this project. This means that all stakeholders need to be considered, those directly involved, and those indirectly affected. Since this project involves everyone who has the capacity to communicate their thoughts and share their needs and opinions, as well as those who cannot, then it involves you. Every last one of you; and me; and all speechless life forms around us.

Where Do We Begin

Whether we call these first principles, axioms, fundamentals, elementary root definitions of what we're trying to understand or just philosophical tooting of the horn, let's get them written down and agreed upon.

Within each section of THE BLUEPRINT, you will find a PAGE tab and a DISCUSSION tab; the Page tabs can hold our overall syntheses of our contributions and exchanges that take place under the Discussion tabs. Since the Discussions tabs are unsearchable, initial exchanges can take place directly in the Page section. We can then archive any parts of the conversations that we unanimously determine as obsolete.

If we can truly embody this vision and its intended mission (i.e. if we embrace Our Blueprint), we can become an unstoppable and contagious wildfire! Imagine a universally self-aware movement; the unrotten apples who influence and inspire those around us to actively - and considerately - pursue our inherent entitlement to owning and driving the circumstances of our (short and finite) lives!

Typical Reactions

If you're feeling a bit pessimistic about humanity, consider Abraham Maslow who is reputed for the Hierarchy of Needs, but is far less often credited for his other research findings. He as well as many well-respected psychologists like him confirmed that humans are born neutral or kind in nature, not evil. I'll be the first to argue that we all have within us this potential for so-called evil; I certainly do. The mere thought of someone inflicting extreme harm or injustice on a loved one and that vengeful anger begins to rise.

Existing societies cultivate undesired behaviour through divisions and dichotomies, fear mongering and other appeals to emotion, as well as a multitude of well-known and well-researched control tools that manipulate our innate cognitive biases. Our poor decisions and responses then spread the same way a rotten apple ruins the entire lot. We can do better than that. We just need to have a proper, comprehensive discussion on how, while ensuring that quality learning tools are accessible to everyone so they can develop any missing abilities that may keep them from freely joining this conversation.

There is this question about ten percent of our population having too low an IQ to be integrated into institutions as desperate to hire as the armed forces (who are generally ready to bring in and employ anyone who is willing). There is a correlation between low IQ and antisocial behaviour, and a more pressing concern that "remedying" someone of this neurodiversity is currently limited to us waiting for them to turn 27. What if this neurodivergence stems from the cognitive dissonance this world lays on us from birth? Regardless, I think the rest of us will in good conscience be glad to guide them through this reinvention.

There's also this common tendency for people to say that we can't all be the captain of the ship. Sure, it makes sense not to have 20 different individuals screaming orders in the middle of a storm. Regardless of that sound logic, let's examine what exactly is a captain - or, leader? A good leader isn't one that tells others what to do, but rather one that listens to, and understands what everyone needs in a given situation. A leader knows that only collaboration and clear communication will get us all where we need to go. Perhaps most importantly, a leader knows when to step out of the way and let others lead the way. All of us can learn to be leaders if given the tools and opportunities to develop the necessary traits. This isn't heresy, this is fact. Lookup Child Development and you'll see for yourself that I'm not making this up. Yes, you can also teach an old dog new tricks, even if it may take more time; it's called neuroplasticity. Think of it as the human equivalent buzzword for the cloud.

Your Thoughts are More Valuable Than you Think

A Brazilian philosopher named Paulo Freire once underlined the importance of individual expression saying that the word, the ability to verbalize our thoughts, is our only path to personal freedom. He stated that Dialogue is the basis for all social contracts whether democratic or socialist in nature. Such sentiments echoed the likes of Wittgenstein who uttered "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world", and continue to be uttered today by the likes of Jordan Peterson* who convincingly argues that free speech permits thought.

* Quick Disclaimer: Whether you're a fan of Jordan Peterson or whether your temperature rises just from reading his name, I try to remain in the neutral "camp referee", where I prefer focusing on the tangible and debatable arguments that we can validate or refute using logic and reason, regardless of whose mouth these come out of (with reservations, likely to be personal biases, as I'm no better than you at this).

I personally relate to David Wallace's speech where he warns us of our Blind Certainty as he breaks down thought itself (you may relate it to your own versions of daily mundane repetitions of ins and outs). Equally important is our take on free speech, exemplified by Rowan Atkinson here, as he skillfully objects to authoritarian censorship. Even modern science tells us how we can't fully feel or discuss intricate emotions before we learn the vocabulary that helps us identify them with accuracy. Test this out for yourself. Google words about emotions; find a couple that you're unfamiliar with, and read their definitions. Reflect back to situations where you may have felt in such a way and weren't fully aware of the fact. If you can't relate yet, you'll eventually feel the difference the next time you experience this newly acquired vocabulary. Please don't just take my word (or any expert's word) for it; try it. Sort of eye opening isn't it?

Your thoughts are unique to you. It is our privilege to have you share them with us.

The Status-Quo is Evidently Unsustainable

Harvardx put together some very informative programs entitled Big Data for Education and Big Data for Social Good. While auditing some of their underlying courses on edx.org (course audits are freely accessible to anyone who is interested), I stumbled on some very interesting key findings in Evaluating Upward Mobility: The Fading American Dream and Big Data Solutions for Social and Economic Disparities. Their studies made use of a now publicly available dashboard called The Opportunity Atlas to support their justifications in identifying key indicators that have led up to the status-quo in the U.S.A., and what can be done to improve population odds at equal opportunity. In short, neighborhoods have a lot to do with chances at success, and as such, black men and American Indians have been systematically disadvantaged in their ability to transfer any opportunity at intergenerational upward mobility.

This undeniably stifles their ability to progress and as a direct result, limits the nation's overall economic growth. Of course, this situation is not limited to the U.S. and its social structure as we blatantly see it play it in many heterogenous nations. In contrast, Hans Rosling authored Factfulness and painted a much more positive view of our world and how far we've come over the past few decades, leveraging his team's data dashboard Gapminder. His own son, co-founder and current president of Gapminder (Hans Rosling sadly passed in early 2017, shortly after making his final annotations to his book as he rode the ambulance to the hospital) brilliantly illustrates the (story of the) remaining struggles we have to address if we care to achieve the pressing issues we often refer to as the Social Developmental Goals (SDGs).

Without delving into any more studies and rather simply looking around at what is happening in the world today, are there any governmental structures anywhere that are regarded as highly satisfactory to the majority of their citizens? Are there any public servants who are ardently serving the majority of their public? Do we typically see action that we ask for, or do we only read or hear elected representatives and experts utter what we want only to later face disappointing or deceiving outcomes from their policies, bills and overall administration? Such elected individuals are meant to be our employees, working only to make all of our lives better. Does it feel that way? Is there a mass population anywhere that sees efficient or effective labour generated by their state authorities; people who we entrust and pay to do such work for us? What about law enforcement whose primary purpose is to serve and protect its citizens from unlawful acts? Are they adequately equipped and prepared to be at the top of their game in serving the masses? Or was George Carlin correct in this skit (I admit I was a fan of his journalism just as much as his stand-up acts)?

The Author is a 45 year old who was born in Lebanon and raised in Canada since 1987. He also lived in West Africa and East Asia for over a decade and has only felt less than impressed by all government and law enforcement bodies that he'd been exposed to. So the logical question that follows (or begging the question, in the vernacular) is, what good does the concept of nations still serve us, the people, today? Is the notion of electing someone to speak on our behalf not only antiquated but even somewhat insulting given the consistency in blatant lies and disappointing results? Sorry to say this, but I felt just as free living in socialist countries like China and Vietnam as I did growing up in democratic Canada (and Lebanon; and yes, it's a democracy too, another dysfunctional family really). What about the concept of law enforcement, has it lost its roots and become a defender of Big Corp interests and the oligarchy instead? Does the law even apply to certain classes? Consider only the trending demands to disallow stock investments for persons of authority (POAs?) to easily answer that last question (at least in Single Party Socialist Vietnam, they just imprisoned all the POAs that messed around with Bonds). Not taking sides here; just referencing facts to support my argument.

If You Want Something Done Right, Do It Yourself

We know that peaceful conflict resolution requires open lines of communication. Where is this open communication taking place right now, the media? Our theatrical politics? NATO? The WEF? Yeah, that is pretty comical. We're far too aware (I hope) of how we've been getting duped over and over again with that false-promise, do-good-wannabe nonsense.

We just don't seem to think that there's a better way to do things than to vote for new faces and cross our fingers. Apparently, the world is too complex for us to solve anything by ourselves. Is it though?

What if we incorporated one single lesson, of the many lessons we whole-heartedly teach all of our kids: united we stand and divided, we fall. The best leaders lead by example, do they not? So, why are we not leading our own children by example? Why are we not even trying to evaluate our dividing differences, and work out how we can stand united?

My father used to tell me stories about how his childhood donkey knew to avoid any holes or pitfalls from the very second occurrence he/she/it encountered it. Are we not even as wise as a donkey anymore? Fool me once... one can't help but wonder if we are being fair to animals when we see "bestial" herd mentality at play.

The gist of it is very simple. Consider how all constructs in use of today (e.g. currency, nations, governments) are based on imagined wo/man-made concepts. This inseparably means that we can change anything currently adopted as daily practice, because we simply imagined it into existence, agreed on by people just like you and me! In other words, if we all stopped believing in FIAT currency right this second, it would literally cease to exist - regardless of who is managing it and who owns what.

For example, if we found an alternative to the currency exchange system we currently have, which by the was Bitcoin's intentions, we could simply take on this alternative and ditch the old ways. We really are that powerful IFF (i.e. if and only if) we stand together! Since many didn't believe in crypto, Bitcoin was dragged right back into the existing narrative, now being pushed into Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Such a move will give central authorities even more control than they already have. That's literally the exact opposite of what Bitcoin was created for.

The masses didn't believe in its potential for progress, or were to scared to shift into something new and difficult to understand. Eventually, it was incorporated into the existing financial systems where uneven wins and losses were created, where black markets learned to dominate by adopting it for anonymous transactions, and where volatility and uncertainty now rules. What if we created another equivalent, but kept it disconnected from the current financial systems? How would that turn out?

Wanna shake up the status quo?

I do.

Beauty in Simplicity

Any troglodyte can complicate things (like how I was able to make this site so complicated to explain such a seemingly simple and obvious notion). There is beauty in simplicity.

Let's simplify our existence and make it enjoyable for everyone already (maybe you can help me simplify this site while we're at it).

If all of this continues to sound idealistic, utopian and unachievable to you, then please read through all of the contents until you have had all of your questions and concerns answered and satisfied. I've tested these thoughts for over a decade with a multitude of individuals from all walks of life. They all eventually end up pondering the unlikely possibility and wishing that we will achieve this, regardless of doubtful they may be of our humanity. Thing is, I don't simply "believe" or "have faith" in our ability to do this, I know your potential, I know I'm no smarter than you, and I know for a fact that I can be fully devoted and ready to contribute to something like this.

By no means am I calling myself an expert on anything, no one ever is; even the so-called experts who are honest with themselves know the endless limitations of their understanding. I've simply been privileged enough with time and access to certain scientific facts that have been long identified, but have not yet been efficiently, nor freely, dissipated to the masses. Consider only how primary and secondary sources such as scientific journals have come at a cost, as have so many tertiary sources such as books. Though such associated costs may seem minor to some, they render access to information unattainable to many.

Perhaps copyright restrictions need to be revisited and the compensation model revamped in favor of human progress over centralized profit? All while respecting authors and their contributions, but more than their publisher counterparts in all fairness. Open Source concepts are aligned with this line of thinking, which certainly help avoid friction such as the current debate over whether new technologies like ChatGPT should be allowed to leverage copyrighted content to generate well-informed responses. I for one would want to share knowledge that I acquire for I wouldn't know anything had my predecessors not done the same for me.

Let's simplify our lives already, only in a collaborative way that drives us all forward. Yes, it's much more difficult to work together than to work alone, but the long term payout can mean something as illusive as world peace!

Leverage Technology, Fear Only Those Who Make False Promises

What good is the Internet if we can't put it to our service; use it for what our forefathers and predecessors could not possibly dream of - mass communication, collaboration and coordination! Imagine if we could create a Global Direct Democracy, inclusive of all people everywhere!? We finally have the tools to speak for ourselves, so the only remaining question is, what are we waiting for??? We can't possibly do worse than our governments have seeing as how they still cause (instigate and pursue) wars and destruction. Our collective understanding reaches far beyond the intelligence and compassion necessary to avoid such illogical and universally unproductive self-harm.

We have an opportunity to reinvent ourselves. Redesign life exactly how we envision it to be - together, peacefully. There are no limits to our creativity; imagine the synergy we could build if we put as many of our heads together as we can and design the most relevant, modern, intelligent global reality we can possibly compose! It can start right here, right now; with you voicing your thoughts on the matter(s) that matter(s). Drop all the existing veils and matrices that we were shaped into absorbing, believing, accepting and currently living, and consider a united, humane and collective approach to radical change.

If the following two expressions mingled, then this platform would be their baby:
(1) measure twice, cut once;
(2) if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.

We can use this MediaWiki server for however long it serves our mission. I will manage it for us pro bono until any one of us comes up with a better idea. Everything in here is transparent and open for debate - full disclosure, and outlined on the Technical and Financial page.

When you feel ready to contribute to this dialogue - as opposed to complaining and ranting on endlessly about the supposedly unchangeable (like most of us often do, and that's ok, it makes us feel better - temporarily), create an account (always free) and participate by adding to or modifying whichever parts of your reality that you care to change!

If we hesitate, we miss out. Do any of us have anything to lose in voicing and sharing our views, needs and/or concerns?

If interested in an artistic approach (lyrical, instrumental, visual, etc) to sharing this vision with the world, as with all else I'm writing here, the following are entirely open for elaboration, collaboration, and all other recommendations anyone may have to make this message a universal call to action:

     ⇒ The Lyrical Rendering of OneHouse
     ⇒ The Lyrical Rendering of ePangea, initially focused on reinventing Human Learning
     ⇒ A 5-10minute movie script is in progress, to be adapted into a cartoon in the style of Kurzgesagt

If interested in online conversations (perhaps offline someday?) as opposed to reading and writing, visit:

     ⇒ Townhall Meetings and Topics

If interested in what ChatGPT had to say about some of these topics, see:

     ⇒ The ChatGPT Solutions

Imagine, A Borderless World

What exactly is a nation? Is it a unity formed amongst a people that share a particular set of languages, arts and traditions? When we dig a little deeper, do we not find that such cultural traits differ from one region, or even one community, to the next? Do these localized pockets not find themselves disassociated from each other, often viewing one another as different, unique, better or even worse than their neighbours?

It seems as though community pockets have more than enough reasons to divide themselves from each other already, that one must wonder once again – what is a nation and what does it represent? Perhaps their flag is simply a representation of the central tax bank treasury which provides the shared services for collective needs, such as managing infrastructure or defending the nation?

So then, is a nation or state indifferent from its governing bodies that represent and work for the people, to provide such needs?

The best answer I think I've heard is that a nation fights for a shared vision; a shared set of beliefs.

I propose we continue to dig even deeper in the Administrative Regions section and see what we uncover. Maybe we will finally be able to Imagine what John Lennon was proposing we imagine.

I wrote this bit in late August 2022 about how nations are comparable to modern day Roman Gladiators. Have a read at your own leisure.

Who are You, Really? Do you Even Know?

I need you. We need you. Even if others may have told you that your voice doesn't matter; it does.

Your identity isn't unique because of your beliefs or your flags, it's because of your VOICE. Your intentions. Your actions. The way you think and act is your only, ever-learning, ever-growing, and ever-morphing identity. No one can ever place any sort of label on THAT. Not even you!

When it comes to religion, this debate between Tony Blair and Christopher Hitchens describes one of the many contrasting dichotomies that we continue to see playing out in our every day life. Can we all at least agree to care for our fellow human? Practically every scripture I've stumbled on claims such intentions. Instead, I see groups hiding behind a tribal us versus them mentality, attacking the horrendous pasts which have already been endured, to justify more horrendous acts. Haven't we all had enough?

When it comes to capitalism and the pursuit of happiness, the 2023 Netflix movie Pain Killers (movie script loosely based on a New York Times article by Evan Hughes) perhaps best represents the social dangers of, and lack of moral ethics in searching for meaning through financial gain and material pleasures - at the price of commoditizing human welfare.

For a historical approach to how confusing group identities can be, here's a modern historian's take on the history of Lebanon and why its citizens (and diaspora) have been (often inaccurately) referred to as Phoenicians, Levantines, Turks and Arabs. I'm of Lebanese origins and I have no idea. A certain hate or discrimination or prejudice has been taught to so many of us since birth (I know I'm a guilty recipient), that some of us can live an entire lifetime without ever reflecting deeply enough to realize that we were indoctrinated all along. We never have the opportunity to learn, to grow or to love safely for long enough to feel any less fearful than what we have experienced in our pasts. We can never forgive and let go of our pasts. Or can we?

Freedom Begets Chaos

If we take only sixty seconds to think on that, we would realize that everyone is to blame for everything. Tech Giants? Colonial powers for dividing the world up and causing upheaval everywhere? Ottomans? Mongolians? Crusades? Roman Church? Islam? Masons? WEF? Our choices dictate our fates. They say the opposite of courage is conformity. I think I agree. We can't move forward this way, blaming one another for pasts that can't be undone. Can we?

George Carlin gives a classic (and somehow loveable) "punch to the gut" take on individuality vs groups. Jim Carrey complements this perspective by describing the value being just us, free to be, in this commencement speech at MIU. I think we have all been duped. In so many ways, we find ourselves in a hundred more boxes just as we think we're outside of the one box. A free thinker is hard to come by. I can't even claim that I am for I will never know what box I'm still in before I'm outside of it looking in.

What I have come to conclude though, is that not a single one of us is a static thing. WE ARE LABEL'LESS!

We are not a consistent or persistent emotion, nor an unchangeable personality, nor a common or uncommon belief, nor <insert_whatever_wo/man-made_concept_here>.

This perspective alone makes each and every one of us entirely different and uniquely beautiful. It gives us innate worth and universal, existential belonging. The elusive and untaggable inconsistency; the essence of what endlessly fortifies our forever-changing, and only, personal unidentifiable identity.

A notion like this is in itself freeing: we have intrinsic value without a need to pursue any external justifications for our existence. We must exercise our freedom to live the lives we freely choose to live and mold it as we see fit, for otherwise we would be as Nietzsche put it, "just another existing product on the shelf".

The only catch is that freedom evidently begets chaos; unless such freedom is paired with outward responsibility from every single individual. Not coerced or forced responsibility, but universally molded and forged by, and agreed on by everyone. Hence, the need for a Blueprint like this one. We would evidently need to ensure accessibility and universality so that we can all take part in such important conversations. To this aim, and I'm always baffled as how this isn't the case already all around the world (Hello UNESCO? UNICEF? Yeah, you didn't do such a great job post WWII), free access to quality learning must be granted to everyone, everywhere and in all major languages.