faceINSTITUTIONS
“What if good institutions were in fact the product of good intentions? What if the cynicism that is supposed to be rigor and the acquisitiveness that is supposed to be realism are making us forget the origins of the greatness we lay claim to – power and wealth as secondary consequences of the progress of freedom, or, as Whitman would prefer, Democracy?”
― Marilynne Robinson, When I Was a Child I Read Books
An Institution is defined as “a society or organization founded for a religious, educational, social, or similar purpose.” Our society is composed of a series of institutions. Some of the most significant are the following:
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- The Military
- Business
- Criminal Justice System
- Police
- Organized religion
- Medical System
- The Presidency
- Congress
- Supreme Court
- Media
- Banks
- Organized labor
These institutions form the backbone of our society. These institutions shape our perspectives and understandings as, born into them, conditioned by them, and directed by them, we naturally grow to fit their molds. While I believe that institutions are crucial for our society’s functionality, in order for the nation to flourish, they must also be intent on promoting positive values for the society. If we are to take on a process of awakening, I consider it absolutely necessary to question the platforms from which these institutions act. Awakening means questioning these institutions — their motives, their effects on the people and environment. Breaking down the barrier between them and us so that we are on the same plane. The way I see it, there are three major areas for concern about these institutions that must be addressed.
- Disconnection: The public is generally uneducated on the reality of these institutions. We, the public, are puppets being played by the behind-the-scenes puppeteers. Despite our absolute reliance on these institutions, we know hardly anything about the way they function or the master-minds behind them. We are not educated on this in school nor is information easily accessible for the curious citizen. These institutions are, without a doubt, strategically secretive and enigmatic. Waking up here means breaking out of the shackles of ignorance and exercising our rights to know the institutions that govern us.
- Motivation: In a Capitalistic system that stems far beyond economics, naturally our institutions will also be under the same governance. When a system operates based on the attainment of profit, it’s natural to question whether the institution is able to balance profit with morality. What is the true motivation for these institutions? Are they interested in creating an enlightened society or an obedient one? As I explore these institutions more and more, I begin to believe that their motivation is to perpetuate a false illusion of democracy while profiting from an obedient society.
- Sustainability: The danger with Capitalism is that it places trust in the people who practice it to remain in touch with their moral compass in the midst of trying to maximize profit. This is a very difficult balance — in my eyes, a fundamental clashing of head and heart. Upon examination of some of these institutions, I believe that they have skewed interests. The power of profit is heavier than the power of morality, and the result is an imbalance in scale — a subjugation of the heart to the ultimate control of the head. This imbalance is not sustainable, and I believe that the immorality, injustice, and inequality in the world is highlighting this fact.
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As we undergo the process of awakening — into our true nature as beings, into part of a society, and into the ecstatic dance of nature, we are realizing the essence of freedom. We are realizing that allowing antithetical systems to continue out of inertia is imprisonment; that they are being maintained only by a fear of change. Step by step, we are taking back our innate freedom from this delusion. We are realizing that, from a space of freedom, we can re-define the institutions that govern us to promote freedom for all beings. In this way, we can create a new paradigm — one that’s ruled by the heart and served by the head.