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Michelle Rosenthal

social worker, Dr Susan Smith McKinney Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

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If you were to select a label for the human species as a whole which one would you select? Given ongoing wars, do we have a psychosis?

There are 7 billion people on Earth. We are all part of the human family and we are one species.

How would you categorize the personality of the human species as a whole?

Would you diagnose us as having a compulsive or addictive personality disorder as a whole species overall?

Given humanity's track record on killing, fighting, war, domination, etc going back to Cain and Abel It seems we do not have good problem solving skills. There probably has not been one day on Earth for at least several centuries where no human died at the hand of another. We seem to have an inability to behave appropriately and stop killing one an other.

Do you agree we must pick this up as a problem needing professional intervention?

Can we develop a real global peace plan of care to greatly reduce war

How would you describe the overall medical condition of human species?

Would you say we have been toxified and thus is the term homo-toxicus as put foward by Carole Poliquin in her film an accurate label for us?

Overall would you diagnose us as a healthy or unhealthy species of 7 billion considering the odds that we have of developing one or more chronic diseases in our lifetime is fairly high.

How would you describe our human nature?

Do you think we need to develop a new profession that provides counselling between countries and leaders of countries since the UN has not been very effective in achieving the goal for which it was established?

Have we placed our selves at the highest risk of extinction since our species can into existence or have we decreased our risk by learning how to overcome overcome many obstacles.

Will we ever stop destroying the environment and other life forms on earth?

Will we make it through and for how long? Could we survive as long as other species for millions of years? Are we destined to extinguish ourselves through shortsightedness of the negative consequences of our actions in a relatively short time frame over the next millennium or two

Related Talks:
Topics: Climate Crisis conflict extinction fighting global warming hatred mental illness peace saving the environment war
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    Plamena Teneva

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    Sep 26 2011: got me thinking about what my parents used to tell me- taking the hard way, isnt necessary always the long way, but its eventually worth it. Something, while watching videos of war and torture, i realise we as species have not yet realised. War is the fast and easy way out. so thats what i would call us, the easy way out creatures.
    Plamka
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    Dean Jacobson

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    Sep 15 2011: Humans, as many have noted, are an invasive species. We dominate and disrupt ecosystem that evolved for millions of years without us. We have, in the eyes of nature, become alien, although, geologically speaking, we just arrived. We see how destructive invasive weeds and insects can be; if in doubt, visit Hawaii and see ecological disruption first hand. Our impoverishing, caustic influence on natural ecosystems that were the glory of this planet, began long ago. We became invasive as soon as we invented agriculture, and this long process is now reaching a climax. Agriculture, of course, is the cause of most of the invasive species we have let loose on Earth, a Pandora's box, but our over-use of energy (particularly fossil fuels) is destroying even ecosystems yet untouched by invasive species, including coral reefs. They will be dead within the century due to acidification (dissolved CO2) and hot-water bleaching. Yet, supposedly intelligent, we humans ignore this disaster, acting as if this was not our planet. In a sense, it is not. This century will be an epic of tragedy and mourning, at least among ecologists.
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      Michelle Rosenthal

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      Sep 15 2011: Just by writing what you have will open many people's eyes as to the problems we are causing. Please keep speaking out., documenting on, writing about and even filming about these problems so we can try to make a climate for behavior change in humans. Even if some or if we are lucky many people will change our behaviors we can save our own lives and save life on Earth. We do not want to cause a mass extinction of most life on Earth because of our greed. We have to change our priorities and values and consider the cost to the environment for us to have all that we have. Most of what we have is really not even needed and is often just wasted. I am trying to help people overcome any addiction by preparing a 12 step 12 tradition format that can tailored to suit any addiction so it can help all people to begin new self help groups to overcome many of human's behavior problems. I will be posting this format to the internet soon as I get permission from AA and or OA to do so since the format is based upon the essential points of their fellowship. I hope we get the help that we need to save ourselves before it is too late and Earth really becomes the 3rd rock from the Sun. There will be a 12 step phone meeting Meet Up on 9/21/11 the International Peace One Day from 8pm - Midnight. I hope it is widely attended and can grow to become a tool that is utilized for Peace and the cessation of all addictions that are underlying humanity's endless wars and conflict and exploitation of the environment.
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    Winston Lake

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    Sep 9 2011: What if your underlying thesis is flawed? What if our penchent for violence and war are appropriate behaviours for our species? Consider for a moment the possibility that to to be human is to aggressive. Such a worldview is less pleasant, but a great deal more probable based on observable phenomena.

    By suggesting a species wide psychosis or other abnormality, we refuse to accpept the potential in all of us. The idea of lasting peace is on a par with the war on poverty or hunger. They are are mental exercises that take place in a vacuum devoid of actual people. If everyone was as nice as we like to think we are, then it might work. The problem is, they aren't, and neither are we.

    Every time we describe some atrocity as "inhuman" we are trying to to distance ourselves from it. We seek to dissociate ourselves from those who would do such things. Humans aren't sick or psychotic, we're just humans. We're animals who's intelligence has allowed them to to influencce their world like none before them. Like all animals, we have just three priorities: power, real estate and the continuation of our genetic line. The more power you have, the more real estate you control and the more opportunities you have to reproduce.

    Attributing the inherent to the abberant is an insidious disempowerment. Accepting our violence as a part of us allows us to chooose not to indulge it. A psychosis or other illness removes our responsiblility for our actions. You can't choose not to be psychotic, but you can use insanity as a legal defense. This is "The Devil Made Me Do It" writ large enough for all of humanity. But we all know the devil didn't make anyone do anything. We deny our humanity at our peril. We need to teach people to make better choices, not to pretend they have no choice.

    I am not psychotic, I am a human being who chooses not to use violence.

    Cheers, Winston

  • Seth Powell 10+

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    Sep 6 2011: I cannot decide between -

    "Unprecedented" or "Man - the Laughing Animal" or "Misunderstood"

    I like each one for different reasons. Maybe a more appropriate label would be "Indecisive"

    SEP
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    Michelle Rosenthal

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    Sep 5 2011: I agree and I am glad you are doing your part by making your students happy as a teacher! I hope your students help us all save the world.
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    Scott Armstrong 50+

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    Aug 31 2011: 7 billion people that you want to lump into one generic description? For what purpose?

    Until we treat with each other solely on an individual basis, we won't truly understand anyone.
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      Michelle Rosenthal

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      Sep 5 2011: It is good to see and understand each person individually but we may benefit by looking at our species as a whole as well.

      Sometimes I feel apparently we seem to lack the ability to stop fighting, like some animals that you see seemingly mindlessly fighting with each other. I'm sure the animals may have their own reasons that they feel are perfectly valid to continue their fight but they look pretty foolish.

      How many people died to capture and recapture the territory of a hill or to prevent one group crossing another group's boarder.

      Why did many peoples invade and conquer other peoples rather than try to share and coexist peacefully.

      I wonder if we did a genetic analysis of dictators, commanders, genocidal warriors, soldiers, killers and other such types if we would find any difference as compared to people calling for peace, non violence, charity, compassion, conscientiousness objectors to war, and who would not take a life.

      I heard there was an gene for aggression found. Of all humanity, I wonder approximately what % of people actually have killed another person for any reason?

      I wonder what % of people born were killed by another person?

      Do you think we are all capable of killing for these reasons that are given to train soldiers.

      I do not know why humans are so gullible and are just flocking in droves to fight in the various wars around the world. I probably would be shot for failing to follow orders since I do not see any logic to war. We have to negotiate and compromise for peace but it does not seem like we are at that point yet.

      The nations realize that we must fight climate change but fail to see that we must do away with war to really to save the environment and our lives. Can a global 12 step fellowship for peace help humanity to overcome their addictions leading them to fight and war?
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        Scott Armstrong 50+

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        Sep 6 2011: You keep saying 'we' like I've started, or been involved in, a war. I haven't even been in a fight.

        Open your eyes to the people that live peacefully - there's heaps more of them than there are warmongers.

        Switch off the "news" and listen to music or stare at a painting or talk to a friend. Read a book, eat some food prepared for you by someone else, think a thought, make an origami crane, arrange some flowers, see a movie.

        Acknowledge the creative and disregard the destructive..
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          Michelle Rosenthal

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          Sep 6 2011: Although most of us have not directly been in the fighting of war, war exists in part due to all of our taxes being used to support the war, even if it maybe done with out our approval. We are not directly involved in the fighting of the war yet we are generally speaking fairly quiet about it, not speaking out much about the atrocities of war that are being carried out by soldiers against other people. We generally speaking are not making every effort to find peaceful alternatives to war. We tend to believe propaganda and trust that the military is doing the right thing to defend our country and if not well that is just collateral damage. We all watched shock and awe but how much effort was put out by most people in considering that many innocent people were being killed as well. Was any subpoena made to try Saddam Hussein in a court of law or to arrest him before bombing the country. The UN inspectors were all saying there were no weapons of mass destruction yet propaganda was believed and testified to in the UN based on an unsubstantiated story. I suggested a proposal allowing for conscientious objecting taxpayers to be allowed to opt out of funding military expenditures with their taxes. Our nation is 17 trillions of dollars in debt largely due to the funding of these wars, which is going to weaken our economy. Even if I follow your suggestions to stare at a painting or talk to a friend, read a book or see a movie we may in fact see or discuss these issues. I am not saying we are all bad. I am saying we are largely allowing bad to flourish with out really making efforts to find other solutions. There has to be ways to come to agreements, to compromise more to work together to help each other that we are not really trying. Bills were submitted into congress calling for a Department of Peace and Nonviolence and a Secretary of the Peace but it did not get passed through to a vote. See http://thomas.loc.gov Enter HR 808 in the Bill #search.

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    Silvia Marinova 20+

    • +1
    Aug 31 2011: SELF-ADDICTS - we can never get enough of ourselves and fortunately our time will come one day inevitably!
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      Tom Hodge-Sellers

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      Sep 2 2011: global warming as divine providence?
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        Silvia Marinova 20+

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        Sep 3 2011: No, it's nature's way of telling us how far we've gone in this endeavour! Global warming is essential so that balance can be restored. It's nothing more and nothing less. Is it man-made or natural self-preservation of the Earth is far beyond our reach to tell.
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          Tom Hodge-Sellers

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          Sep 7 2011: thats also my opinion, its just when you said inevitably i assumed you were making a religious reference. being a daoist i don't see global warming as a bad thing, it's not as if it will wipe all life on earth and humanity will survive in one form or another; we're like cockroaches- notoriously difficult to get rid of. on the bright side to all the death it could bring it will be the solution to over-population and humanity will learn a lesson it can't really learn any other way.
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      Michelle Rosenthal

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      Sep 5 2011: Are you willing to help us in the recovery process from our self addiction? I think we need a 12 step program for peace since we are addicted to behaviors leading to war and self destruction. This is a real problem that we have to overcome if we are going to survive on Earth.
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        Silvia Marinova 20+

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        Sep 5 2011: There's just one step - positive thinking! People are self-addicts 'cause they are mostly unhappy and focus on their flaws or problems. The change has to happen on its own, a person has to choose that path no one else can help him/her. But if it helps I try to make my students happy as a teacher. :)
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    Tom Hodge-Sellers

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    Aug 31 2011: afraid, our whole society is bent around fear.
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    Krisztián Pintér 200+

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    TED Translator
    Aug 31 2011: rebel teenage, falling for crazy ideas with no self criticism, just to screw the parents
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      Tim blackburn 30+

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      Aug 31 2011: parents just dont understand
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      Michelle Rosenthal

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      Sep 5 2011: How can we move humanity in the right direction toward a global cease fire and a lasting declaration of world peace

  • Chris Pavlis

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    Aug 31 2011: pretty healthy, for a virus
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      Michelle Rosenthal

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      Aug 31 2011: can you elaborate?

      • Chris Pavlis

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        Aug 31 2011: Well we tend to be pretty specific in our definitions of virus to disallow it's use on the multicellular level. However what other organism manipulates/destroys it's host environment to the extent humans do?
        And I say healthy since there is no known cure to the human condition but common sense - which we seem to be beating at an exponential rate.
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          Tom Hodge-Sellers

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          Sep 2 2011: were like locusts.
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          Michelle Rosenthal

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          Sep 5 2011: Are you willing to help humans overcome their addiction's leading to self destructive behaviors. I think a 12 step fellowship for peace is needed. What do you think?
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      Gisela McKay 30+

      • +1
      Sep 6 2011: I was thinking, "vermin" - as in having the tendency to disrupt the balance of an ecosystem in the absence of a natural predator.
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