OUR WORLD
After participating in my circles for a few years, a
young woman commented, “I see for the first time
in my life the possibility of learning to communicate in a way that really works. I’ve always wanted
love, but I never learned how to communicate in a
way that allowed me to get it. But now I know it’s
really possible.”
At present, the way we relate to others is largely
dominated by the tribal and the modern ego. Fortunately, we are not powerless against the collective programming we inherit. We can deconstruct
walls that were once designed to protect us but are
now imprisoning us. A new consciousness is stirring that knows what freedom feels like and won’t
settle for less. An irrepressible force is pushing at
our edges, insisting that the time has come for us
to grow and expand.
That we are capable of reeducating our ego and
healing our collective insanity is something I know
because I’ve seen it happen over and over. However, I also know it cannot be done without a big dose
of relational education. Relational education gives
us the tools to translate our longing for a more
peaceful world into a tangible reality. Without it,
we’re like birds without wings.
56 | NEW CONSCIOUSNESS REVIEW
It’s often said that democracy can’t work unless
citizens are educated. In countries in which a major portion of the citizenry is illiterate, providing
education is seen as a crucial step toward democratization. I would add that neither can a democracy work when citizens are relationally illiterate.
Relationally illiterate people tend to support leaders who mirror their own bias and reinforce their
own prejudices. People governed by the tribal ego
will typically support politicians who engage in usversus-them thinking and advocate for war. People
governed by the modern ego will gravitate toward
leaders who put on a show of being rational and
tough.
When we’re relationally illiterate, we perceive reality through the distorting filter of our unconscious
beliefs and assumptions. As a result, our political
choices miss the mark.
Every time I go to Israel or Palestine, I wonder why
so little is being done to address the issue of relational illiteracy. The conflict between Jews and
Arabs is one among many the international community has repeatedly attempted to resolve by political and legal means. Yet despite the enormous
energy and resources expended, their efforts have
by and large failed.