Learning the Ropes to Survive in the Real World
By Shiva
@Shiva49 (26776)
Singapore
July 23, 2017 10:14pm CST
I recall my childhood days of innocence. All older people were successful and full of wisdom. I obeyed their requests without question. I was in wonderment of everything and trusting.
To my dismay, I was slowly introduced to a real world of contradictions:
Be careful with few as they are up to no good
Learn to hold back and be less than frank in interactions
Be smart to get ahead meaning being nice is to be taken advantage of
Learn to swallow insults as the world is cruel
People believe in different gods and do not talk about it lest it might hurt others’ feelings
That is part of the list I recall to survive the adult world, a reality check for basic survival.
Can we break this vicious cycle and move towards a more accepting and loving world? That is the issue that will decide our future. Sadly, despite all our scientific progress “might is right” holds sway at all levels. And the will of the 99% does not run: They want to live in peace but made to be at loggerheads by the 1%.
What is your solution or are we marching to our doom?
Image Credit: Wars from Wikimedia Images
25 people like this
22 responses
@crossbones27 (49722)
• Mojave, California
24 Jul 17
This is one of the greatest posts I have ever laid my eyes on. Sound advice and wish it came sooner for me. Happy it came than to never come at all. 
8 people like this
@crossbones27 (49722)
• Mojave, California
24 Jul 17
@Shiva49 Happy for you brother, great observation great to see people like you are out there. Made me better just reading it.
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
@crossbones27 Thanks again, I feel fulfilled for my effort - siva
3 people like this
@vandana7 (100605)
• India
24 Jul 17
Funny I was thinking same thing, and as a matter of fact, I wrote a comment like this a couple of days ago, on YouTube. I feel sorry for the young ones. We do not leave behind a peaceful world for them, we leave them a world that was worse than what we stepped into, and everything including air and water is bad, and food as well as housing is becoming expensive. I have had my share of watch your words moments more so because I have been in hostel. Suddenly everything gets blown out of proportion.
5 people like this
@vandana7 (100605)
• India
24 Jul 17
@Shiva49 .. Somebody wrote, we borrow our world from our children...sad but true...when I look at young kids, I can't but help feel that their lives will be tougher than ours, and that we failed them .. makes me want to pamper them...as a way to say ...sorry. How did we become so powerless in a world that uses cell phones to vote for the singer they like in reality show?
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
@vandana7 Our forefathers struggled to leave a better world for us fighting injustices all their lives.
We have fought wars and should know by now how to prevent them and that they are the final resort.
Now we have big powers throwing their weight around and few telling their gods are superior and can pummel other gods! The basic fact is overlooked - we are from the same source and also go back to the same place. What we can do here is shine some light and then it is for others to emulate or disregard us.
The world is not the same like before. One world war can decimate us taking our children back to the Stone Age. However our leaders are fiddling when the world is marching towards another holocaust like we have not seen before. We need leaders with a heart and not only muscles to flex - siva
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
Individually most are nice and accepting of others but collectively we have made a mess of our lives and the state of the planet due to our overbearing greed and ego.
I recall one saying about India that can as well apply to the world in general "Our past was glorious, the future will be even moreso, but the present will always be lousy!" We should get out of this delusion.
We are living an untenable lifestyle with nary a thought for the future generations to come. Our leaders flex their muscles by browbeating others and toying with nuclear weapons - their hypocritical view " we are responsible, you are not". When the club is kept exclusive, it is natural others would like to gatecrash into it and then the present members cry foul! siva
4 people like this
@dpk262006 (58678)
• Delhi, India
24 Jul 17
Wonderful post. When I was growing up I was also given more or less the some teachings and how to face the world. It is true that might is right and it will continue to hold true for future also. During the course of our life, we carve our own path to survive in this cruel world.
. When I was growing up I was also given more or less the some teachings and how to face the world. It is true that might is right and it will continue to hold true for future also. During the course of our life, we carve our own path to survive in this cruel world.4 people like this
@dpk262006 (58678)
• Delhi, India
24 Jul 17
@Shiva49 There appears no way to bell the cat. Politics will not change and it is common people like you and me, who will continue to suffer. Every Government thinks how to garner support and votes in the next elections and they formulate policies accordingly. Their own welfare is more important than the public.
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
Thanks, we are led by politicians who have narrow, selfish, outlook.
It is self, party, country for them and not our interests at heart.
How to bell the cat to get real leaders who can unite the world?
After all, there is no enmity among the masses across the world.
That what I express here cuts across all artificial differences bears testimony to the oneness of humanity despite the uniqueness in each of us - siva
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
@dpk262006 I lived for few years in a country which was taken as under dictatorship. No one had any problem as the country developed fast. Common folks obeyed the law and few might have been above the law as it happens in democracies too!
In most countries democracy is a sham and the biggest challenge now is how to make it work than just accept the present system as a fait accompli. We face the same issues but it is free for all politics 24/7 in democracies.
Democracy and freedom without rule of law is anarchy - siva
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
24 Jul 17
First off thanks to @crossbones27 for suggesting this post.
As for the post itself, being kind in a cruel world is the true sign of strength. We march on and continue to do what is right and just.
5 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
Thanks for the comment.
Agreed. The basic goodness in us can never be obliterated however bad the situation we find ourselves in. We share what little we have even in dire circumstances - there are, of course, the exceptions and then it is their problem! siva
3 people like this
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
24 Jul 17
Life and our experiences teach us a lot of lessons and I agree that might is right holds sway at all levels in all societies. In fact nature made it that way ... survival of the fittest ! It is in our hands to rise above this and make the world a better place to live..
5 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
Yeah, we have to step away away from hypocrisy which may not be apparent when we wear blinders narrowing our outlook.
I recall a lovely story where a young girl tells her newborn sibling " how does it feel to be with god as I have forgotten now?" siva
3 people like this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
24 Jul 17
The real solution is for the 99 percent to band together. Be as one. Then we can make true change in this screwed up world and country. When I grew up I thought many things back then were normal. Or what I perceived as normal. But the world did change. Now they are looking to turn back time and make us all stupid again. Not good. But I doubt we ever can truly go back. The future, although looking bleak at this point, is still there for us to make it better.
4 people like this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
25 Jul 17
@Shiva49 Well, that's true. But we still have the power to control what is going on in government. The ground work here in america is being laid now. But it might take some years before it can make a change. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it all good now.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
25 Jul 17
Yeah, past is well past except for the lessons imparted.
Social media can be the enabler for driving the change and to reflect the will of the 99%.
We should make it decisive.
We can effect the change but we should want to and work towards it.
There is no way one country can shut itself from others and the big powers should rise above petty and perceived differences to make concerted and united effort - siva
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
26 Jul 17
@inertia4 America should lead by example and take the lead in terms of denuclearization and other weapons that kill at a mass level. If weapons are sold, who really benefits? Obviously, a tiny minority with zilch scruples.
Believe me, if America comes up with a proposal to move towards peace through concrete steps inviting others to join there will a mass response supporting such an initiative. Using more potent weapons as the way to peace is patently untenable. It will only light the fire of hatred and killings everywhere.
Peace is a magical word which we are led to believe is unattainable while it is at the core of our yearnings.
Let us break ourselves free from those who perpetuate the myth that might is right. Peace will reward the 99% more than everything else. Sadly, greed, ego and hubris of few hold us back and make us perpetuate a system, lifestyle, that will lead us to doom - siva
2 people like this
@allknowing (137815)
• India
24 Jul 17
I believe in the 'picking wheat from chaff' philosophy. I am at a stage in my life I can easily stop interacting with loads that make me uncomfortable( without hatred) and this includes both the virtual and the real.
3 people like this
@allknowing (137815)
• India
25 Jul 17
@Shiva49 I do lend myself to situations where I can do it comfortably. As an individual I can confidently say 'When the time comes to part, I can say it from my heart. I have been true, faithful and kind, a better world I have left behind'
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
Yeah, that is a pragmatic approach to remain sane.
I too shut myself out from outside noise to an extent but feel that we should lend our shoulders to the wheel of change in whatever way as the vast majority is taken for a ride and the future generations will inherit an unlivable planet of our making - siva
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
25 Jul 17
I believe human nature which is always brutal in the end will never change.
I am not sure how far off actual 'doom' is, but it could be a possibility in the not too distant future.
Because mankind will not work together as a unit, there really can be nothing done to prevent its nature.
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
26 Jul 17
@Shiva49 Yes there is only hope Siva, agreed. And at the apex, most assuredly.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25805)
• United States
26 Jul 17
Sadly, being a loving and accepting species is not in our DNA. Living peacefully together, accepting of our differences, is something we have to decide to do each morning when we wake up, and every time we meet someone new. Evolution has prepared us to survive at all costs, take what we need if we can, and worry only about our clan or tribe. Overcoming this evolutionary imperative is what religion and civil law are all about.
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
28 Jul 17
@DWDavis Agreed, wars drive home the reality like nothing else can. League of Nations after First World War proved ineffective to prevent another world war and now United Nations is for "smaller fries" as big powers can do whatever they want with impunity.
Children are admonished "you need discipline in life to achieve" but it does not apply to few and due to that the rest bears the burden - siva
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
27 Jul 17
Well articulated, thanks.
We started with "fighting tooth and nail". Over time we have developed weapons and now we have those that can take us back to the Stone Age.
So it is high time for us to evolve rather than blame others for an all out war of destruction and at the end of the day we are back to square one - live and let others live; the only option to survive.
I feel the real issue is though we have progressed in terms of science and technology, we are stuck at the starting block in terms of coexistence. The real challenge for us now is a higher level of awareness than going at each other's throats all the time perpetuating enmities that has no relevance in a modern world where people interact with one another all the time - siva
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
25 Jul 17
@LadyDuck Yes, the change has to come from within.
Then it will gather momentum.
For now our top leaders are still playing negative games, hitting others below the belt.
The mindset change towards inclusiveness at every level is the key for peace - siva
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
Basic human character has not changed or we refuse to learn.
I recall Gandhi's exhortation that is so uplifting and timeless " Be the change you want to see in the world."
Yes, we all can be the agent for change and slowly it will gather momentum and social media can be the enabler - siva .
2 people like this
@Butchcass4 (5895)
• United States
24 Jul 17
My solution is Prayer to our Great and Mighty God, Jehovah. The God of Abraham, Isacc, and Jacob. He's the only answer to our dilema. So pray my friend Pray in Jesus name and believe God for miracles as if you were to dig a little you would see God is at work in our world He just doesn't get the exposure all the bad stuff thats going on gets. But He is working through our prayers and He has the Final Say!
2 people like this
@Butchcass4 (5895)
• United States
29 Jul 17
@Shiva49 Thank you so much for the
comments. I appreciate you taking the time to reply. God bless you!
comments. I appreciate you taking the time to reply. God bless you!2 people like this
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
24 Jul 17
We just need to live our best lives and do the right thing always. In so doing e can set an example for others to follow.
4 people like this
@andriaperry (117146)
• Anniston, Alabama
24 Jul 17
I think things will work out like they have been for thousands of years.
3 people like this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
24 Jul 17
That is a fact. I have met people from almost everywhere and interacted with them face to face.
I have also been on online sites for over seven years and for the life of me I can only see humanity as one species and the vast majority wants to live and let others live.
I sincerely believe it is better to create an avenue for war mongers to fight among themselves than just sit back and incite others to kill each other. If their own lives are at stake our leaders will leave no stone untuned in their pursuit of world peace!
That is a possible solution from me! siva
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
7 Aug 17
All the weapons in this world will not make peace happen; we are on the wrong path now.
Politicians create war and the vast majority suffer.
Democracy has meant voting those in power who use us for their own selfish agenda.
We have to break this vicious cycle.
We need to drive home to our leaders we want peace and goodwill.
After all, we are told to love and forgive our neighbor, even enemies- siva
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
15 Aug 17
I always try to lead a good and honest life. I hope that people will treat me the same way. Those who don't find the exit door.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
16 Aug 17
Yeah, that is what the vast majority does but our agenda is set by troublemakers.
Our world is always in a mess with our leaders going at each other's throats dragging us along.
I recall what one wrote in my diary at school "each can do but little, but if each does that little, all will be done - siva
@innertalks (22093)
• Australia
25 Jul 17
Should we try to survive, and be part of the real world then, or not?
Realness does not come from the outer world, but from the inner planes of truth that links all to all.
The inner world creates the "ideal" outer world, when these truths are lived from. Abandon the eternal truths, and the outer world will be like one abandoned too.
We need to get back to love, truth, and being as good to each other as we can then, and we must not continue in our trying to use the other person for only our own gain, anymore.
We need to love all unconditionally, not selfishly.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (22093)
• Australia
25 Jul 17
@Shiva49 Nicely put siva.
The "treadingness" of our life depends on the amount of treading that we do to others.
We should tread only for our self, and let others walk their own walk, and yet while treading, it is true also, that we never tread alone, because all of us are treading through this existence together too.
Last night, for example, I was dreaming that I was on a beach, treading a large beach ball, walking on top of it, and moving it, and me along, as I treaded it along the sand on the beach.
Our life then we are really treading through our soul, but our soul is not alone, and it rests on the sands of the constructed pliableness of God's creation too.
In most ways then, we are free to do most anything, but in other ways, we must take our appointed position on our allotted land, or ball too, and run with that to make anything real of our lives.
We should not shirk our responsibilities. We should go with our "inner awareness", as you put it above.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
26 Jul 17
@innertalks There can be no total, unadulterated, freedom anywhere. I cannot swing my arms with gay abandon in a busy street unmindful of others.
We have built certain bulwarks we think are necessary for our safety. We do not want to even consider whether they are needed while in fact, they are also hindrances for a peaceful, inclusive, existence.
We feel we need to ringfence ourselves at every level not only individual. The better way would be to live a lifestyle of non exclusiveness to a great extent. Our path may be exclusive but lies within the overall societal welfare.
Now the super rich are living it up with nary a thought for others and society pays the price in terms of losing its cohesiveness, being led astray due to wrong examples set and taken as worthy of emulation. Many overlook "You cannot serve God and mammon" to suit their convenience. Yeah, selective adherence to morals is hypocrisy - siva
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26776)
• Singapore
25 Jul 17
That approach cannot go wrong and will lead to peace.
We need a higher awareness that we are one and the same.
We should realize that we are part of creation and not separate from it.
There should be no artificial boundaries and also dismantling of present schisms.
Our present lifestyle is highlighted by lack of trust and "us and them".
Yes, love, truth and trust should guide us.
Outer world does not reflect the majority yearnings.
The emptiness we feel is because we go against inner awareness.
Keep shining our light; brighter when there is overwhelming darkness - siva
1 person likes this
