Assertiveness may not be the first word that springs into your mind when I say that exploring equality as the base of human happiness will be the theme for my April blogs. However, it all depends on what you are being assertive about. Like so many other words, assertive has more than one meaning. A popular view is of someone persistently pushing personal opinions while ignoring the views of others. Assertiveness also means to be firm about the truth of some statement.
The theme of my blogs during April will show how assertiveness about a principle can achieve what many people believe is impossible.
Although every democratic society and all the major religions claim to believe that ‘all people are equal’, very few of us see societies and religions as putting that principle into practice. It seems that very few people believe it’s possible for human relationships to be equal. However, from a cosmic point of view, people have always been equal, particularly at birth and at death. It’s what goes wrong during the bit in-between those two events that these blogs will look at; after we say hello to life and before we say goodbye. During that time, nearly all human unhappiness and suffering is caused by inequality of some kind. The good news is that we have some control over what happens in the bit we call ‘life’.
Each blog will, therefore, be consistent with living as equals, or moving towards equality, in human relationships. They will also explore how being assertive can overcome what is working against us and causing slip-ups.
Asserting that equality is the base for human relationships means being as assertive about meeting the needs of others as about meeting your own needs. Just asking about the needs of others can be a move towards equality.
Even a small movement towards equality can improve relationships at home, at work or in the community, because equality is the balance point between our need to belong and our need for individuality. It’s in this area that we can find the answer to the question, ‘Who am I’?
Bob Myers, author of Travelling the Road of Peace and Happiness.
The theme of my blogs during April will show how assertiveness about a principle can achieve what many people believe is impossible.
Although every democratic society and all the major religions claim to believe that ‘all people are equal’, very few of us see societies and religions as putting that principle into practice. It seems that very few people believe it’s possible for human relationships to be equal. However, from a cosmic point of view, people have always been equal, particularly at birth and at death. It’s what goes wrong during the bit in-between those two events that these blogs will look at; after we say hello to life and before we say goodbye. During that time, nearly all human unhappiness and suffering is caused by inequality of some kind. The good news is that we have some control over what happens in the bit we call ‘life’.
Each blog will, therefore, be consistent with living as equals, or moving towards equality, in human relationships. They will also explore how being assertive can overcome what is working against us and causing slip-ups.
Asserting that equality is the base for human relationships means being as assertive about meeting the needs of others as about meeting your own needs. Just asking about the needs of others can be a move towards equality.
Even a small movement towards equality can improve relationships at home, at work or in the community, because equality is the balance point between our need to belong and our need for individuality. It’s in this area that we can find the answer to the question, ‘Who am I’?
Bob Myers, author of Travelling the Road of Peace and Happiness.
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