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MacLaine, Shirley - The Ultimate responsibility of the individual, Destiny, and why we are here
Identifier
026433
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Out on a Limb – Shirley MacLaine
"Well," said David, "all our 'isms' and self-righteous wars and industrial technology and intellectual masturbation and socially compassionate programs have only made .it worse, it seems to me. And the longer we disregard the spiritual aspect of life, the worse it will get. . . ."
He folded his legs under him and used his hands to make points in the air.
"See," he went on, "…., spirituality goes right to the root of the question - the individual. If each of us set ourselves right individually, we would be on the right path socially and politically. See what I mean?"
"Yes," I said, "I guess so."
"In other words, if we understood our own individual purpose and meaning in relation to God, or even to mankind and leave God out of it for the moment, it would automatically lead to social harmony and peace. There'd be no need for war and conflict and poverty and stuff, because we'd all know there was no need to be greedy or competitive or afraid and violent."
Well, it wasn't a new idea. Ultimate responsibility of the individual was basic to Quaker thought, for one thing, and leaving God out of it as David suggested the concept was also basic to Kropotkin's political philosophy of anarchism.