The Default Setting Is Love (ePub)

The culture of freedom, democracy and human rights is the heart
of the revolution of our era creating an advanced civilization, more
intelligent, moral and beautiful. This reality is beyond the vision
of those who believe the default setting is hate because humans are
separate by nature and evolved to compete against one another. But
we aren't and we didn't. It's an exciting and hopeful time to be alive.
Peace and prosperity are increasing as ever more people are
allowed, enabled, inspired to make more decisions in their lives.
People thinking more is good, right and beautiful because our
thoughts and feelings evolved to mix together in the living
thinking system that is all minds connected, talents not
concentrated but dispersed, every person incompetent on their
own, each and every one needed to add variety to the whole,
creating a category leap in intelligence, grace and power
far beyond what could evolve to exist in any one beast,
completely dependent on everyone getting along,
intelligence and morality joined in a common endeavor.
The most important and potent attribute of human intelligence
is not that some are all encompassing geniuses but that none are.
The magic at the heart of power comes disguised as innocence
composed of pieces in a pattern always arranged the same
impractical musicians, nonathletic priests, groveling politicians
help bring disparate folks together
mechanics fix stoves, clumsy scientists invent
athletes run and hunt, shoppers gather, some cook
others memorize, memorialize the past
by themself each seems so small, incompetent
having given up ability to think completely, prosper all alone
developing instead critical extremes of difference
widespread idiosyncrasy, partiality of vision
a very steep price, necessary to be essential
to the thinking whole
providing wide variety, depth of thought
and wild sparks of creativity.
Our intelligence developed and grew over eons
as our primary tool and weapon
living in small groups everyone was known, every voice was heard
all minds took part in the struggle for survival
with failure a constant shadow
the result at every step was the most efficient,
creative and intelligent combination
bound together as it had to be by numberless varieties of love
in a package of glorious shining beauty.
The challenge of our era is finding myriad ways
in complicated large scale modern life
of unleashing human intelligence and nurturing
our heritage with a clear-eyed recognition of it.
Freedom works, intelligence is beautiful
because the default setting is love.
Together our destiny is to wonder and speculate, create and
explore, seek truth and solve the riddles of the universe.
We all have a responsibility to engage with the wonder and
joy of life. Connections are everywhere, disconnection is
illusion, ever greater mixing lending context, depth and
meaning to the love enabling the human information
system to dominate existence with warmth and beauty.
So rise above superiority to live equal with all, awaken to
see the light in every pair of eyes, each one a unique
shining facet of the most intelligent entity ever to arise.

A story told in many pieces
Poems with a Preface