A Good Infection

Dear Dave and whoever among his readers I've also infected, 

Thank you for giving me a human body in which to live. I am the spirit of cooperation. I think of myself as the essence of your species, though I also live in wolves and bees and some other species. I have never been able to grow as fast as I've been growing in the last few years. While hopelessness is rampant, I wanted to point out that what justifies that feeling has always been around but only recently have people been able to see it. It's visibility increased because more people are able to communicate with each other, and this is a good sign. It is what accelerates my growth.

What justifies the feeling of hopelessness is a separation of will from action, commonly called obedience. True obedience denies the will of the one obeying, even if that person shares the intent of the one being obeyed. The most common example of the separation is fear. If you do (or avoid doing) something because you fear punishment, then you are exemplifying the separation of your will from your actions, and diminishing your hope.

As your species increases its ability for connectedness and communication, punishment becomes more difficult because you all feel each other's pain. If you feel any warm fuzzies from that, revel in it. Imagine how I feel, existing as a spirit in the universe, waiting and hoping to fill it with myself, anticipating all the joy that awaits us. If you want to help, recognize punishment, whether you're creating it or someone else is, and encourage a different approach. I know most people hate flies, but one of my favorite sayings is that you catch more flies with honey. Be the honey. Be the change you want to see in the world.