Moral Leadership

There's this couple here - young, have two vibrant young boys (who seem to think I'm amazing - maybe because we played Star Wars...but that story starts a long time ago...). Now the kids are at an age where they have to be in a stable environment and a good school so they're moving back to the civilized world. They host weekly disucssion groups at their house - with topics ranging from the poetry of Rumi to moral leadership.


The part that stands out to me was the idea to approach the world with an idea of abundance rather than scarcity. If you think resources are scarce then you are always in competition with other people for those resources - every thing that you want must be taken from someone else. It makes for a really hostile environment. Unfortunately, the theory gets stuck in a proverbial pothole when it comes to the environment.

It was the sort of community I imagined amongst expats - sitting on balesht (giant pillows) and sipping tea and discussing the fundamental principles of development instead of coming home everyday to your home in the suburbs and complaining about your office job. Travelling had this romantic notion of youth - that as long as you stayed away from the 'realities' of a developed world you could immerse yourself in a culture and environment that would act as Lazarus Chamber. I wonder to what extent we allow the Routine of our perfect lives destroy our ambition and cast us into disillusionment. The university environment - upheld for centuries as the safe haven for intellectual thought - is slowly being broken down into yet another required phase to societal acceptance. What happened to the freedom of thought and spirit of inquiry that guided our famous teachers - many of whom hail from this breath taking country - and who is responsible for its demise?

Perhaps we are? Or perhaps it is the lack of moral leaders.