Psychologically speaking, one's current "Ego" seed-pod typically forms a very hard outer shell of identity, as seed pods must. Certainty and security are absolute necessities for a functioning Ego. Politics and religion make great harbors for forming and maintaining a secure Ego-pod. They are neat and tidy with helpful beliefs, agendas and solutions to painful problems.
But the irony is that, just as with natural seeds, the hard impenetrable shell of Ego identity that simultaneously protects the precious contents, also hinders it from growing into a new entity. To make Eternal souls we must form these thick protective provisional Ego identities throughout life in order to become attached to particular ideas, feelings and intentions. This Ego-pod is not bad as much as it is necessary, until it is ready to crack open, shed the old identity and form a new one. But most of us hang on for dear life when that old identity is threatened; and there is nothing like politics, religion and marriage (close relationships) to assail that old Ego.
The frightening part of getting older is that we often grow so accustomed to our current Ego "order" of things that we solidify and become intractable. Typically, only death and disease can break through. We live in an ingenious Universe because age brings both in spades!
I call this Ego attachment I.M.D., or Ideological Myopia Disorder, which as I said is actually quite a good and necessary "order" until it causes more pain than security. That is why tribes and cult-ures make rites or rituals; to keep things in "divine right/rite order". A culture might be defined as "ones current ego-confirming cult of identity." "Rite" is etymologically related to "Right" (order), and people individually and collectively must carve out order and "rightness" in an otherwise chaotic universe. There is Progressive "Rightness" with their "orderly rites", and Conservative "Rightness" with their "orderly rites". Our political priests and media prophets affirm and confirm our meaningful realities, keeping us comfortably ensconced in our little socio-political "cults" or cultures. The glowing blue television has become the new altar of sacrifice where we slaughter and offer up our offerings in the sacred space of our homes. TV has become the primary medium of scapegoating in the modern world--virtual evisceration of our enemies and bloodless bloody murders.
Ones current "Ego" shell typically does not crack open to put down new roots without some sort of devastation that disintegrates our current ego. You can be assured, the more emotional we are toward our current "enemy," the more active the Universe is in splitting the old Ego-pod open to reveal the next provisional, soul-making Ego. The "Other" becomes our Satan, which literally means adversary; and in the Bible always works in tandem with Spirit to evolve our souls. That is why Jesus said to "Love your enemies" and "bless those who persecute you." He understood that the trip of soul-making requires obstacles and encounters with emotionally charged material. Our enemies work like erosive soil and fertilizer works on seeds when they are buried underground in the dark. If a seed had personality, it would think it ludicrous that immersion under a mound of suffocating dirt and darkness was the way to life and light. But that pod does not crack without pressure and disintegration.
Our current society does not seem to get this, especially, in my opinion, most politicians, who want to create a painless and dirt free world. Marx and Lenin had great intentions, as do our politicians. The problem is that they are fighting the larger intention of the Cosmos. Our brilliant Constitution guarantees us the "right/rite order" to pursue happiness, but not attain happiness. Yes, we ought to try and create a pain free world, but we must realize that pain and loss are necessary parts of the game. As Jesus said, "In this world you SHALL have tribulation," and "The poor you shall have with you always." This is not an endorsement for neglect or calloused disregard. Our personal compassion toward the less fortunate makes soul; however, it is not the job of the government to end suffering for all people everywhere.
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