The reason you're on this Earth.

". . . They think that in order to fix the world's problems we need to do something in the exterior world - we need to stop polluting the atmosphere, we need to control guns, we need to stop nuclear testing, we need to move to solar power, we need to . . . always something to fix in the exterior world. Those are all important, but the real problems are on the interior - we need to help consciousness evolve from egocentric to ethnocentric to worldcentric, or else people won't want to fix all those things in the exterior world to begin with!" 'Boomeritis" by Ken Wilber

I found the quote at this URL: http://www.livereal.com/news_and_articles/solve_all_the_worlds_problems.htm
which outlines a short conversation some people had, and while it's really short, they're very close to exactly how I feel on the matter.

I don't know anything about this book, so I'm not necessarily supporting the book or the author. But I DO think there is some merit in it. Especially the part about the evolution of consciousness. I realize that this world isn't permanent, and is doomed to fail. So this argument seems to be a bit futile, except in the possibility that there is still time to change for the better. It seems that if there is enough time for one person to change then this argument is worthwhile.

What's to be said here is that at least ONE main root to the problems arising in today's world, if not the single source of it all, is the lack of the development of self. There is no magical way, or even a non-magical, practical way to fix this issue immediately. I think it's a reasonable statement to say that most moral change has come about through religion, wether it be Christian or not. The main reason that anyone in this world is civilized at all is first and foremost the recognition of self, that we exist, or sentience, and that we affect the world around us, and then also the natural acknowledgment of right and wrong.

The problem, and the solution amazingly, is choice. Since people have the ability to choose between right and wrong, naturally some choose wrong, typically for percieved benefit of self, the epitome of being egocentric. Which is what has single handedly brought the world to it's knees, or will soon.

In the conversation at the URL above, they come to the point that I think I've been making already in past posts and this one. That there is great importance on the personal level to make moral decisions. It also seems that the more I look into this concept the more evident it is that this is one of the great purposes of life. And that's not just from findings within the Bible, which a number could be sited expressing the importance of choice. You are on this Earth, living this life, because you are required to make a choice. The most important of choices actually, which will save your very soul. Then that choice is lived out, one way or the other, by an additional series of choices. An understanding of that would change a lot of things in this world.