Earthseed 11-20

11. The Paradox

Why is the universe?
To shape God.

Why is God?
To shape the universe.

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12. A Tree

A tree
Cannot grow
In its parents? shadows.

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13. The Destiny of Earthseed

Destiny of Earthseed
Is to take root among the stars.

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14. Consequences

To get along with God,
Consider the consequences of your behavior.

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15. Power Struggles

All struggles
Are essentially
power struggles.
Who will rule,
Who will lead,
Who will define,
refine,
confine,
design,
Who will dominate.
All struggles
Are essentially power struggles,
And most are no more intellectual
than two rams
knocking their heads together.

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16. Civilization is to intelligence

Civilization is to groups what
intelligence is
to individuals. It is a means of
combining the
intelligence of many to achieve
ongoing
group adaptation.

Civilization, like intelligence, may
serve well,
serve adequately, or fail to serve its
adaptive
function. When civilization fails to
serve, it must
disintegrate unless it is acted upon
by unifying internal or external forces.

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17. When stability disintegrates

When apparent stability disintegrates,
As it must—
God is Change—
People tend to give in
To fear and depression,
To need and greed.
When no influence is strong enough
To unify people
They divide.
They struggle,
One against one,
Group against group,
For survival, position, power.
They remember old hates and generate new ones,
They create chaos and nurture it.
They kill and kill and kill,
Until they are exhausted and destroyed,
Until they are conquered by outside forces,
Or until one of them becomes
A leader
Most will follow,
Or a tyrant
Most fear.

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18. Any change

Any Change may bear seeds of benefit.
Seek them out.
Any Change may bear seeds of harm.
Beware.
God is infinitely malleable.
God is Change.

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19. All successful life

All successful life is
Adaptable,
Opportunistic,
Tenacious,
Interconnected, and
Fecund.
Understand this.
Use it.
Shape God.

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20. Life that perceives itself changing

We are Earthseed
The life that perceives itself
Changing.

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