Pre-Publication Copy – Not for Sale Finding Meaning & Purpose in Your Life CrackingWhat We Didn’t the Learn Synergy in School – ButSource Should Have! Code Volume FIVE Learning from the Good, Bad, & Ugly We’veHistory’s all taken historyHidden classes Lessonsin school and learned dates, facts, and the broad sweep of the eras. Yet we seem to learn little about the nature of the decisions that mold history and the impact of culture on the destiny of its people. Too many of history’s most cruel hoaxes have led to corrupted belief systems and vile leaders who betrayed the trust of their people. But some leaders have created cultures that instilled the highest values and produced remarkable examples of civilizations greatest glories. What made them so empowering? This volume examines the things that made the difference and the key lessons that enable you to impact positively on your own life and those lives you influence. By Robert Porter Lynch Copyright 2012 Learning from the Good, Bad, and Ugly Preface This “Thought Piece” emerged from research for my book: Trusted to Lead, and also as a sequel to my research about the Greek innovation process and how they discovered the secrets of “synergy.” My original purpose was to understanding why the Roman Empire failed to produce the level of innovation of their Greek predecessors, along with the exploration of the failures of the early Christian Church and its Greek roots. This exploration then led to many new insights. This volume includes numerous deeper assessments about human nature, the impact of culture on our lives, the essence of personal destiny, and the future of the world to come. Why this is Important Often it’s been said that those who don’t understand the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. In this volume I look at the lessons of the distant past because I didn’t feel the histories I had read before did justice to their most valuable lessons. Two things worry me that this volume addresses: 1. How do we advance our civilization in an era where there seems to be a lot of darkness, evil, and conniving everywhere, from white collar crime, internet theft, terrorism, and drug trafficking, to name a few?. 2. How do we prevent our civilization from declining into an abyss, as did the Western World during the Dark Ages? Or the Mayan Empire? Or the City of Detroit? Or Juarez, Mexico? Each of us makes daily decisions about how we live our lives and advance life on this planet. I hope this information helps you make better decisions for yourself and the good of all. Robert Porter Lynch Naples, FL June, 2012 Volume 5 Page 1 History’sDEDICATION Hidden Lessons To David N. Burt For his deep friendship and unfailing encouragement to continue the quests that resulted in this set of books. & The Welch Family Scott, Todd, and Glen who have championed the highest level of ethics, values, innovation, and teamwork in all their endeavors. & Ninon Chrysochoos Prozonic For her commitment to investigate the ancient Greek inner spirit in a way that only a person with the soul of a Greek can do. & Jerry Dell Ehrlich One of the few Platonist scholars in America, his scholarship and personal guidance to me have kept Greek spiritual roots alive. *********************** Please Note: This is still in a DRAFT form, for comment only. There are still typos, grammatical errors, and lapses in logic which the reader may spot. Please forgive any such errors. Permissions for use of materials have not been requested. Not for Distribution June 29, 2012 Please send your comments to: [email protected] Volume 5 Page 2 Learning from the Good, Bad, and Ugly Contents Chapter ONE: BUILDING & DESTROYING EMPIRES...........6 The Great Greek Experiment .................................................6 Impact of Culture.....................................................................8 Basis of Modern World .......................................................8 Keys to Dynamic Evolution .................................................10 Making the Invisible Visible.................................................12 Ancient Discoveries of Dynamic Differential Energy...13 Six Core Values ..................................................................15 1. Arête (Virtue):.........................................................16 2. Philotimo (Love of Honor)....................................18 3. Koinonia (Spiritual Community) .........................19 4. Sophia (Wisdom)....................................................22 5. Metanoia (Mind/Shape Shifting).........................24 6. Historia (Deep Inquiry) .........................................26 Ten Enabling Values in Greek Culture ...........................28 The Quest for Truth & Discovery ....................................30 What Kind of Quest?.........................................................34 The Greek Library in Alexandria.....................................35 Chapter TWO: THE ROMAN ILLUSION.................................36 Part One: The Roman Rise of Fascism ................................36 Rome’s Republican Experiment.......................................36 Military Dictators Kill the Dream of the Republic ........38 Grandiose Plans, Conquest, Distrust, and Civil War....39 Moral Purification and Fundamentalism .......................40 Volume 5 Page 3 Part Two: Destructive Lessons of the Roman Empire...... 42 A VeryHistory’s Personal Note Hidden by the Author Lessons............................. 42 What Went Wrong? .......................................................... 43 1. Overdose of Fear ........................................................... 43 2. Distrust ........................................................................... 44 3. Neglect & Failure to Learn........................................... 45 4. Civil War ........................................................................ 46 5. Failure to Innovate its Social Institutions................... 46 Fundamentalism and the Fall of Order.......................... 48 The Unfulfilled Promise ................................................... 50 Failure to Build on the Shoulders of Giants................... 56 The Invisible Force that Killed Roman Innovation....... 58 Chapter THREE: MORDRED & MACHIAVELLI ................... 61 The Mordred Factor .............................................................. 61 Judeo-Christian Roots of Betrayal................................... 61 Betrayal in Greek Literature and Culture ...................... 63 Medieval Betrayals............................................................ 64 Machiavellian Lessons in Leadership................................. 67 Betwixt the Middle Ages and the Renaissance ............. 67 How Machiavelli Saw His World ................................... 70 Advice to the Prince.......................................................... 73 Machiavelli becomes imbedded in our culture............. 76 Mordred & Machiavelli in the Modern World.............. 79 Dictators as Modern Mordreds & Machiavellis............ 80 Mordred &Machiavelli Today......................................... 80 A Personal Note................................................................. 81 Volume 5 Page 4 Learning from the Good, Bad, and Ugly Chapter FOUR: REALITIES & DELUSIONS of HISTORY .....85 Impact of Culture on behavior.............................................85 Culture and Civilization ...................................................85 The Role of Beliefs and Fears ...........................................87 A Caution about a Fundamentalist Future ....................87 Age of Enlightened Realism.................................................89 The Future of Civilization ................................................89 Renewal, Passion, and Regeneration ..............................92 The Power of Progression.................................................94 The Fallacy and Delusion of War ....................................98 Knowledge is Neither Wisdom Nor Creativity...............101 The False Ideal of the Power Elite .................................101 Conviction and Innovation or Mimicry........................104 Mimicry turns to Delusion by Design...........................105 Power of Expression of Ideas in Language ..................109 Fundamentalism as a Guise for Authoritarianism......110 The Scourge of Fear and the Root of Evil .........................111 Diabolical Impact of Fear on Innovation ......................118 Cultural Impacts on Roman Behavior ..........................118 The Great Greek Experiment .........................................121 The Energy We Receive From Trust .............................123 What Kind of Quest?.......................................................124 Leaders Without Conscience..............................................126 Can the Dark Ages Return?................................................136 By Chance or Design? Where’s the Center?.................138 Volume 5 Page 5 History’sCHAPTER HiddenONE Lessons: BUILDING & DESTROYING EMPIRES What a Difference a Culture Makes A Fresh Look at the Real Differences between Greek and the Roman Empires and the Implications on Today’s World and Personal Destiny THE GREAT GREEK EXPERIMENT Greece was a great experiment in advancing civilization to a whole new level. It happened quite rapidly during a 350 year period (about the same period of American history), from about 510 BC to 146BC – the time known as the Golden Era of Hellenic1 Invention. This time is particularly intriguing