This will please the many and upset the few.

Dr. Douglas James Cottrell:

“My work indicates that December of 2012 is not the end of our world as much it is the beginning of a new age, the Fifth Age of Mankind on this much-battered and bruised planet. Transitions of this kind are, of course, not without some discomfort, and indeed we are already seeing this in the political and financial arenas. As the date itself comes nigh, we can expect ever stranger weather events. Sunspot and volcanic activity in particular need very close monitoring. Especially Etna and Vesuvius! But at the end of the day, so to speak, there will be positive changes for the better, changes that will bring the world into an age where there will be less focus on self-interest and more on the collective good. This is a truly a great time to be alive.”

And the evidence to support such claims?

As you can see I referenced one of the world’s most respected researchers and prognosticators, Dr. Douglas James Cottrell, Ph.D.

I just happen to line up with his thinking.

Of course you are welcome to put your own theory to this and see if you can change my mind....

I seem to be rather stupid when I hear such rubbish. I mean, take the example of arithmetic, would you say anyone knew math, if they claimed to understand and could work with 1000, yet the 1 was superfluous?

So many buy into the idea that the 1 can be violated--for the sake of the many.

Ayn Rand may have gotten a lot wrong, but she did not get this wrong at all.

The definition of the 1 is the same as the many. The same definition applies to every member of a class.

Why would you dismiss Dr. Douglas James Cottrell's opinion as rubbish?

Why, "his work" does, of course!

Am I the only one who when they read this thought "Ya yadda yadda yadda....."

December 2012 is significant only because I will be 42 and therefore the answer to the meaning of the question of the universe which I have waiting for since I was 15 LOL

My guess is that 4 out of 6 of us may have had a thought similar to that. Though I actually appreciate the 'positive intentions' behind the words, the way he makes these declarations sounds pretentious and needlessly grandiose. Its a mix of fluff and well known facts. All minimally science literate people already know that sunspot activity is reaching a peak, according to its natural rhythm (in the next few years, but not in 2012), but he says this like its news, or in some way a result of 'his work' ( ).

The only constant in life is change. Some changes are bigger than others.

All I see is an optimistic spin on something that may or may not happen.

Funny thing about change....it seldom tends to be on time.

BTW, long, long ago I predicted that the people would try to conflate 2012 wing-nuttery with the sunspot activity coming in 2013. I predicted that the very same people who have been insisting that huge, catastrophic events were coming in 2012 (and NOT in 2013! Try to pigeon hole them at a social gathering and they'll be quite insistent: its all about 2012, not 2013) would eventually jump on the sunspot bandwagon and try to make a connection between sunspot activity in 2013 with the mayan calendar.

I see this post as a step in the process. It colors 2012 as a 'special time of transition', and brings sunspots into the dialog.

If this really is a legitimate quote from him, then it sounds like he builds his popularity on fear mongering to me:

Funny how people can just suddenly predict stuff. So we'll truly see all of this happen? Well wow. Reminds me of them government statistics. There's a new one every week.

Because Collectivism kills!

Actually, our own body is a collective.

What I was getting at is that since there is one definition of man, be it one or many, the statement is non-sense.

If what you do, is truly in your own best interest, it is in everyone's best interest.

Of course Noetic Sciences is self funded and basically a platform for a claim to authority . . . I love when people use the word science to try to gain some kind of credibility, then usually turn around and dis on real science, usually right when science is used to show no effect for some claim.

Claims like these require double blind scientific testing. Each of the claims can be tested in a controlled environment and the man could win 1 Million dollars for his cause in the act.

Why would anyone pass up such an opportunity to fund a charitable cause? Well one reason is that they are full of it.

so you feel because of that Fact,Society ought to be a Collective too?

I am not sure why I am the only one who noticed it....

He predicts (vaguely implies) that Vesuvius will have blown up and we will have sun spots

Wow.

Good guesses.

I could have predicted that and I am a total dumb***.

My personal theory, for the end of the world...(December 56, 20,010) All fat people will cluster into a gathering and through sheer mass will form a gravitational field so strong it will suck the multiverse and earth too into.

:)

I was more interested in the highlighted part...

changes that will bring the world into an age where there will be less focus on self-interest and more on the collective good. This is a truly a great time to be alive.”

Ah...understood.

Collective Good is a great Utopian theory and is attainable within small confined populaces.

The reality that I see is that people REALLY band together for it only under duress.

Even that is short lived.

When it is important...people will band together and think beyond themselves en masse.

As a man in the time and place I am now, I think it is a persons DUTY and OBLIGATION to provide for thier loved ones as best they can. All of thier time, rescources and efforts should go towards the betterment of the lives of thier loved ones.

Yes, I can see having a world with no disease, war, famines, ntural disasters or human disasters would be nice.

But, getting families educated, in a permanent home and financially secure is alot more feasible. (even THAT is a huge struggle)