Six Duties of Society & Five Laws of Decline
Posted by Orrin Woodward on December 6, 2012
Roman Ruins
I am working on a personal assignment to learn what made the Greco-Roman civilizations succeed for periods, though each, in truth, failed with time. In addition, I am searching for what the Anglo-Saxons copied from the Greco-Romans. Through learning what worked and what didn’t, perhaps we can improve the weakest portions of the foundation and strengthen society today. This is one of the reasons I love the LIFE business so much, namely, having the time to develop models to improve people’s lives. The LIFE business is a system, just as society is. Therefore, by studying what works in one context, I learn what may work in another. When I add in the Plan, Do, Check, and Adjust (PDCA) steps, I can determine if the hypothesis is workable or not. Here are two paragraphs of a much longer analysis that the readers will see soon.
Sincerely,
The Six Duties of Society are the key functions that society must consistently perform to prosper. By contrast, the Five Laws of Decline are inherent within mankind and must be checked, or society will eventually fall through plundering its former prosperity. Both will be identified and explained through the study of Greco-Roman and Anglo-Saxon history. Because the Greco-Roman culture laid the foundation for Western society and the Anglo-Saxon cultures built upon it, they have many similarities. However, despite their valuable contributions to modern times, both the Greek and Roman societal foundations ultimately failed. Therefore, since today’s West is built upon this Greco-Roman foundation, isn’t it also probable that the modern West is built upon the fragile, as well as the secure, portions of the foundation? Perhaps through retracing the roots of Anglo-Saxon society, the foundation can be reinforced at its weakest parts through understanding the failure modes of the Greco-Roman past. In effect, leaders must learn from the past so they don’t ignorantly repeat it. In general, leaders have two essential tasks when dealing with systems and society. First, they must ensure the SDS are functioning properly; otherwise, society will neither prosper nor last. Second, they must design society to work with human nature, not against it. Society, in a word, must reward proper behaviors and punish improper ones in clearly defined ways. Since the FLD are natural laws of human behavior, inherent within every person to varying degrees, leaders who build society without comprehending the FLD are designing for disaster. Moreover, every successful civilization that failed did so through enabling the FLD. Originally, the society satisfied the SDS; however, at some point the FLD were ignited, cracking society’s foundation, and societal collapse predictably followed. In fact, it’s not an exaggeration to say that every single historical rise-and-fall example displays similar laws of decline activity—evidently because, although many things have change over time, human nature isn’t one of them.
The FLD are to the SDS what gravity is to airplanes: a constant impetus downward. However, there is good news. Just as a plane can overcome gravity temporarily, the SDS can overcome the FLD as well. Nonetheless, the plane must come down, as will every society, when the FLD are ignored. I don’t share the SDS and the FLD pessimistically; rather, the goal is to sober up an American society inebriated with personal “peace and affluence” while the FLD rot out the foundations. An understanding of the FLD will help leaders predict outcomes of various policies upon the SDS, similar to a cientist predicting the trajectory of a ball tossed in the air through comprehending gravitational constants. Interestingly, applying the laws of human nature to societal events isn’t new. Insurance companies, for instance, routinely predict human nature when assessing insurance rates for drivers. True, not all 18 year olds are poorer drivers than 35 year olds with several children; however, since the average 18 year old is a worse driver than the average 35 year old, the insurance rates are adjusted accordingly, thus proving the old adage: man as an individual is unpredictable, but man in mass is extremely predictable. Accordingly, the FLD cannot predict how any specific person will respond to certain policies; nevertheless, it’s remarkably effective at predicting how society in mass will respond. In fact, if politicians comprehended and applied the Six Duties of Society along with the Five Laws of Decline, they would rapidly improve society by creating rewards for behavior promoting the SDS and developing checks upon any behavior promoting the FLD.
36 Responses to “Six Duties of Society & Five Laws of Decline”
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Lee Weishar said
I can’t wait to see the post on the Six Duties of Society! Thank you so much for putting in the leg work of studying these things for the rest of us!
Randy Robson said
Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady, George Guzzardo, Claude Hamilton, Bill Lewis, Dan Hawkins, and Tim Marks have such great blogs! I love the information being taught in the LIFE business. Can’t wait to hear about the new PC’s and RT’s in the coming months! Thank you!
TJ said
What a great post!! How you connect the dots to such a deep rooted topic is amazing … Your efforts to learn more and share, sure helps me think different. I’ve have started noticing the conversations around me and the difference in what I think compared to what is being said. My confidence has gone up as a result. Thanks for all you share Orrin !!
J & P Harteis said
We have such a huge ship to turn around – and it seems overwhelming at times! But if we all play our part, Orrin, & share the truth in love, we can stand at our posts, reinforce our resolve, & do what needs to be done, one step at a time! Another great reason to reach one million & raise our expectancy, exponentially! We love your phrase “sobering up an inebriated America” – a great word picture of the face of our culture! Time to “measure up” & be responsible!
Libbie Quinn said
Well put! I agree.
Sherri &Tom Elenbaum said
Thank you! Really! Thank you
SJ Barakony said
Highly insightful! “Learning history makes a man old, without either the wrinkles or the grey hair” ( Thomas Fuller )
Through your Top 100 blog, Orrin, so many are learning historical truths, gaining insight absent entirely from most conveyor belt & professional educational curriculums, and from this, we’ll be able to fix, at the deepest roots, what the FLD are doing to rot away our republic’s core.
God Bless & thank you for being a serving leader!
Clint Fix said
I’m excited to read the rest of your thoughts on the six duties of society. This area of study is a growing passion of mine!
Dave Burgher said
I will be following your blog closely to understand how we can all work together and be even stronger than what we are now.
Libbie Quinn said
Great intro. I am looking forward to more info. on this subject.
God bless you, Orrin, and thank you.
Jonathan Brandenberger said
Thank you, Orrin
You paint very imformative picture/diagrams with your writing and it helps me understand the principle behind your topics. I find this pretty useful because princples can be applied in many different areas of life.
Tammy Darling said
Thanks Orrin! Always learning! What an amazing example you are!!! Bless you! 🙂
Matt Mielke said
Wow! I am so thankful for this perspective. I appreciated the comment “man as an individual is unpredictable, but man in mass is extremely predictable.” I look forward to more study regarding the FLD and SDS. Thanks for leading the way.
Steve Morgan said
Thanks for the info Orrin. Its so nice to have you around and your hunger for freedom is so high. I am really interested in the Laws of decline. History is something that we should all be interested in.
Heidi said
So many people are looking for answers, but instead of spouting off partisan biases, you are studying history and thinking and testing. If you can solve network marketing’s issues, why not a whole country’s? Thanks, Orrin!
Tim Johnson said
Thanks Orrin! I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of the analysis. I find the SDS and FLD fascinating and very good prediction tools. I’m very glad you shared this!
Bob Rasmussen said
Great observations at a great time Orrin! I’m looking forward to learning through your studies!! Thx for your hunger and passion!!
Larry Auman said
Thanks Orrin, for taking me to the next level in depth of understanding. I can’t wait to read more.
Tim Samuels said
Thanks for the perspective Orrin
Michael Lea said
Mr. Woodward: Cogent. Individual human behavior doesn’t appear to be amenable to prediction as you point out. We have been given 10 rules of behavior by God that, in essence, form the backbone of our legal system. So it stands to reason that there must be rules or laws in action, right before our eyes, which relate to the rise and fall of civilizations. I’m thrilled at the prospect that your examination of Greco/Roman societies will result in revealing the Six Duties of Societies and the Five Laws of Decline. It also raises the intriguing question, must societies always decline? Can something be done and, if so, what? Thanks for taking on this project! What a grand time to be alive and on the cutting edge of such an examination! As my daughters would say, “That’s so cool!”
Chris Beaubien said
Another Great article Orrin! Looking forward to the rest of it. Thanks for sharing!
Cat Miglionico said
Thanks Orrin I must admit I am going to have to read this over a few times to get the full understanding. Thanks for growing us in Life!
Renee Oettinger said
I was just discussing with my husband this morning some of the five laws of decline and what is happening in society. Thank you for making it so clear.
Greg Johnson said
Orrin,
As Jerry Harteis said we do have such a huge ship to turn around. I believe it can, be but the Politicians must put the interest of their country before their own interests. That along with understanding that the decline and soon fall of the United States is inevitable if we don’t recognize and turn the ship. One way is to educate Americans with the principles to demand from Politicians an accountability to “do the right thing” and put the long term interests of a Free People in a Free Society first.
Thanks for your continued study of excellence.
Sheri Lucas said
Thanks for a great article. Being a part of this LIFE business is stretching my mind so much that I am truly enjoying all the new areas of study you and other pc members bring to me through your blogs. SDS and FLD would have never caught my attention before I joined LIFE. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Angie Ballah said
I get SO excited when I read this knowing there is hope through the LIFE community intentionally brining hope and life changing info to a nation that can overcome the FLD!! Thank you Orrin!
Steve Leurquin said
You have my curiosity peaked. I am looking forward to reading the six duties of society. Thanks Orrin.
Michael Hartmann said
I look forward to learning more when your work is finally published in its entirety.
Tony Matteo said
These are things we can see in our own leadership journey. I would think these laws and duties can be used as a lense we can see predictablity in our persanal, and over in to team growth.
Eric Norman said
It will be interesting to not simply see these six duties, but equally important is to see how they help us overcome the five laws of decline. Waiting with bated breath.
Monique Hoffer said
Wow. That little bit of info. Has me just wanting more.
You have an amazing ability to get people to want to know more.
Thank you for sharing all that you have learned, a giving hungry students a direction to look.
Kim Decker said
Orrin,
Very good post…we all need to read and think about this one…If we can get thru to more how this worls could have a better chance at surviving.
Jeff Taff said
Man, I wish I had the time now to do all the research about our history you do Orrin. I will in time, but as for this article, one cannot stress the last line enough. So how about we just grow this thing to a million people and become “the politicians that comprehended and apply the Six Duties of Society along with the Five Laws of Decline,” and we’ll be the leaders who “rapidly improve society by creating rewards for behavior promoting the SDS and developing checks upon any behavior promoting the FLD.” Thanks for all your hard work Orrin!
-Jeff
AR said
LIFE IS A CYCLE … HAPPENS EVERYWHERE … IN THE FAMILY, IN SOCIETY, IN SPORTS ETC … MAYBE A SPECIFIC SOCIETY IS NOT MEANT TO LESS FOR EVER … MAYBE A SOCIETY IS MEANT TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE FOR THE FUTURE SOCIETIES … MAYBE EACH SOCIETY IS MEANT TO LEAVE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE …AND ONE DAY MAYBE THE TRUE PURPOSE OF LIFE WILL BE UNVEILED …
Marie-Germaine said
Wow! Love it, can’t wait for the next post. Thank you for all your hard work, it is so appreciated.
Ryan Blakely said
Thanks for the prospective Orrin. I’m extremely looking forward to reading the six duties of society!!