About these Stories and Short Essays
This page presents nonfiction and stories to give you deeper insight into our work. We know that most people have problems even taking global plans seriously. The nonfiction pieces should help you realize that a lot of careful thought has been put into creating a flexible plan that has enough power to change people’s lives and the world. Many of the teaching stories were written to help people be more emotionally in touch with the plan’s approach. Some of the stories may help you accept some unexpected and counter-intuitive parts of the plan.
Please don’t think that you have to read all this to do the program. These materials, along with the “Goodness” materials, are about a book’s worth of materials. So reading all these materials would delay your experience of the program and the benefits you could get. Also, you don’t have to agree with the ideas expressed in these writings to get value from the program
To Get More Value from the Stories and Essays
Here are some suggestions: When you read a story, try to figure out the story’s purpose before you read the commentary (if there is one.) Also, ask yourself if you agree with the commentary. Also, if you think these materials are worth it, you might want to form a discussion group. Directions for doing this can actually be found in the “goodness” materials.
Fiction Stories
“I’m Ready to Learn” A teen girl’s letter inviting her friend to participate in Group Genie’s efforts.
The Insincere Parents A bizarre parable about a couple whose daughter must have an operation.
The Bridge of Bridges A parable and commentary that helps people understand why this unconventional approach has phenomenal power.
The Gun Angel A person finds unexpected motivation to help others and make major changes in their life.
In Which Mito Almost Beheads the Self-Help Authors of the World A wacky guru charges self-help authors with crimes against humanity — because their books don’t produce significant, long-lasting change!
Mito’s Boy Scout World The same wacky guru suddenly realizes what’s wrong with human DNA, and comes up with a remedy for the “gaps in learning.”
The Beautiful, Ugly Boat Something that seems unattractive at first is revealed to have great beauty.
The Young Man and the Guru A different guru counsels a young man who thinks he has the answer to the world’s problems.
The Joy of Really Knowing that You Helped The ‘hero’ of the story, John Thorowgood, tries to do good, but everything he does ultimately harms people. (This is also part of the “goodness” materials.)
The Old Man’s Ninth Secret Yet another guru story! This guru makes his disciple (and the reader) guess at the secret hunger of humankind.
The Parable of the People Gagged, Blindfolded and Ear-Covered If you’ve ever wondered why the world is so messed up, this parable might help you understand why. It can also help you understand why a chain reaction of empowerment and support is possible.
Three Fiction Stories that Illustrate the Golden Rule 2.0 These three stories, Anvils, The Dam, and Suddenly You’re in Debt Up to the Moon, illustrate the Golden Rule 2.0 from different perspectives.
The Horses and the Hornets A parable with commentary about how relatively powerless hornets overcome the oppressive horses that dominate and destroy their pasture.
[Note that five more short stories can be found on the Goodness page.]
Nonfiction
Together the Upgrades Make a Global Plan About the overall vision and approach of Group Genie’s founder.
Two Dead Dragons Possibly the two greatest reasons that people are cynical about a transformation of humanity.
Advantages of Our Plan over Conventional Approaches The superprogram approach are compared to five other conventional approaches. The six distinct advantages are explained.
Why This Probably Won’t Feel Right: Banana-Shaped Clouds How people’s expectations can hinder them.
The Two See-Saws How this approach can tip the balance toward a much more stable and peaceful world.
The Master Formula for Achieving Any Huge Goal The five ingredients behind our plan: a clear vision, adequate methods, incentives to use the methods, ways to overcome obstacles, and reasons this is better than competing approaches.
Please Look For What’s Missing, Not What’s Wrong (Judging Your Judgment) A caution for those who tend to criticize.
Make a Friend, Be a Friend, Lift a Friend Higher This brief essay describes an almost natural way to support others and empower them for life.
Preferential Helping (Give More Help to People Who Help More, and Withhold Power from Those Not Ready For It) A thought-provoking essay about why you shouldn’t treat people the same way. This essay also mentions eight “centers” that Stephen Covey did not consider in his Seven Habits book when he spoke of categories of life mission.
Pride Can Be a Learning Disability (Plus Sixteen Major Adaptive Lifestyle Changes that Humans Need to Make if Humanity Is to Survive) People who do good and who change their lifestyles may still be falling short. Without trying to make people feel guilty, this article suggests that people need to try to look at the big picture in other to evaluate their efforts.
How Much Is Enough to Create Your Fair Share of a Sustainable World? (And Some Tools To Reach Sufficiency) A systematic and dry exploration of what it takes theoretically and practically to do your share. A shorter and easier-to-understand treatment is in the Golden Rule 2.0 in the “Superheroes” section. This is for those who want a more thorough and precise treatment.
Don’t Be Overwhelmed — There Are Only Eight People in the World A very short article that presents a consoling way to think about the world and its problems.
An Intellectual and Ethical Shocker: A Warning In contrast to the above article, this piece is a forceful warning to people not to misuse or under-utilize Group Genie’s methods and upgrades.
Why Going to the Moon Is Impossible A powerful essay that compares the space race to the vision of creating a transformed world.