Re: Do you think that knowledge helps or hinders your earth experience?

Yes, people hide behind technology and the state, and with the press of a button cause a lot of destruction to others. Unfortunately technology creates distance so that people can kill without looking into their victims eyes. Added to that is religious tribalism, and nationalism taken to the extreme, but their is also a growing consciousness among groups that there is more similarity than differences between people. Technology can be used to boost this awareness as well. The control of the masses by the mass media, the educational system, and religious establishment by means of misinformation and half truths is a reality and do much to retard progress towards more humanitarian societies. The consciousness is there though, but as long as people can be stirred up against a common enemy,or fear is incited, or the survival instinct is excited many things take place that should not. History has enough lessons that can teach us how to avoid some of the moral pitfalls of the past if history was taugh honestly in schools, with an emphasis on analysis, and without the spin doctoring, that tries to prove that 'my side is always right'.
Granted progress is slower than it ought to be, but I still see some of the changes in thinking which I referred to in my former post as indications that humans will continue to gain small increments in consciousness. Thinkers of all ages have had to challenge old patterns of thinking, and those patterns do not go away without a struggle. It will never be easy but can you look back at history and say that the absolute power of the feudal lords, slave owners etc of the past did not lend itself to greater levels of moral decadence than now. Furthermore there was nothing covert about what was done. It was done with the sanction of society.