Redesignment

- ... and here... - Jane continued - we redesign the beliefs.

I took a look at long rows of terminals and people standing in front of them, focused on the content of the screens. With their fingers they manipulated some elements on them, composing an elaborate image from them. Some were doing it quickly, in a hurry, like there was some unreal monster chasing them. They were looking over their shoulder time after time, then returning to making the composition.

Others made their moves extremely carefully while rearranging little icons on the screen. Analyzing every move - like their whole life depended on it.

The screens were too far for me to see, and I was too distracted anyway. This lively crowd along the never-ending rows of terminals - it all made me change my focus from one operating person to another. My attention ran through all the room back and forth and I ran after it, trying to catch up.

- The rule behind it all is very simple. - Jane didn't wait for me to start asking questions. Maybe I had every each of them written on my face. - So, from the beginning of our lives, we are fed with some beliefs, values, convictions. From the earliest days we hear "be nice", "you have to share", "don't bother daddy, go play by yourself", "it's late, good kids sleep at night". Later we learn others - "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", "there is no such thing as a free lunch", "you must steal your first million dollars", "good things come to those who wait". Convictions, opinions, golden rules, which allowed others to get through various situations in their past and now they are passing them on. The wisdom of the crowd, may I say. After a time it all builds an image of how the world of life looks like and how to go through it.

We approached one of the rows of terminals. Phrases similar to these quoted by Jane were blinking on the screen. Redesigning man was attaching to them some strange symbols, which meaning I couldn't guess.

My guide saw that I stare into the monitor.

- Now the redesigning person chooses how strongly he wants to believe in each of these particular opinions. - she explained.

- Does it mean that they redesign their own system of beliefs?

Jane looked at me, surprised.

- Of course! Who else should do that? In whose hands they should give the decision about their values? They'd spent enough time under the influence of their parents, society, education system or politicians. Here everyone redesigns himself.

- And what about the right beliefs? Universal truths? - I responded a little worried.

- Which ones, Sid?

- Well, I don't know... "We have to help each other" for example. Or "children are the world's future". These are facts!

- Maybe for you. Here everybody decides for himself. He can stop believing in any so-called "truth", and start believing in any other. We can't influence his decisions, we cannot even see what is he choosing.

We approached one of these redesigning, who were rapidly changing the phrases and symbols on the screen. The woman seemed to be searching for something, she was just taking a brief glimpse of the sentences and scrolling them further and further. She paid no attention to us approaching.

- Some of the beliefs are a result of painful life experiences. The most common causes are heartbreaks, of course... Rejection or a betrayal give life to many thoughts such as "I won't trust anybody again", "who gives more loses more", "men have only one thought in their minds" or "great love exists only in the movies". A lot of these people come later to us to get rid of these opinions. To leave this burden behind in order to be able to function normally, to trust somebody, to love somebody again.

We watched the woman for a minute.

- And then they come again. Some of them I see here over a dozen times. Until after one time they don't return. I like to think that it is because they haven't been hurt finally... but it is also possible that they just gave up trying.

Through the wide door we reached the second room.

- Here is the white paper section.

This room was far less crowded than the previous one. The terminals weren't so colorful and people were working a lot slower. Between one move and the other passed long moments, which redesigning spent on silent contemplation.

- Redesigning people don't get a set of beliefs here. They just get a white, blank screen, and decide by themselves what to put inside. It is a bit like they reject all that has been said or learned and design everything from the scratch. It is a really tough job, some of them work here for several weeks. Some come back here once a week for over a year now.

Until now I haven't noticed a great effort on their faces, full concentration.

- It is the most difficult way, to sit in front of a white paper and design the whole value and belief system, totally from the start. Without limitations, without past experiences and painful disappointments, which often tell us that it is not worth to believe in something.

We moved towards the next wide door. One thought in my mind was growing with every step and finally burst out.

- Haven't you thought how much good can be done with your machines? Damn it, if everybody was put through these terminals with a right set of values there could be perfect order in the world! "War is evil", "love thou neighbor", "help the poor"! Don't you realize you've found the way to change the world in a better place?!

.

Jane waited for me to stop spitting words out of my mouth.

- Really, Sid? Is this all that you came up with all that is happening here? Tell me, who is to decide which truths are the right ones? Who is to order everybody to believe in them? Who is to force his own point of view on the billions of people?

Force? But all of this is in a good faith! I already got some names of remarkable, trustworthy and well-known people in my head. We could surely find people of great morality and knowledge to create a proper value system!

- And tell me, Sid - who would be stupid enough to believe in truths designed for him by others...?