In Pursuit of Knowledge

A 10–15 minute read.
Welcome. This Substack is a space for inquiry—a place for learning through the two wings of science and religion.

This post is dedicated to my three Transformative Leadership cohorts—past and present—and to a new friend on the path, Christine, whose beautiful heart and mind are entering, in her own time, the journey of transformative learning. It is an honor to learn from and with you all—and to acquire a lived experience of the ‘‘power with’’! A note of joyful thanks to attuned Samantha.

This post is offered from the heart, with the hope that it engages both heart and mind—inviting reflection on how we come to understand ourselves, others, and the world. In a time that calls for clarity, courage, and compassion, may these words open space for deeper learning rooted in, yes, boundless love.

It is a process writing of my learning, and I’m happy to share it with you.

The journey of transformation—both personal and societal—begins with a courageous examination of the ideas we’ve inherited, and a commitment to learning that unites knowledge with purpose, heart, and truth.

We begin with a Writing from one of the eternal wisdom traditions:

‘‘…in the sight of God knowledge is the greatest human virtue and the noblest human perfection. To oppose knowledge is pure ignorance, and he who abhors knowledge and learning is not a human being but a mindless animal. For knowledge is light, life, felicity, perfection, and beauty, and causes the soul to draw to the divine threshold. It is the honour and glory of the human realm and the greatest of God’s bounties. Knowledge is identical to guidance, and ignorance is the essence of error.

Happy are those who spend their days in pursuit of knowledge, in the discovery of the secrets of the universe, and in the meticulous investigation of truth! And woe to those who content themselves with ignorance, who delight in thoughtless imitation, who have fallen into the abyss of ignorance and unawareness, and who have thus wasted their lives!’’ —’Abdu’l-Baha’, Some Answered Questions, p. 154-155.

This call to knowledge—particularly the truths that unite the material and spiritual dimensions of reality—is the heart of my own curiosity and inquiry, learning and discovery.

In the social world, this call is echoed in a beautiful, convincing, and even stirring way through Transformative Leadership—a progressive, values-based model of leadership designed for the modern era. One of the six core principles of this framework is the moral responsibility to investigate and apply truth.

To give a glimpse of what this means to me: in my very first year of teaching—fresh out of university with a degree in elementary/primary education—I decorated my Grade 6 classroom with a banner that read, “Welcome to the World of Responsibility.” It hung proudly beside a bold poster that invited, “Think BIG.” I still remember one of my students walking in on the first day, his face lit up with a smile, telling me how much he loved seeing those words. Even then, without fully realizing it, I was beginning to explore how values and moral responsibility could shape an environment for meaningful learning.

Over the years, that early passion for values-based/holistic education has deepened into a search for the roots of how we come to understand truth itself—and what can sometimes get in the way.

This post takes a first look at one of the hidden obstacles to understanding truth—with real impact on wellbeing, spirituality, and leadership: our mental models of human nature. It sets the stage for a more personal reflection coming soon.

To begin with—I deeply value Transformative Leadership.

Transformative Leadership is a framework for personal and collective growth that empowers individuals to become agents of positive change, whether in families, classrooms, communities, or organizations of any size. Developed by Eloy Anello, Joan Hernandez, and May Khadem, it is grounded in the belief that every human being is noble and capable of development.

Rather than focusing on authority or control, Transformative Leadership cultivates the inherent capacities within the human being—such as truthfulness, justice, unity, discernment, love, and coherence between values and action. It offers a practical and principled path of leadership.

I have always believed in the innate capacities of the human being. It has been the foundation of my work with human beings—children, youth, and adults. This is the root meaning of the word educate: to educe, to bring out what is within.

In a world characterized by pain, prejudice, mistrust, conflict and injustices, this framework calls us to reimagine leadership not as a position of power over but as a position of power with, and as a capacity inherent in every person. Brilliantly, it unites the ethical clarity of moral leadership with the systemic insight of social transformation.

Transformative Leadership offers tools for change and a new narrative for the future of leadership itself.

The Conceptual Framework of Transformative Leadership and its six principles:

• Service-Oriented Leadership

• Twofold Purpose of Leadership—Personal and Social Transformation (reflecting the twofold purpose of life)

• Moral Responsibility to Investigate and Apply Truth

• Essential Nobility of Human Beings

• Transcendence

• Development of Capabilities (18 of them under three categories: Personal Transformation, Transformation of Interpersonal Relationships, and Social Transformation)

In this sense, Transformative Leadership is more than just one framework among many—to me, it is a framework of frameworks, for it integrates the inner and outer dimensions of leadership, offering a shared language for truth, unity, wellbeing, spirituality, and transformation.

It is both wonderful and wondrous.

It resonates deeply with my 30 years of experience in education and speaks to the leadership the world urgently needs—from families to global relations: coherent, principled, inclusive, purposeful, true, and visionary.

Here is a free and self-paced course offered by Transformative Leadership on the principle of unity in consultation as a way to improve decisions.

In its second chapter and course module, Mental Models of Human Nature and Society, Transformative Leadership education introduces a vital insight:

“It is impossible to truly learn and apply new ideas when we have unquestioned mental models related to a particular subject. To apply Transformative Leadership and contribute to a more just, united society, we need to question mental models related to human nature.”

One prevalent underlying assumption is the belief that human beings are inherently aggressive and incapable of creating a peaceful society. Others are rooted in determinism or fatalism. Some promote the idea of innate evil, while others proclaim pure goodness.

My own East–West experience, especially learning from Chinese philosophy, has shown me how deeply these diverse views of human nature shape the stories we tell—about ourselves and one another.

Transformative Leadership proposes an alternative: that human beings possess both a higher and a lower nature. Through the uniquely human capacity of free will, we choose—again and again—to rise toward our nobler self or to remain subject to our baser instincts.

“We propose that human beings have both a higher and a lower nature. By exercising free will—a distinctly human characteristic—we choose to turn toward our higher nature or allow ourselves to be dragged down by our lower nature.” —Transformative Leadership Education, Module Overview.

From a spiritual and intellectual point of view, this dual nature of the human being—and the related concepts of free will and oneness—has been among the most life-changing, most illuminating principles I have encountered.

Note: Two links on questions about free will—one on predestination, one on its limits.

Reflecting on Human Choice

Naturally, we might ask: What is the guidance, then? What thoughts, feelings, and actions help me develop my higher nature? And what thoughts, feelings, and behaviors draw me toward my lower nature?

Good and important question! This topic may one day become an article of its own or within a section of, “The Missing Link in Life and Society: Spirituality”—a forthcoming article (one of these days) grounded in a thrilling exploration of spiritual education.

Understanding our dual nature lies at the heart of transformative leadership—because without this awareness, how can we nurture our potential or guide others toward theirs?

What do you know about your own mental models? Where are you on the journey of becoming more aware of them—and transforming old, inherited assumptions into new, more life-affirming ways of seeing?

Behind every action we take—every way we organize our families, schools, communities, and nations—are deep-seated mental models: the often-unexamined assumptions that shape how we see ourselves, others, and the world. This is where learning and critical thinking play a vital role—helping us become independent thinkers capable of examining and transforming the assumptions that guide our lives.

Mental Models of Human Nature

Here are some of the most prevalent mental models of human nature—many of them outdated or incomplete, yet still powerfully influential:

• Man as a Rational Animal

  • Survival of the fittest — the belief that life is a constant struggle for dominance and only the strongest prevail (Darwin, Spencer)

  • Genetic determinism — the view that our traits and behaviors are fixed and entirely determined by our genes (Mendel, Bateson, Watson, Crick)

  • Determinism and fatalism — the belief that people have little or no control over their lives: determinism says everything is caused by outside forces, while fatalism says everything is destined to happen no matter what we do.

• Metaphysical nature of man

  • Innate evil (man is inherently “bad” and in need of control)

  • Inherent goodness (implying no need for education or training), and:

  • A dual nature: not only an alternative view but a new and evolutionary perspective—rooted in both science and spiritual wisdom—affirming our capacity to grow and develop through conscious choice.

Mental Models of Society

Closely related, these ideas form the foundation of bigger mental models that shape how we build society, including:

• Competition as a guiding principle

• Adversarial structures

• Racism and systemic inequality

They influence not only how we view people, but how we design institutions, set policies, and justify behaviors often without even realizing it.

And they extend even further—into how we lead.

Mental Models of Leadership

Transformative Leadership then explores how our assumptions about human nature directly shape the styles of leadership we adopt and there is a deep dive into each of the following:

• Authoritarian – assuming people must be controlled

• Paternalistic – assuming people must be protected and guided like children

• Know-it-all – assuming leadership means having all the answers

• Manipulative – using others as means to an end

While we may not like to admit it, most of us express one or more of these models—often without even realizing it, until we become aware of them. These approaches are learned defaults, embedded in the environments we’ve grown up in. But they also raise an important question:

What kind of changes would we need to make to move beyond these dominant models?

This inquiry has been central to my own journey.

“Bird on Branch,” painted by my beautiful mother, Jan Levine, in 2024.

Uncovering deeper truths about our nature—and the mental models we’ve inherited—is important, fascinating, and humbling. And this exploration becomes even more powerful when seen through the two wings of science and religion.

In the book Mutual Aid: The Other Law of the Jungle (2021), Pablo Servigne and Gauthier Chappelle present scientific evidence that supports an often-overlooked truth: that cooperation, mutual aid, and assistance are not exceptions to the rule of life—they are the rule. I haven’t yet read the book, but I look forward to diving into it with a study group one of these days.

This idea is deeply resonant with a teaching from a wisdom tradition. In Some Answered Questions, Chapter 46, “‘Evolution and the True Nature of Man’”, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains how both material and spiritual evolution unfold—and how mutual aid and assistance are among the intrinsic properties that generate the development of all things. One of my all-time favorite quotations, which I often apply to humanity and our potential for unity:

‘‘For all beings are linked together like a chain; and mutual aid, assistance, and interaction are among their intrinsic properties and are the cause of their formation, development, and growth.’’—’Abdu’l-Baha’, Some Answered Questions, Chapter 46.

We are created to need each other—and each other’s influences, interactions, and aid and assistance—in the most positive of ways in order to grow and develop according to our highest potential.

Just as ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ describes the profound interconnectedness of all beings—“linked together like a chain” through mutual aid and assistance—modern science, too, is uncovering this same truth through the language of frequency, coherence, and resonance.

As some of you may know, some of today’s most inspiring scientists and thinkers are illuminating the profound harmony between science and wisdom. People like Joe Dispenza, Bruce Lipton, Gregg Braden, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Lisa Miller (and her Positive Psychology teacher, Martin E. Seligman)—among many more—are showing how things like coherence, neuroplasticity, epigenetics, and mindfulness point to something profound: that we’re wired—created—for healing, growth, connection, spirituality, and oneness. If you’re not yet familiar with these thinkers, I highly encourage you to set aside 6–7 hours to explore their talks and insights—it’s a worthwhile investment that can open up a whole new way of seeing the world!

Here is a brief talk by someone who, like the thinkers above, has come to recognize the deeper truth about our nature. A medical doctor by training, Mitchell Abrams offers a glimpse into the emerging understanding that our thoughts, emotions, and physiological states are vibrational in nature—with far-reaching implications. A moving confirmation of what wisdom traditions have long taught: that unity is not only an ethical principle, but a living frequency (reality) we can and must learn to attune to.

These insights—from science and spiritual traditions—offer a hopeful vision of our shared potential for unity and transformation. Yet, despite this growing understanding of our interconnectedness and capacity for cooperation, humanity continues to wrestle with a deep and persistent paradox—rooted in long-standing mental models that shape how we see ourselves, others, and the very structure of society.

This painful contradiction—between our longing for peace and our belief in humanity’s incapacity to achieve it—has long shaped the human story. It was eloquently described by the Universal House of Justice in its compassionate, educative 1985 message to the peoples of the world, The Promise of World Peace:

…a paralyzing contradiction has developed in human affairs. On the one hand, people of all nations proclaim not only their readiness but their longing for peace and harmony, for an end to the harrowing apprehensions tormenting their daily lives. On the other, uncritical assent is given to the proposition that human beings are incorrigibly selfish and aggressive and thus incapable of erecting a social system at once progressive and peaceful, dynamic and harmonious, a system giving free play to individual creativity and initiative but based on cooperation and reciprocity.

Note: Thanks to Joan for highlighting this visionary passage.

In the end, the journey of transformation—both personal and societal—begins where all true learning begins: with the courage to question, the humility to reflect, and the commitment to unite knowledge with heart and action. Understanding and transforming the mental models we inherit is both a personal and collective moral journey, and truly, a hopeful one. As Bahá’u’lláh reminds us: “Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his ascent” (Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh).

In a future piece, I’ll explore one of the mental models I’ve been learning about: determinism. Even as we embrace principles of growth, change, and moral development, traces of fixed thinking can remain, shaping our sense of self and others. What happens when we begin to notice—and slowly and assuredly unlearn—them?

Until then, my friends, thank you for reading. You’re warmly welcome to share any thoughts or reflections—I’d love to hear from you!

May this music by Elika Mahoney accompany your reflection and bring joy and hope. Best enjoyed with the volume turned up.

One final note to share: As I finished this article, guess who appeared on my phone? A picture of my mother. If you recall, she winged her flight to the next world last year, and every day, pictures of her and my dad ‘‘magically’’ appear on my phone. I believe they—and all souls in the next world—are intimately aware of the truths we are exploring here together.

I am the author and guide of the ideas, direction, voice, structure, and intention behind this article. Some wording has been refined with the help of AI, a wonderful editing partner I’ve explored with care. While certain parts have been collaboratively shaped in service of my learning process, the meaning and final expression are fully my own—shared from the heart, with hope to uplift and inspire.