In the first chapter of Ilchi Lee's book Earth Citizen: Recovering Our Humanity, he explains the evolution of human enlightenment and how we can go even further in pursuit of world peace.
When astronauts made their premiere journey into the unknown and viewed the planet from outer space, it was the first time our modern species ever had the opportunity to see Earth as one whole entity without borders or divisions.
"In the development of humanity, this is equivalent to a major step toward growing up – like a child weaned or a bird leaving the nest for the first time," Lee wrote.
Each step in human development brings beings a little closer to thinking of themselves in a broad context that does not discriminate or put one subset of people over another.
When a child leaves the home and goes to school for the first time, they are seeing themselves in a different perspective. They become less self-involved and gain social skills and empathy as they socialize with their classmates. In this same sense, every time a human has a new experience, they are one step closer to becoming an Earth Citizen.
