Principle 8: We believe in the value of practical education in metaphysics, metapsychology, and life-skills as a means of empowering the human spirit and enhancing the human condition. We maintain an open—but grounded—mind to potential realities as yet undescribed by science.
It is no secret that education raises one’s quality of life, reduces crime, allows one to gain a higher-paying job, reduces poverty and dependence on state aid, reduces teen pregnancies, and elevates self-esteem, to name just a few. These benefits obviously translate to a more peaceful and civil society. In fact, education can be directly linked to the success or failure of a civilization.
Life is about learning and growing, and when we stop growing, we die. The self-improvement industry has grown considerably over the past century with books like The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles published in 1910, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie in 1936, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill in 1938, and my favorite, Successful Achievement by Sidney N. Bremer, PhD, a four volume collection first published in 1966. These classics offered practical life-skills to readers and changed many lives.
In a real sense, these books were metaphysical in nature because they explored how to improve life and existence using practical as well as theoretical concepts. Many of these popular books also covered the mind and consciousness and how they affect one’s quality of life.
I’ve taught thousands of managers and leaders what I believe is a crucial concept: If you want better employees, teach them life-skills. Why? Because when people are educated in practical life-skills, they have fewer problems than those who aren’t. Those who practice good life-skills also have fewer relationship problems; put another way, they have fewer problems at home. Any manager will tell you that an employee with severe problems at home is not nearly as productive, reliable, or easy to deal with as someone who has a peaceful home life.
And yet, the foregoing concept is not limited to employees, it includes everyone. If you want better teenagers who are prepared for adulthood, teach them life-skills. If you want better volunteers, teach them life-skills. If you want to be better and more successful in life, learn life-skills. So, what are life-skills? They include how to communicate more effectively; how to manage your time; how to set and achieve goals; how to understand others and get along better (diversity training); how to solve problems and find solutions (critical thinking); how to take personal responsibility for your actions; how to speak in public, etc.
Enough cannot be said as to the importance of practical life-skills as a significant aspect of metaphysical training because self-knowledge leads to self-empowerment and enlightenment, and this, in turn, enhances one’s ability to think more deeply on other metaphysical concepts. Metaphysical Humanistic Science strongly supports and promotes education that includes all aspects of metaphysical knowledge with an emphasis on practical life-skills.
—Rev. Douglas R. Kelley, PhD, CH, CSL