Mental evolution

Humanity as a whole has not yet reached a collective stage of mental evolution. Many people feel no collective consciousness or collective conscience.  Material and non-material dreams aren't always compatible. How do we evolve to find a middle road when we can only change ourselves? Step-by-step.  We can each exert effort to help raise awareness of new options to revise dreams. 

Currently, the basic needs of all people on Earth are not being met.   It's vital we begin to realize focusing on material comforts is not the path to sustainable, collective happiness and fulfillment.  The state of national economies is not the real problem.  Whether they go up or down doesn't itself impact how people feel about themselves so much as how connected or disconected they feel to the world around them.  This is a hidden desire for deeper awareness and connection.  Do we have a hope of influencing  human mindsets and lifestyles on a massive scale?

Where huge populations have not yet overcome basic poverty, these individuals will have no interest in how environmental issues impact the air quality and levels of cancer across the globe.  In many cases, their basic survival depends on cutting down and burning  the firewood they collect.  One can't tell them not to cut down forests. In the same way, how logical is it to tell beggars not to urinate in the streets when they have no place to go? What can be done when  governments, economies and societies as they are permit people to fall through the cracks?

It's not rational to discuss hygiene or education with the homeless and destitute who focus on searching for their next meal. They will not be on your wavelength. The approach taken to education in Industrial countries could benefit from less focus on the purely local issues and self-interest and more consideration of implications of behavior and choices on everyone worldwide. 

The mental evolution of Humanity is not yet rooted in issues that would help to create a collective conscience. This would appear fundamental to any educational system that aims to equip future generations effectively to preserve or restroe environments and guarantee survival on Earth. Our dreams of reaching individual goals need to somehow be connected to promote collective survival.