fighting hierarchy with hubris

[http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert (Robert)]

Noelle and I were talking last night while listening to a discussion about
Buddhism and the Buddha.  One confusing thing about religion is the
separation between the concept of emulating someone or something (Jesus/the
Buddha/whomever) and following their teachings.  And I realized that this
very separation is what creates hierarchies.  There seem to be 2
ingredients to the ability to create hierarchies:

1) Communication (language is stronger).
2) Realization of the self.

You need #2 to realize that you are not like someone or something else.
#1 is needed to communicate that fact and that there are characteristics
which you may never have.

To reject hierarchy, you'd have to break the relationship between the self
and that "someone" or "something".  That is, you'd have to believe that
you *could* emulate any characteristic that that "someone" or "something"
has or that you could think of, even if you don't wish to or aren't
currently able to.

I guess hubris and/or science is necessary to counteract hierarchies.