I don't think he's either. But we'll come back to that.

I think some hierarchies are destructive (statism, classism, racism, sexism, ageism, authoritarianism, etc). Some hierarchies are certainly natural but I wouldn't call them "good." I'm not a moral relativist and yet I recognize there is no big "T" Truth. If a hierarchy causes harm and decreases human wellbeing, I think we should resist it. Some hierarchies don't directly do that, but they reinforce patterns of thinking which do. When I speak of my dislike for hierarchies, I am mostly just talking about those which are not voluntary or those that create separation which can lead to authoritarian thinking.

I agree about religious use of judgement and shame. As for people not using their ego well, that might be an important part of this story. It's possible the "god consciousness" can be a beutiful, loving thing if used to help others as you all are doing.

A healthy hierarchy doesn't TAKE power - free people give it freely.

That's a beautiful statement. My concern, I guess, with regularly giving over power to others is that it creates a pattern which can easily be manipulated by the State and religion as they have done throughout history. As with many things, the problem starts in the mind. That's why the myth of authority is so destructive.

Do you think I judged or condemned Quinn? I said my personal interactions with him reminded me of narcism. You were not present during that interaction I had with him, but when I go through each bullet point on the psychology today website, one at a time, they almost directly fit the interaction I had with him. The correlation is quite amazing. That's not a judgement or a condemnation, it's simply an observation of my own experience.

I did say that behavior is "condemned by others as a disorder." If Quinn isn't harming people (and from your personal experience with him, he isn't) then it's possible he has found an amazing way to have the same brain structure as someone with narcissism and yet channel that into something positive in the world instead of something negative. For that and more, I celebrate his accomplishments and the love he spreads.

I don't think accurately describing my experiences, to the best of my ability, does a disservice to myself or humanity. Granted, Quinn may not have been fully sober when I interacted with him which may explain some of the interactions we had, but I don't think I'm judging it as "bad" as much as I'm pointing out similarities between it and what society says is bad.

Keep on spreading the love and if you believe there is good to be had in the world, strive for it. :)

Oh, also, thanks for the link on Yoga and war. I found it interesting, but not personally appealing to me. I think war is bad with no way to make it good. If I, as an individual, had to fight to protect myself or my family or my community or the helpless or anyone being aggressed against, I would. My understanding of the word "war" has more to do with nation states and governments creating armies and invading. ("a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state.") To me, war can not and should not be justified. Your post describes "with total devotion and total detachment" and that, to me, is not a healthy mindset at all. That is what shuts down moral thinking. That is what makes monsters out of humans. I much prefer reason, logic, evidence and techniques like NVC (non-violent communication).