Theos-Talk Archives (June 2006 Message tt00266)

Here's something I sent to the bn-study mailing list last Wednesday. Since I
never saw it come out, I assume it did not pass review by whomever was
approving messages for the list at the time. I'm posting it here, since it
does not look like it is going to come out on that list.

Eldon

-----Original Message-----
From: Eldon B Tucker [mailto:eldon@theosophy.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 8:08 AM
To: 'study@blavatsky.net'
Subject: do we need to reach the whole world?

There is a simpler answer. A mailing list can be considered as a dynamic
system. When it is in its growth phase, the demand for it (new subscribers)
exceeds its cost (mailing addresses that go bad and people that
unsubscribe).

The sources of new subscribers provide more participants that are lost
through attrition. Eventually it reaches a balance point where the number of
new people matches the number of people leaving. It then stays at around
that level, with minor seasonal fluctuations, until something should change
the dynamic of the list, like a change of content or how it is manager.

The appearance of geometric growth (growing by a large annual percentage) is
misleading, since it only applies to the early time period of a list (or to
an readjustment after a major change in the list).

I've seen this in the number of subscribers to THEOSOPHY WORLD. It quickly
shot up to the high 1400's, slowly drifted down to the high 1200's, and has
been holding at that level of subscribers for a few years now. Unless I find
new sources of subscribers or somehow change the content of the online
magazine, it should hold steady at that level.

Each mailing list, magazine, lodge, or theosophical organization serves a
certain purpose, and I'd expect it to reach a state of balance where the
number of participants level out. The fact that there is not a continue
growth in numbers does not mean there is something wrong with how things are
working. 

Each thing that we do has a certain scope of action that is appropriate to
it. Something is not good or bad depending upon how big it is, how many
people appear to be affected, nor any other measure that can be quantified.

When numbers are going up, it means that what one is doing appeals to a
greater number of people. That does not mean it is better that what one was
doing before. When numbers are going down, it means that what one is doing
appeals to a smaller number of people. That does not mean it is worse than
what one was doing before. The measure of good or bad comes from one's
insight into the rightness of what one is doing, not based upon external
appearances.

When there are more people, money, and fame coming from what we do, there's
a sense of ego gratification. It's enjoyable, a side-effect of doing good
things, but should not be out primary motivation. The primary motivation
arises from a sense of knowing that what one is doing is good to do, the
right thing regardless of recognition or reward. It comes from a love and
respect for certain things, wanting to see them given life in the world,
feeling fulfilled when they are expressed, because this is more important
than other things one might do.

Eldon Tucker

> -----Original Message-----
> From: (name removed)
> Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 4:56 AM
> To: study@blavatsky.net
> Subject: [bn-study] How our THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT can possibly reach the
> whole world
> 
> Dear Members,
> 
> There is a very simple answer to the question many of you asked last days
> in
> how the THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT  can reach the whole world
> 
> See the computer programmed statistics in Blavatsky Net Newsletter June 1,
> 2006, July 1, 2005 and July 1 2004:
> 
> 1st  of June 2006
> Computer produced:
> There are now 2119 members.
> Of all those, 1565 are visible in the profile report.
> 63 members joined last month.
> Members are in 104 different countries and in 50 different states in the
> US.
> 
> 1st of July 2005
> Computer produced:
> There are now 1335 members.
> Of all those, 1012 are visible in the profile report.
> 91 members joined last month.
> Members are in 87 different countries and in 50 different states in the
US.
> 
> 1st of July 2004
> Computer produced:
> There are now 623 members.
> Of all those, 492 are visible in the profile report.
> 148 members joined last month.
> Members are in 49 different countries and in 36 different states in the
US.
> 
> This means a compound growth-rate of 84% annually.
> And this means that the whole world and all countries will be reached in
> approx. the year 2031, with a world population of  approx.8.8 billion.
> 
> So keep up the good faith!!!
> 
> Best regards, (name removed)