This grounds the previous articles. Good stuff, Martin.
I would note that people who are struggling with thoughts of suicide are routinely said to become happy before they kill themselves. That demonstrates that the decision leads to a collapse of tension, ambivalence. Then they kill themselves *after* the choice is made and tension collapses.
This entire decision tree springs from (ultimately) a failure to adhere to covenant. Level 3 Covenant in these circumstances says that Life is precious, a gift from God we have no right to toss back at Him. If we are struggling with suicidal thoughts but can adhere to what the Covenant teaches us, to value Life, to value and protect our body as a temple of God, then we can maintain Level 2 Governance of our own choices and hold to the choice that says no to suicide. It takes the option of suicide off the table, just as it takes the choice of "The High" off the table, just as it sets aside the urge to continuity when full and Lawful Covenant is adhered to by a societal institution based on the Law.
If we lose our understanding of Level 3 Covenant, then Level 2 Governance cannot stay stable, internal tension builds, Level 1 Authority comes under pressure, until we resolve the tension by choosing suicide, leading to us relaxing, being happier, and then killing ourselves.
Resisting suicide cannot be done at the level of Authority, and Level 2 Governance has no spine to it, without a commitment to the Covenant that binds us to Life, which is an absolute.
For the addiction situation, this may explain why the 12-Step system for alcoholics works better than other systems. It provides a Level 3 Covenant with God and Level 2 Governance with the alcoholic's mentor, and thus helps the alcoholic make an authoritative choice to stay sober, thus reducing the tension he would otherwise feel if Level 3 and Level 2 were not anchored outside of himself to God and the mentor, until the alcoholic can internalize the three Levels within his own personal structure.
You've got a useful system here, in that it can be applied easily and fruitfully in other areas not previously discussed in your articles. :-)
I believe Martin's 4 layers relate to the "One Coin" discussion by Courtenay Turner on substack (May 31, 2026) - esp see the What the Founders Actually Specified and the next section You Cannot Expect Power to Limit Itself, then think about the criticality of Martin's 3rd layer (and how important it is to be defined properly so as not to collapse). I remain humbled by thinkers like Martin and those who read/comment and I am motivated to use these frameworks to help society at large. Insights from the recent docufilm, The Story of Everything, and the Telepathy Tapes podcast, etc. support Martin's thinking as well. Martin shows his framework meaningful to the individual and community. In the end, we are accountable only to ourselves at the leisure of a creator for which the state can only try to obfuscate and implement control. So we must be eternally vigilant.
This grounds the previous articles. Good stuff, Martin.
I would note that people who are struggling with thoughts of suicide are routinely said to become happy before they kill themselves. That demonstrates that the decision leads to a collapse of tension, ambivalence. Then they kill themselves *after* the choice is made and tension collapses.
This entire decision tree springs from (ultimately) a failure to adhere to covenant. Level 3 Covenant in these circumstances says that Life is precious, a gift from God we have no right to toss back at Him. If we are struggling with suicidal thoughts but can adhere to what the Covenant teaches us, to value Life, to value and protect our body as a temple of God, then we can maintain Level 2 Governance of our own choices and hold to the choice that says no to suicide. It takes the option of suicide off the table, just as it takes the choice of "The High" off the table, just as it sets aside the urge to continuity when full and Lawful Covenant is adhered to by a societal institution based on the Law.
If we lose our understanding of Level 3 Covenant, then Level 2 Governance cannot stay stable, internal tension builds, Level 1 Authority comes under pressure, until we resolve the tension by choosing suicide, leading to us relaxing, being happier, and then killing ourselves.
Resisting suicide cannot be done at the level of Authority, and Level 2 Governance has no spine to it, without a commitment to the Covenant that binds us to Life, which is an absolute.
For the addiction situation, this may explain why the 12-Step system for alcoholics works better than other systems. It provides a Level 3 Covenant with God and Level 2 Governance with the alcoholic's mentor, and thus helps the alcoholic make an authoritative choice to stay sober, thus reducing the tension he would otherwise feel if Level 3 and Level 2 were not anchored outside of himself to God and the mentor, until the alcoholic can internalize the three Levels within his own personal structure.
You've got a useful system here, in that it can be applied easily and fruitfully in other areas not previously discussed in your articles. :-)
I believe Martin's 4 layers relate to the "One Coin" discussion by Courtenay Turner on substack (May 31, 2026) - esp see the What the Founders Actually Specified and the next section You Cannot Expect Power to Limit Itself, then think about the criticality of Martin's 3rd layer (and how important it is to be defined properly so as not to collapse). I remain humbled by thinkers like Martin and those who read/comment and I am motivated to use these frameworks to help society at large. Insights from the recent docufilm, The Story of Everything, and the Telepathy Tapes podcast, etc. support Martin's thinking as well. Martin shows his framework meaningful to the individual and community. In the end, we are accountable only to ourselves at the leisure of a creator for which the state can only try to obfuscate and implement control. So we must be eternally vigilant.
Thanks Martin ... brings clarity to the inner and outer real life structure and challenges of this fallen world.
I struggle w/ *organized* thinking and analysis which you possess and can communicate in spades. .. very interesting and useful break down.