There are about 25,000 genes in the human body. Of this total, there are a number of genes which contribute to the growth and survival of cancer. There now is a type of treatment aimed specifically at those genes, while leaving out other genes. This therapy makes use of drugs that affect the particular genes that are found only in cancer cells. It is such treatment, carried out on a selective basis, that in medical science comes under the heading of targeted therapy.

This same technique, that of targeted therapy, is invaluable when it comes to human reform. The governing factor in human behaviour being the mind, any major improvement in human conduct must start with an in-depth modification of the thinking process. This is borne out by a saying in the Bible: ‘For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ (Proverbs 23:7) Moreover, the method of targeted therapy is useful in many other aspects of human life: it is beneficial both in the upkeep of physical health and in the development of a healthy personality.

There is much discussion about the necessity for social reform. But this has not come about, because although all the efforts made to this end have been Himalayan, they have proved infructuous. Why is this so? It is because the starting point is not the right one. The starting point must be to bring about change in the individual. The mind of the individual must be addressed in order to revolutionize his thinking. This is the right and only way to carry out social reform. Other methods have proved ineffective.

Source: Leading a Spiritual Life