It is far too easy for people to just repeat things. Whether it be copying something on Facebook, or just repeating some idiocy that was said in public accentuated by an exclamation of "Yeah" and fist pump in the air. People are getting used to being thought puppets. A recent Facebook rumor the the site was going to become a non free site is a good example of how someone can say something, or believe something without any type of validation and just repeat what they have heard, because if someone else put it up, then it must be true, so they should spread it like wildfire without investigation. And people follow suit. This is folks being "Passively Active". They seem to not have the energy to check something out for themselves, but are Gung Ho to perpetuate, and preserve some tidbit of active knowledge because it is there for the taking. A great many people have a tendency for sensationalism, and get excited when something comes up that they can be a part of, and that they can assist in putting in motion. Whether it be knowledge of something, some cause, or bandwagon that they have jumped upon, or some belief of their own that has been echoed, people like to make some impact upon others. There is in itself nothing wrong with that concept, because we all want to be heard, and we all have beliefs about something that we would like to share to someone who might listen. But there is a tremendous difference between being a messenger, and being a puppet.
The idea of having knowledge, is to impart that knowledge using your own specific take, and your own words so that it becomes not only a collective statement that you are part of, but one that you have as a personal tailored statement that you can call your own, and that it doesn't sound like someone else. That is called having an opinion, and even folks who have radically different opinions than mine, I can respect because it is their own personal take which they can articulate, and explain just why they think the way they do about something. In fact I like when a person does that, because I feel that how else will I be able to grow as a human being if my opinions are not challenged, and debated by folks who can articulate their particular point of view. Constructive conflict is all right by me. The problem I have is the copy cats.
The Copy Cats are folks that take anything that they have seen and heard and just repeat it verbatim with talking points included. They may deviate somewhat from some aspect, but asked to stay away from talking points they have no real answer except to say the dreaded "Because it's true." Or for that matter, some folks don't even bother to go that far. They just take a sensationalist quote, or video, and point to that while saying, "Yes, this is what I think too." That is why so many folks unwittingly get caught with the "Please re post if you agree" items on Facebook, or the "So and so said it on the news, so it must be true" mentality as they walk around saying and believing garbage that has been proven as false. People are for the most part 3 types: Leaders, followers, or those that just don't have any desire to be part of either, and remain in their own world going about their business without causing waves or trouble.
The leaders like to say things to get people to do things and believe things. They realize that they can't be leaders if there is nothing to lead, so often they construct something for someone to get behind and fall in line to. Every type of person who leads no matter how humble has to have a bit of narcissism in them to believe that others want to subscribe to what they say and do. Leaders though are not really the problem..It's the followers who are.
Followers are in 2 categories: There are the "Active" ones that leaders actually give the info to, and are foot soldiers who will in fact have their own opinion, and will turn on the leader if something is fishy in the works. These folks actually are good because they keep the leaders in check, and can articulate whatever the subject matter is, and why they are believing in this particular leader or cause. They actually are sub leaders because they are being led willingly, and will break off if they don't really like where they are being led.
Then there are the "Passive" followers who just need something to believe in, and will gravitate towards whatever shiny object is presented to them. They follow blind, and just repeat everything that is told to them without question, and can't deal with any original thinking of their own because it doesn't occur to them that something could possibly be wrong in the leadership department. It's easier for them to just follow and say stuff and repeat things because of the desire to be heard collectively but not individually. You can't get picked off by the wolves if you stay inside the herd with your head down.
My analogy sounds harsh, and it may be, but I get tired of the followers just saying whatever comes down the pike from someone else, the exact same way it was said. I respect folks who like to sit and respectfully disagree, and be able to say, "Here's what I think". There is to me a gratifying feeling that individuals have different opinions and can execute those thoughts in an intense thought provoking manner. Growth as a country and people depend upon dissent, and dissent is what makes ideas become part of everyone, because you have to compromise to get there. And if you compromise, that means you are understanding part of the point of view of the other person enough to try to meet somewhere within the middle. To be a puppet means to be unmoving, and you only say what you are told to say, and how to say it.
People think the way they do for a reason. Whether it be upbringing, history, or events that changed them. But you have to understand those dynamics to help them break away from puppet masters, and make them sub leaders where they can have strong convictions and be able to articulate them. The first rule that they can adhere to is not repeating what they have heard the way they they have heard it, and put themselves into the well rounded opinion pool. It is easy to receive information, but it takes some time and effort to process it. Information is like nutrition. It has to be processed properly in order to work for you. So to those out there just receiving information, please.....Chew your food.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Different Yokes For Different Folks: Carryin' that weight
"The straw that broke the Camel's back"..."Reached my last nerve"...."I'm losin' it"..All in our lexicon of describing what we feel when the weight of the world gets on our shoulders, and is heavier than we can possibly imagine. Everyone carries around with them a yoke. One that contains our thoughts our feelings, our trials, and worries, and how heavy that yoke happens to be for us depends upon how we decide to carry the weight. The yoke can be lethal as the weight of our troubles can make it appear to be so oppressive that it can make one not want to carry on anymore in life. It can preoccupy a person, and make them not enjoy life because they constantly are doing one thing..Thinking. Thinking is a good thing, but thinking too much can do more harm than good. I'm not talking about thinking of the universe, or how to better ones self. I'm talking about thinking of circumstances, and worrying about outcomes of those circumstances. Doing that can cloud up judgment, and while seeming to be productive, can actually take away from things that may be growing solutions.
We humans have designed ourselves to think 3 dimensionally, which means thinking about actions and outcomes. Outcomes get over analyzed, over thought out, and played out so many times in our heads that no real action is taken except the thought process. And the thought process is what actually depresses people because they begin to imagine the hole that they think they are in is real, and that they can't get out of it. Well they can't get out of it because they are paralyzed from thinking. We have all done it, and will continue to do it. I am guilty myself of over thinking situations, and all of a sudden, it seems insurmountable when I haven't even lifted a finger. The weight that over thinking creates is like quicksand. You are so busy trying to think of ways to escape that you don't see branches right in front of you. It is depressing and oppressing, until your thinking is not forward, but spiral, turning everything around in a circle until of course, you have reached a breaking point. And that breaking point can mean physical, or psychological upheavals, as the mind always rules the body.
Yokes come in all shapes and sizes that fit everyone because not all folks worry about the same things, and if they do, they don't react in the same way. There may be one heavy thing that is on ones mind or many things big or small. And what is small to some, may be a huge problem for others. Everyone's teapot whistles at a different temperature, so it's important to be sympathetic to what someone is carrying, because that weight is designed for them, and yours is designed for you. Some people learn how to manage their yoke, and empty the contents once in awhile through whatever means that works for them. Whether it's prayer, meditation, physical exercise, working with their hands, drives, or participating in the Arts, a ventilation is needed to empty your yoke, or it will crush you, and make you immobile. It seems very easy to say these things but I have been in the midst of spiral thinking, and over thinking, as I became immobile trying to imagine outcomes, and circumstances. I was weighed down and my yoke was making me completely helpless,as my speculating and thinking was preventing me from just doing and letting things fall where they may. It was only when I realized the damage that the yoke was doing to me, that I was able to start taking some of the weight off. But too many times people don't even realize what the yoke is doing to them, and they can't move with it on their heads and necks.
It is perfectly all right to think about our issues, and try to devise ways to solve them, but the first part of problem solving is the ability to move and solve it. Problems when left alone sometimes don't get bigger. People think of them more so they seem to get bigger. Unless it's a monetary issue, or a health issue, or the health issue of someone else, a problem that occupies the mind such as personal goals or what turn in life to take, will present itself as a random roadblock that can be overcome with some direction. But what over thinking does is creates a turmoil of ideas and "what ifs" that occupy the subconscious, and tells you that there must be some better way to do X, Y, and Z only because you think it's there. Not because it actually is. Your gut doesn't stand a chance because your mind has taken your gut feeling out of the equation. And when there is no gut feeling, there is no animal instinct drive. And where there is no animal instinct drive, there lies depression waiting because there are no primordial feelings driving you to just do. So you don't, and you become depressed because you believe that you can't. ..Therefore spiral thinking.
The most important thing that you can do to stop the spiral thinking and get the weight off is just do something. Even if it is wrong, it is something, and you now have proactive response, and can react to circumstances presented to you in order to fix it. Where there is fixing involved on your part there is empowerment. And where there is empowerment, there is less thinking, and over thinking. The less thinking means that there is less on your mind, and the yoke gets lighter by attrition. We all worry, and think too much, myself included, but if you can lighten that yoke, you can still balance things you do with things you think about to the point where they get handled one by one. There will never be a moment where we don't worry about something, or think about circumstances and outcomes. That's what being human is famous for. But if we're going to carry the weight. Then carry it...Not drag it...What..Me worry? Not as much as I used to.
We humans have designed ourselves to think 3 dimensionally, which means thinking about actions and outcomes. Outcomes get over analyzed, over thought out, and played out so many times in our heads that no real action is taken except the thought process. And the thought process is what actually depresses people because they begin to imagine the hole that they think they are in is real, and that they can't get out of it. Well they can't get out of it because they are paralyzed from thinking. We have all done it, and will continue to do it. I am guilty myself of over thinking situations, and all of a sudden, it seems insurmountable when I haven't even lifted a finger. The weight that over thinking creates is like quicksand. You are so busy trying to think of ways to escape that you don't see branches right in front of you. It is depressing and oppressing, until your thinking is not forward, but spiral, turning everything around in a circle until of course, you have reached a breaking point. And that breaking point can mean physical, or psychological upheavals, as the mind always rules the body.
Yokes come in all shapes and sizes that fit everyone because not all folks worry about the same things, and if they do, they don't react in the same way. There may be one heavy thing that is on ones mind or many things big or small. And what is small to some, may be a huge problem for others. Everyone's teapot whistles at a different temperature, so it's important to be sympathetic to what someone is carrying, because that weight is designed for them, and yours is designed for you. Some people learn how to manage their yoke, and empty the contents once in awhile through whatever means that works for them. Whether it's prayer, meditation, physical exercise, working with their hands, drives, or participating in the Arts, a ventilation is needed to empty your yoke, or it will crush you, and make you immobile. It seems very easy to say these things but I have been in the midst of spiral thinking, and over thinking, as I became immobile trying to imagine outcomes, and circumstances. I was weighed down and my yoke was making me completely helpless,as my speculating and thinking was preventing me from just doing and letting things fall where they may. It was only when I realized the damage that the yoke was doing to me, that I was able to start taking some of the weight off. But too many times people don't even realize what the yoke is doing to them, and they can't move with it on their heads and necks.
It is perfectly all right to think about our issues, and try to devise ways to solve them, but the first part of problem solving is the ability to move and solve it. Problems when left alone sometimes don't get bigger. People think of them more so they seem to get bigger. Unless it's a monetary issue, or a health issue, or the health issue of someone else, a problem that occupies the mind such as personal goals or what turn in life to take, will present itself as a random roadblock that can be overcome with some direction. But what over thinking does is creates a turmoil of ideas and "what ifs" that occupy the subconscious, and tells you that there must be some better way to do X, Y, and Z only because you think it's there. Not because it actually is. Your gut doesn't stand a chance because your mind has taken your gut feeling out of the equation. And when there is no gut feeling, there is no animal instinct drive. And where there is no animal instinct drive, there lies depression waiting because there are no primordial feelings driving you to just do. So you don't, and you become depressed because you believe that you can't. ..Therefore spiral thinking.
The most important thing that you can do to stop the spiral thinking and get the weight off is just do something. Even if it is wrong, it is something, and you now have proactive response, and can react to circumstances presented to you in order to fix it. Where there is fixing involved on your part there is empowerment. And where there is empowerment, there is less thinking, and over thinking. The less thinking means that there is less on your mind, and the yoke gets lighter by attrition. We all worry, and think too much, myself included, but if you can lighten that yoke, you can still balance things you do with things you think about to the point where they get handled one by one. There will never be a moment where we don't worry about something, or think about circumstances and outcomes. That's what being human is famous for. But if we're going to carry the weight. Then carry it...Not drag it...What..Me worry? Not as much as I used to.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Don't Go Changin': Stagnation vs. Motion
It is obvious today as I opened up to the new facebook version 10.1 or something to that effect that there were uproars, and leaps and bounds of unhappiness. People somehow got blindsided, and hit with some new format just as they were getting used to the old version. I remember back when the old version was the new version, and the same uproars, and cries were being displayed. People seemed to have forgotten that the playground that they call a social network is subject to upgrades just like the wonderful technology that allows them better cell phones. Yes you have to possibly investigate just what personal changes have taken place, but it is a social network, and not your own personal website that you and myself for that matter choose to voice opinions, ramble on about trivial daily occurrences, and post personal pictures up for the world to see. This situation always reminds me of something very significant about us as humans for the most part... We always want the world to change, but not when it pertains to our personal world.
Quite a few people do not like change. They become regimented, and base their activities to coincide with synchronized time frames. They like their coffee at a certain time a certain way, they have a particular routine that when disrupted throws them off for the whole day, and they like to see certain situations in the same fashion or they become frustrated by what they now have to re learn. I understand this completely, as we are not just people, but animals. And because we are animals, routine and continuity is important for our well being. We can find ourselves very irritable when disassembled from our regiment. I myself have particular routines that I am fond of that allow me to be centered. But What I have learned about myself and good amount of people is that they desire one major thing. Whatever change that takes place in their lives, they desire to be in control of it. It is a very unpleasant thing when change happens without the consent of those who desire for something to remain the same. People like to make whatever necessary changes in their lives themselves. Whether it be thought process, living location, occupation, or something as simple and unimportant as a social network. We as humans need to know that we can change when we want to, and not when someone tells us to. It is a control and power issue, and if you feel helpless, or ruled over, it can make one desire to hold sway and shake fists in the air as change moves them around and forces them to conform to something they feel they shouldn't conform to.
Sometimes change is important for progress. The smallest things that get changed can open doors for something else possibly better. People change all of the time, and sometimes without warning to others. But that change is a major door to some sort of growth, as opposed to stagnation. Sometimes people are left asking the question to other people, "What changed?" It could be a new outlook, or perspective, a different chemistry or combination of events, or just plain old need to grow, and a new search for that growth led to change. People are very much like the technology that they become slaves to.They need upgrades, and new discoveries to keep them from being stagnant and outdated. In order for the inner workings to continue to keep ticking in the right fashion, the old version has to be discarded, and the new version has to come into play for awhile to propel one to new directions. Then once things get nice and settled, and figured out, things have to be shaken and stirred again in a small fashion, so that things can take place in a bigger fashion.
I know that to some I am reaching when it comes to making parallels between humans, technology, and a social network facelift, but if you stop and think about it, then it becomes evident that change has to happen in all three, because we as attention span challenged people in this day and age need to have constant change to help us change also. In this "slave to technology" world that we live in, if nothing changed, we would be mindless, and unmotivated, bored to tears that nothing is "Happenin". So before complaining about the new Mach whatever that Facebook has sprung upon you this morning, realize that the only permanent thing in technology, and minds is change, and it will happen again before you know it. And that very change will sync you with it. This particular change you can subdue though by leaving Facebook...And accept it or not, that would be change also.
Quite a few people do not like change. They become regimented, and base their activities to coincide with synchronized time frames. They like their coffee at a certain time a certain way, they have a particular routine that when disrupted throws them off for the whole day, and they like to see certain situations in the same fashion or they become frustrated by what they now have to re learn. I understand this completely, as we are not just people, but animals. And because we are animals, routine and continuity is important for our well being. We can find ourselves very irritable when disassembled from our regiment. I myself have particular routines that I am fond of that allow me to be centered. But What I have learned about myself and good amount of people is that they desire one major thing. Whatever change that takes place in their lives, they desire to be in control of it. It is a very unpleasant thing when change happens without the consent of those who desire for something to remain the same. People like to make whatever necessary changes in their lives themselves. Whether it be thought process, living location, occupation, or something as simple and unimportant as a social network. We as humans need to know that we can change when we want to, and not when someone tells us to. It is a control and power issue, and if you feel helpless, or ruled over, it can make one desire to hold sway and shake fists in the air as change moves them around and forces them to conform to something they feel they shouldn't conform to.
Sometimes change is important for progress. The smallest things that get changed can open doors for something else possibly better. People change all of the time, and sometimes without warning to others. But that change is a major door to some sort of growth, as opposed to stagnation. Sometimes people are left asking the question to other people, "What changed?" It could be a new outlook, or perspective, a different chemistry or combination of events, or just plain old need to grow, and a new search for that growth led to change. People are very much like the technology that they become slaves to.They need upgrades, and new discoveries to keep them from being stagnant and outdated. In order for the inner workings to continue to keep ticking in the right fashion, the old version has to be discarded, and the new version has to come into play for awhile to propel one to new directions. Then once things get nice and settled, and figured out, things have to be shaken and stirred again in a small fashion, so that things can take place in a bigger fashion.
I know that to some I am reaching when it comes to making parallels between humans, technology, and a social network facelift, but if you stop and think about it, then it becomes evident that change has to happen in all three, because we as attention span challenged people in this day and age need to have constant change to help us change also. In this "slave to technology" world that we live in, if nothing changed, we would be mindless, and unmotivated, bored to tears that nothing is "Happenin". So before complaining about the new Mach whatever that Facebook has sprung upon you this morning, realize that the only permanent thing in technology, and minds is change, and it will happen again before you know it. And that very change will sync you with it. This particular change you can subdue though by leaving Facebook...And accept it or not, that would be change also.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Vice Grips: Obsession and thinking in chaos
There are many ways in which people can drive themselves and everyone around them crazy. The mind and imagination are truly amazing things in all of us because they can both manipulate one another. Imagination can be a positive force for the mind to work with, and be efficient and productive, or it can be a major force of destruction, and out of control driver of ridiculously concocted ideas and thought patterns. The mind can control imagination by bringing flighty thinking under control with logic and reason, or be led to do and say idiotic things that are completely unnecessary which are led by haywire thinking and generated perspectives. Both are who we are as human beings, as quite a bit of our primordial instincts are no longer factors as to how we conduct ourselves. We now are so called "advanced mammals" relying on a combination of emotions and logical thinking in conjunction with dreams, ideas, and fantasy. Each of those balancing the other make for a well rounded individual, but there are some that just have too much of one thing. And that thing is "repetitive circular thinking". For them it always comes back to one thing, or another thing, or some other thing. But these particular things just keep recurring like some bad dream that they can't turn off, and that other people get sick of hearing. I am not talking about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, because that is a legitimate clinical disease, and I am not a doctor who is qualified to talk about it. I am just talking about regular people who just seem to have a problem not coming back to "Some thing".
The difference between dedication and obsession is that dedication is the mind working towards a specific goal, and formulating ways to productively achieve something tangible and that process can be gauged in pieces of reward. The more you think about something and put effort into what you have thought about, the more reward you will get, and the more you will think about how to receive more reward of what you are putting effort into. That is dedication in a nutshell. The reward is unto itself. People who obsess are not necessarily dedicated. They fixate on something that has no bearing or immediate impact of their lives, but seem to see it as such. They have a piece of knowledge in their minds that has been reorganized so many times that it becomes unrecognizable to their conscious upon return to it, Therefore it seems to become new to them all over again, They can't turn it off, and the fixation of whatever it is they are thinking gets repeated over and over in their heads, and aloud to whomever will listen. This is not just some brilliant idea about how to make themselves and the world better, but it becomes some mushroomed collected thoughts about a situation, someone else, or some generated vision of something that eventually rolls around to being about them. It's like this particular thought they have is in some vice grips and the imaginary holder won't let go.
If for some reason you don't get the analogies of what I'm presenting here, then you have not talked to enough people in life. It is all around us, and often times these folks come back to the fixated subject by telling themselves and others that they need to vent. Now we all need to vent because life really is a pressure cooker, but the mind locked in "Vice Grips" always comes right back to the same subject over and over, and it always manages to come back to being somehow about them., and how this particular event, situation or person, affects their particular well being. Of course in reality, it has absolutely nothing to do with them, but fantasy and the need to feel important are two motivating factors for inserting one's self into scenarios.
If I sound harsh about these folks then there is nothing I really choose to do about it. The effects that these people have on others is usually the feeling of "Tired Complacency". In other words, "Oh Crap. Here comes ....... and they are gonna talk about this same garbage." I know there are folks out there who know people just like this, and really want to be good friends and listen, but enough is enough about some particular subject.
Again, there is a difference between this and OCD. I am not suggesting that I am a doctor or any qualified individual who can discuss medical terms. But I do like to listen and watch people and see what seems to drive them, and what their patterns are. Some of these folks may very well have some OCD tendencies, or even have this disease, but quite a few people are just one word.."Fixated". Nothing more than that. We as humans all need and for the most part want attention, but those whose minds are in Vice Grips crave it badly like some weird thirst, which is why their brain creates every opportunity to regurgitate some particular idea that they can happily opine, or complain about while appearing to be miserable doing it.
It seems like it would be a bad spiral to be in mentally but most people don't realize they do it, so the beat goes on. So their thinking is in chaos because it is always, "This thing is bothering me, and I must tell someone before I burst."
Whenever possible be dedicated, and not obsessed. Dedicated will always propel you to do positive things in a forward fashion. Obsession will always lead you to chaotic thinking in a negative fashion. I could write about this stuff all day..Am I a dedicated observer, or an obsessed rambler? Oh well...Let's get off of this subject for good then. It's all just my perspective anyway.
The difference between dedication and obsession is that dedication is the mind working towards a specific goal, and formulating ways to productively achieve something tangible and that process can be gauged in pieces of reward. The more you think about something and put effort into what you have thought about, the more reward you will get, and the more you will think about how to receive more reward of what you are putting effort into. That is dedication in a nutshell. The reward is unto itself. People who obsess are not necessarily dedicated. They fixate on something that has no bearing or immediate impact of their lives, but seem to see it as such. They have a piece of knowledge in their minds that has been reorganized so many times that it becomes unrecognizable to their conscious upon return to it, Therefore it seems to become new to them all over again, They can't turn it off, and the fixation of whatever it is they are thinking gets repeated over and over in their heads, and aloud to whomever will listen. This is not just some brilliant idea about how to make themselves and the world better, but it becomes some mushroomed collected thoughts about a situation, someone else, or some generated vision of something that eventually rolls around to being about them. It's like this particular thought they have is in some vice grips and the imaginary holder won't let go.
If for some reason you don't get the analogies of what I'm presenting here, then you have not talked to enough people in life. It is all around us, and often times these folks come back to the fixated subject by telling themselves and others that they need to vent. Now we all need to vent because life really is a pressure cooker, but the mind locked in "Vice Grips" always comes right back to the same subject over and over, and it always manages to come back to being somehow about them., and how this particular event, situation or person, affects their particular well being. Of course in reality, it has absolutely nothing to do with them, but fantasy and the need to feel important are two motivating factors for inserting one's self into scenarios.
If I sound harsh about these folks then there is nothing I really choose to do about it. The effects that these people have on others is usually the feeling of "Tired Complacency". In other words, "Oh Crap. Here comes ....... and they are gonna talk about this same garbage." I know there are folks out there who know people just like this, and really want to be good friends and listen, but enough is enough about some particular subject.
Again, there is a difference between this and OCD. I am not suggesting that I am a doctor or any qualified individual who can discuss medical terms. But I do like to listen and watch people and see what seems to drive them, and what their patterns are. Some of these folks may very well have some OCD tendencies, or even have this disease, but quite a few people are just one word.."Fixated". Nothing more than that. We as humans all need and for the most part want attention, but those whose minds are in Vice Grips crave it badly like some weird thirst, which is why their brain creates every opportunity to regurgitate some particular idea that they can happily opine, or complain about while appearing to be miserable doing it.
It seems like it would be a bad spiral to be in mentally but most people don't realize they do it, so the beat goes on. So their thinking is in chaos because it is always, "This thing is bothering me, and I must tell someone before I burst."
Whenever possible be dedicated, and not obsessed. Dedicated will always propel you to do positive things in a forward fashion. Obsession will always lead you to chaotic thinking in a negative fashion. I could write about this stuff all day..Am I a dedicated observer, or an obsessed rambler? Oh well...Let's get off of this subject for good then. It's all just my perspective anyway.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Vigilant Paranoia:The American psyche 10 years after 9/11
Everyone not only remembers just where they were on the morning of Sept. 11th 2001, but everyone also realized in their heart of hearts that the game had changed radically. The world and how we as Americans felt about it and ourselves, had drastically been altered in a fashion that was quite confusing to us. We had suddenly in a flash become vulnerable victims, and it was a role that we didn't know what to do with at first. It was like that weird feeling you get when somebody tells you that someone close has died. You don't want to believe it at first, but it takes a moment for the reality of it to sink in, and then you start thinking of not just the death, but the ripple effect that will happen in your life because of it. That's what happened on that morning and throughout the day. Everyone walked around and could not believe what they saw, but realized between the tears and anger that somehow our lives were never going to be the same. And for the most part we were correct.
So much has happened in the ten years since 9/11 that it would be impossible for me to not get carried away writing some sort of chronological novel here, so I won't. I want to just focus on us as Americans 10 years later, and just what residuals this event left on our collective conscious. The immediate days after, America was unified. It was like we bonded together because someone had picked on a family member. We were one, and if you've ever watched Cape Buffalo surround the young during a lion attack, then you will understand what our mentality was for a brief moment in time. we were trying to protect one another, from something that seemed larger than ourselves, out of fear, and understanding that we were in fact more vulnerable than we thought we could ever be. For a brief moment in time American people thought of others, and our feelings were of brother/sisterhood, as all tragedies have a way of tempering harshness, and ushering folks into the reality that life is too short for strong negative feelings. Bottle those feelings up, and you have interaction amongst folks that would be almost like "peace be with you" time in church. That was what was on the surface. What was percolating in the psyche of quite a few Americans was something else.
Americans were asked to be vigilant, which is the right thing to be. After a traumatic event such as 9/11 it became,and is still imperative that everyone do their part to point out suspicious activity on their particular level of observation. We were very aware now that we were vulnerable, and fear of that became a motivating factor for protection. It was and is crystal clear that extremists were who attacked us. Extremists of any spectrum are to be watched, and guarded against, because there is no word such as "moderate" in their vocabulary. Remember that we had our own home grown terrorist extremist blow up a Government building some years earlier, so extremists on any level of activism are to be suspect wherever they may be. What was percolating in some Americans was not vigilance, but paranoia.
After the attack of Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans in this country were rounded up and put into internment camps because they looked like the enemy, but were Americans. Paranoia has a way of doing that, and what transpired on a personal level was the confusion of extremism, and people. America has transferred their usual xenophobia, and streamlined it onto a particular religion, and race of people who happen to look like what we fear.
The new psyche of America ten years after 9/11 has produced wonderful things such as the seemingly ebb and flow respect for Firefighters and first responders (All sometimes acknowledged for the convenience of the moment that suits good feelings, and not always like they should be.) and the detailed appreciation for just how much freedom we really do have in the context of everyone else. There are still many loopholes that are in place that all of us see as soft underbelly that a terrorist could take advantage of, but haven't as of yet, but by at least by us being vigilant, they may have a hard time doing so.
But there are 2 very big negative factors that reside in the American psyche post 9/11, and the first is the reinforcement of physical characteristics to determine someone's agenda. I highly doubt that if Swedes attacked America, there would be an all out mental persecution of Lutheran White Blondes, but there it is. Some Americans are hell bent on not distinguishing people from ideologies, and they become everything that they are afraid of in the process. But you can never point that out to these folks as their twisted sense of patriotism, and hypocritical views of distinguishing Christian viewpoints and philosophy collide head on with their own paranoid bigotry. That is the pain of ignorance and fear ruling the visceral side of American thought. Go back to 1941, and you will find the parallels eerie. No German American camps were created. 9/11 has somehow created an outlet and excuse for intolerance. "It's ok because it's only those people I don't like. Remember what they did to us?" American fuel to dislike someone is never at a shortage, but you need something chic to hate. It's not really cool to hate Blacks anymore, Vietnamese are so 60's, Mexicans are so passe and we would lose Cinco De Mayo as a drinking day.. But then there are Middle Eastern folk, and you can tell them apart from everyone else, and they all hate us! How convenient.
The second negative thing that has happened to us was the residual effect of what I just described above. Since it became ok to not like folks, we also became more distant amongst the people that we do happen to like because of the conflicting ideas about other people of the world. It is like the family was upset by someone marrying someone of another race. Half of the family see nothing wrong while the other half try to disown family members and therefore not be a part of the situation that they don't want to see. America was this big cocky bully, and someone managed to expose the bully's weakness, and open the door for everyone to question the strength of him. So we go and pick a fight that has nothing to do with the problem, and we became completely in disarray, leaving everyone to wonder if we are really a bully worth fearing after all.
That is America right now. Still trying to deal with a world where they are not really in charge but believe they should be, and somehow can't get their own mind wrapped around that fact. America is still the greatest place in the world to live, but it is still reeling from that September morning, as the new world of evil ideology came crashing onto land when the towers fell. And we must remember that it is ideology, and evil people who spew it, rather than peaceful people who love as we do, that broke our hearts that day. We are in "Vigilant Paranoia" mode as we still are trying to distinguish between people and ideologies, separate the concepts of vigilance, and prejudice, and sort through the rubble that distinguishes protection from xenophobia.
What fell when the towers fell was not only our aura of invincibility, but our fearlessness of the rest of the world and what can happen if we don't pay attention to how people feel, and how dangerous they can become when dismissed in our minds. When we say "God bless the United States of America" it is with a different tone since 9/11..We are very blessed here, and the people who died on that day did not die in vain if we continue to remember just what we are being vigilant against, and conduct ourselves accordingly. The unified feeling we had when Bin Laden was killed could never have lasted because it was unification born out of a feeling of vengeance. We Americans need to unify out of the desire to make each other and ourselves better. And in turn we will make our country better. We are Americans, and America is as good as it can get. Americans need to prove it, and honor this day by treating one another as such, and acting like we are as good as it gets. And not letting the psychological effects of that day give us Carte Blanche to be as bad as we can be.
America...No other place I'd rather be.
So much has happened in the ten years since 9/11 that it would be impossible for me to not get carried away writing some sort of chronological novel here, so I won't. I want to just focus on us as Americans 10 years later, and just what residuals this event left on our collective conscious. The immediate days after, America was unified. It was like we bonded together because someone had picked on a family member. We were one, and if you've ever watched Cape Buffalo surround the young during a lion attack, then you will understand what our mentality was for a brief moment in time. we were trying to protect one another, from something that seemed larger than ourselves, out of fear, and understanding that we were in fact more vulnerable than we thought we could ever be. For a brief moment in time American people thought of others, and our feelings were of brother/sisterhood, as all tragedies have a way of tempering harshness, and ushering folks into the reality that life is too short for strong negative feelings. Bottle those feelings up, and you have interaction amongst folks that would be almost like "peace be with you" time in church. That was what was on the surface. What was percolating in the psyche of quite a few Americans was something else.
Americans were asked to be vigilant, which is the right thing to be. After a traumatic event such as 9/11 it became,and is still imperative that everyone do their part to point out suspicious activity on their particular level of observation. We were very aware now that we were vulnerable, and fear of that became a motivating factor for protection. It was and is crystal clear that extremists were who attacked us. Extremists of any spectrum are to be watched, and guarded against, because there is no word such as "moderate" in their vocabulary. Remember that we had our own home grown terrorist extremist blow up a Government building some years earlier, so extremists on any level of activism are to be suspect wherever they may be. What was percolating in some Americans was not vigilance, but paranoia.
After the attack of Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans in this country were rounded up and put into internment camps because they looked like the enemy, but were Americans. Paranoia has a way of doing that, and what transpired on a personal level was the confusion of extremism, and people. America has transferred their usual xenophobia, and streamlined it onto a particular religion, and race of people who happen to look like what we fear.
The new psyche of America ten years after 9/11 has produced wonderful things such as the seemingly ebb and flow respect for Firefighters and first responders (All sometimes acknowledged for the convenience of the moment that suits good feelings, and not always like they should be.) and the detailed appreciation for just how much freedom we really do have in the context of everyone else. There are still many loopholes that are in place that all of us see as soft underbelly that a terrorist could take advantage of, but haven't as of yet, but by at least by us being vigilant, they may have a hard time doing so.
But there are 2 very big negative factors that reside in the American psyche post 9/11, and the first is the reinforcement of physical characteristics to determine someone's agenda. I highly doubt that if Swedes attacked America, there would be an all out mental persecution of Lutheran White Blondes, but there it is. Some Americans are hell bent on not distinguishing people from ideologies, and they become everything that they are afraid of in the process. But you can never point that out to these folks as their twisted sense of patriotism, and hypocritical views of distinguishing Christian viewpoints and philosophy collide head on with their own paranoid bigotry. That is the pain of ignorance and fear ruling the visceral side of American thought. Go back to 1941, and you will find the parallels eerie. No German American camps were created. 9/11 has somehow created an outlet and excuse for intolerance. "It's ok because it's only those people I don't like. Remember what they did to us?" American fuel to dislike someone is never at a shortage, but you need something chic to hate. It's not really cool to hate Blacks anymore, Vietnamese are so 60's, Mexicans are so passe and we would lose Cinco De Mayo as a drinking day.. But then there are Middle Eastern folk, and you can tell them apart from everyone else, and they all hate us! How convenient.
The second negative thing that has happened to us was the residual effect of what I just described above. Since it became ok to not like folks, we also became more distant amongst the people that we do happen to like because of the conflicting ideas about other people of the world. It is like the family was upset by someone marrying someone of another race. Half of the family see nothing wrong while the other half try to disown family members and therefore not be a part of the situation that they don't want to see. America was this big cocky bully, and someone managed to expose the bully's weakness, and open the door for everyone to question the strength of him. So we go and pick a fight that has nothing to do with the problem, and we became completely in disarray, leaving everyone to wonder if we are really a bully worth fearing after all.
That is America right now. Still trying to deal with a world where they are not really in charge but believe they should be, and somehow can't get their own mind wrapped around that fact. America is still the greatest place in the world to live, but it is still reeling from that September morning, as the new world of evil ideology came crashing onto land when the towers fell. And we must remember that it is ideology, and evil people who spew it, rather than peaceful people who love as we do, that broke our hearts that day. We are in "Vigilant Paranoia" mode as we still are trying to distinguish between people and ideologies, separate the concepts of vigilance, and prejudice, and sort through the rubble that distinguishes protection from xenophobia.
What fell when the towers fell was not only our aura of invincibility, but our fearlessness of the rest of the world and what can happen if we don't pay attention to how people feel, and how dangerous they can become when dismissed in our minds. When we say "God bless the United States of America" it is with a different tone since 9/11..We are very blessed here, and the people who died on that day did not die in vain if we continue to remember just what we are being vigilant against, and conduct ourselves accordingly. The unified feeling we had when Bin Laden was killed could never have lasted because it was unification born out of a feeling of vengeance. We Americans need to unify out of the desire to make each other and ourselves better. And in turn we will make our country better. We are Americans, and America is as good as it can get. Americans need to prove it, and honor this day by treating one another as such, and acting like we are as good as it gets. And not letting the psychological effects of that day give us Carte Blanche to be as bad as we can be.
America...No other place I'd rather be.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Unequal Opportunity: Just because someone has, doesn't mean they earned
I get very pissed off when I hear people talking about and bitching about the entitlement aspect in this country. Why, because their definition of entitlements and who in their mind feels entitled gets so skewed, that they have a tendency to lump in circumstances, and people that don't apply, and their stereotypical view of folks "receiving" something, or "getting" something takes on a one dimensional aspect because of some form of resentment of a condition that people are in, or the people themselves for that matter. People get labeled as lazy, and not contributing to America while receiving some sort of assistance when that is really a broad perspective by folks lulled into fighting against one another by the people that really have the ability to be lazy, and who don't contribute. Folks always seem to get up in arms about someone, especially poor people "Getting" something, or "taking away something" that is rightfully theirs. A complete distraction from the crux of the issue, and I will tell you why.
There is this underlying hatred towards the "Have Nots" in this country because this country is labeled as a land of opportunity, and apparently in peoples' minds if you have not, then you are not working hard enough to achieve "have" status. For some that is true, but because people in the "Have" column say it, then it is accepted Bible fare. "Look at me I worked hard" is the official battle cry for some of the folks who hold shiny objects in one hand while diverting you from the truth in the other hand. While there are many folks who did earn their money, there are many more who parade around with old money given to them, or handed down through some inheritance, or trust fund, or given all sorts of opportunities and breaks not achieved by their own diligence. The only reason they are given credibility of their condemnation is because of the position of "Have". Some of these folks are in their own "Entitlement" mode, because they seem to think that they deserve to be able to critique, and own a world in which they are at the top of the economic food chain. This is not nature, and some of those folks would not have survived in the real world had the opportunity not been presented to them so that they could live in the lap of luxury. I am not painting a broad picture of those with money either, but I am pointing out a severely twisted view by those that tell everyone to "Get yours" while theirs is not even theirs. Theirs became theirs by the opportunities presented them, and even if they did not take advantage of those opportunities, they would still be ok in life, and winners in the eyes of those seeing America through some kaleidoscopic view where the have nots are actually the drag on society. I despise that way of thinking because it turns poor people into some sort of enemy of the state, therefore why bother to help them, or why not share some of what is abundant to give them the opportunity to see their potential.
The key word in my last paragraph is "Opportunity". There are folks who don't have opportunity, and opportunity reaches across a broad spectrum. Funding for neighborhoods, money towards good equipment for schools, the ability to experience other peoples and aspects of science, and nature. Someone who invests in another person's well being. All of this is in the "Opportunity" net which then transfers to hope. Where there is hope, there is the ability to see life and the world as bigger than yourself. When you have an idea in life that the world is bigger than you, and that there are things out there that you can tackle, and be good at, and things that are waiting for you to accomplish, then 9 times out of 10, someone will want to gravitate towards achieving their happiness, because there is hope on the other side and excitement about living, and not just existing. If someone's reality is a shitty neighborhood, where crime is prevalent and daily struggle and survival depends upon fighting one another , and there is the idea that no one gives a damn, then there is no hope. And as the saying goes, "The most dangerous person in the world is someone with nothing to lose". When you have nothing to lose, your mentality changes, and you become someone who is a taker, because that is what you recognize as your ability to survive. Think about how you would react if you had no hope, no support, no feeling that you have an opportunity to make your life better. You would begin to view the world as your personal grocery store in order to survive. Anyone who says that they wouldn't begin to think like that, knows absolutely nothing at all about human nature, and how people gravitate towards the basic instincts of survival and resentments, and not the wonderful feelings of cooperation, and ethics. Maybe reading a copy of "Lord of the flies" would help put it in perspective for some.
My point in this blog is to point out once again hypocrisy, and the dangers of it being one sided in favor of those in power, and those illusions that make someone who "haves", an icon, or model of society. It is a dangerous and to me unfair labeling of people, and a way to once again hold one hand in the air and say, "Look here..shiny object" while distracting people from the real aspects of truth. And the absolute truth is that because someone has, does not necessarily mean that they earned. And just because someone is a have not, does not mean that they are a leech upon you, or what you believe that America stands for. Truth also is that entitlements work both ways, but it seems that the cry of "I pay my taxes" by someone up top as they jump through loopholes and they condemn someone having a hard time paying theirs should infuriate all of us, but it doesn't because money and opportunity talk loud..But some of those who have it are even lazier than those perceived as not having it.... But they certainly look damn important in the process.
There is this underlying hatred towards the "Have Nots" in this country because this country is labeled as a land of opportunity, and apparently in peoples' minds if you have not, then you are not working hard enough to achieve "have" status. For some that is true, but because people in the "Have" column say it, then it is accepted Bible fare. "Look at me I worked hard" is the official battle cry for some of the folks who hold shiny objects in one hand while diverting you from the truth in the other hand. While there are many folks who did earn their money, there are many more who parade around with old money given to them, or handed down through some inheritance, or trust fund, or given all sorts of opportunities and breaks not achieved by their own diligence. The only reason they are given credibility of their condemnation is because of the position of "Have". Some of these folks are in their own "Entitlement" mode, because they seem to think that they deserve to be able to critique, and own a world in which they are at the top of the economic food chain. This is not nature, and some of those folks would not have survived in the real world had the opportunity not been presented to them so that they could live in the lap of luxury. I am not painting a broad picture of those with money either, but I am pointing out a severely twisted view by those that tell everyone to "Get yours" while theirs is not even theirs. Theirs became theirs by the opportunities presented them, and even if they did not take advantage of those opportunities, they would still be ok in life, and winners in the eyes of those seeing America through some kaleidoscopic view where the have nots are actually the drag on society. I despise that way of thinking because it turns poor people into some sort of enemy of the state, therefore why bother to help them, or why not share some of what is abundant to give them the opportunity to see their potential.
The key word in my last paragraph is "Opportunity". There are folks who don't have opportunity, and opportunity reaches across a broad spectrum. Funding for neighborhoods, money towards good equipment for schools, the ability to experience other peoples and aspects of science, and nature. Someone who invests in another person's well being. All of this is in the "Opportunity" net which then transfers to hope. Where there is hope, there is the ability to see life and the world as bigger than yourself. When you have an idea in life that the world is bigger than you, and that there are things out there that you can tackle, and be good at, and things that are waiting for you to accomplish, then 9 times out of 10, someone will want to gravitate towards achieving their happiness, because there is hope on the other side and excitement about living, and not just existing. If someone's reality is a shitty neighborhood, where crime is prevalent and daily struggle and survival depends upon fighting one another , and there is the idea that no one gives a damn, then there is no hope. And as the saying goes, "The most dangerous person in the world is someone with nothing to lose". When you have nothing to lose, your mentality changes, and you become someone who is a taker, because that is what you recognize as your ability to survive. Think about how you would react if you had no hope, no support, no feeling that you have an opportunity to make your life better. You would begin to view the world as your personal grocery store in order to survive. Anyone who says that they wouldn't begin to think like that, knows absolutely nothing at all about human nature, and how people gravitate towards the basic instincts of survival and resentments, and not the wonderful feelings of cooperation, and ethics. Maybe reading a copy of "Lord of the flies" would help put it in perspective for some.
My point in this blog is to point out once again hypocrisy, and the dangers of it being one sided in favor of those in power, and those illusions that make someone who "haves", an icon, or model of society. It is a dangerous and to me unfair labeling of people, and a way to once again hold one hand in the air and say, "Look here..shiny object" while distracting people from the real aspects of truth. And the absolute truth is that because someone has, does not necessarily mean that they earned. And just because someone is a have not, does not mean that they are a leech upon you, or what you believe that America stands for. Truth also is that entitlements work both ways, but it seems that the cry of "I pay my taxes" by someone up top as they jump through loopholes and they condemn someone having a hard time paying theirs should infuriate all of us, but it doesn't because money and opportunity talk loud..But some of those who have it are even lazier than those perceived as not having it.... But they certainly look damn important in the process.
Friday, September 2, 2011
The Body Electric: Drop your clocks, and grab your socks
It always takes not having something to realize just how much you depend upon it. And not just for convenience sake, but as an invisible regulator of routine. There are often things that we consistently take for granted because our lives inadvertently became intertwined with a complex entity. Whether it be human, mechanical, or even animals such as pets, we subconsciously give ourselves over to aspects of rule, and regiment to some form, and when that particular item is gone, we get completely out of sorts until it gets figured out internally.
Take electricity for example. Yes we all use it, and it is now needed in the daily function in our lives, but being without it for almost a week after Hurricane Irene, I realize just how deeply electricity is regulating us. Although I wasn't there, I can seriously imagine years ago how people's lives were more regulated around nature. The rooster crowed, and you were up..The sun went down, and unless you had some oil lamp to guide you through the night, you went to bed. Your actions, and behaviors were dictated by just how much daylight you had to work with, and your body was basically in harmony with what nature gave you. Horses needed to be fed, things needed to be produced and fixed all within the hours of the sun, or else it sucked to be you if you didn't finish. I can also imagine how when electricity was first introduced to people it must have really screwed them up. Now they could be up all hours of the night, complete whatever task you hadn't finished in the daylight, and not need indications of nature to give you clues on where you needed to be in the cycle of things. People at first probably didn't know what to do with themselves, as the natural world became less and less a factor in how folks needed to plan their time management.
Electricity now is so integrated in our lives that when without it, we are thrown off sorts. I had a hard time figuring when to sleep, or even being able to, because I didn't shut anything off, so psychologically there was no point of reference for my mind to adjust. My rooster was my alarm clock, and the sun, and moon were insignificant factors for me when there was electricity. I'm sure there were many folks out of sorts who became a little cranky because food heated, and chilled by power were out of the picture. Charging a phone somewhere became a priority, and God help those who live by cable or internet such as myself. I actually read a newspaper, and forgot how fun it was to do so. All of this electricity was supposed to make life easier, and clearly in most instances it does, but when it isn't there for a significant amount of time it really does become apparent how much a part of our lives revolve around, and function based on the ability to have it. Not just externally, but internally, as our body clocks are now based around the cues of electricity run items around us. For some, the coffee maker is ready, so it's time to get up..For others, their phone starts some melodic tune to wake them, for others who work overnight shifts, their world is topsy turvy anyway, so they hit the sack when everyone else is getting up. When you get tired, you turn off a light and go to sleep. Piece of cake.
The point is that we are no longer independent creatures of nature. We are products of machinery, and the things we created are now creating our dependence upon them. Yes there are some who still belong to the laws of nature such as the Amish, or folks who have decided that they will live a life of minimalist existence, but they are few and far in this country. Without electricity for most of us, life becomes a complicated mess. The complete opposite of what it was before electricity. But hey..Here I sit writing on a computer on a blog or social network, so I am no leader in the slave revolt.
Our bodies are now electric, so sing it and accept it. No Rooster necessary in the American life. The Rooster union is trying for a new collective bargaining agreement. Drop your clocks and grab your socks. No matter what time of the day or night it is, you can be a jerk and go to work.
Take electricity for example. Yes we all use it, and it is now needed in the daily function in our lives, but being without it for almost a week after Hurricane Irene, I realize just how deeply electricity is regulating us. Although I wasn't there, I can seriously imagine years ago how people's lives were more regulated around nature. The rooster crowed, and you were up..The sun went down, and unless you had some oil lamp to guide you through the night, you went to bed. Your actions, and behaviors were dictated by just how much daylight you had to work with, and your body was basically in harmony with what nature gave you. Horses needed to be fed, things needed to be produced and fixed all within the hours of the sun, or else it sucked to be you if you didn't finish. I can also imagine how when electricity was first introduced to people it must have really screwed them up. Now they could be up all hours of the night, complete whatever task you hadn't finished in the daylight, and not need indications of nature to give you clues on where you needed to be in the cycle of things. People at first probably didn't know what to do with themselves, as the natural world became less and less a factor in how folks needed to plan their time management.
Electricity now is so integrated in our lives that when without it, we are thrown off sorts. I had a hard time figuring when to sleep, or even being able to, because I didn't shut anything off, so psychologically there was no point of reference for my mind to adjust. My rooster was my alarm clock, and the sun, and moon were insignificant factors for me when there was electricity. I'm sure there were many folks out of sorts who became a little cranky because food heated, and chilled by power were out of the picture. Charging a phone somewhere became a priority, and God help those who live by cable or internet such as myself. I actually read a newspaper, and forgot how fun it was to do so. All of this electricity was supposed to make life easier, and clearly in most instances it does, but when it isn't there for a significant amount of time it really does become apparent how much a part of our lives revolve around, and function based on the ability to have it. Not just externally, but internally, as our body clocks are now based around the cues of electricity run items around us. For some, the coffee maker is ready, so it's time to get up..For others, their phone starts some melodic tune to wake them, for others who work overnight shifts, their world is topsy turvy anyway, so they hit the sack when everyone else is getting up. When you get tired, you turn off a light and go to sleep. Piece of cake.
The point is that we are no longer independent creatures of nature. We are products of machinery, and the things we created are now creating our dependence upon them. Yes there are some who still belong to the laws of nature such as the Amish, or folks who have decided that they will live a life of minimalist existence, but they are few and far in this country. Without electricity for most of us, life becomes a complicated mess. The complete opposite of what it was before electricity. But hey..Here I sit writing on a computer on a blog or social network, so I am no leader in the slave revolt.
Our bodies are now electric, so sing it and accept it. No Rooster necessary in the American life. The Rooster union is trying for a new collective bargaining agreement. Drop your clocks and grab your socks. No matter what time of the day or night it is, you can be a jerk and go to work.
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