"By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."
(Richard Dawkins)
We like to think that as individuals we are non-racist and tolerant people. We consider it a compliment to be called open-minded. And yet there’s a contradiction. Imagine you are going to a town many miles away where the customs are exceedingly different from anything you’ve ever seen or heard of. Being in custody of the Witness Protection Program, you arrive not knowing what to expect. Looking around, you are nearly blinded by all the vibrant shades of Prussian blue, cadmium yellow, sea green, and countless other shades that you didn’t even know existed. You take a second look – something seems to be missing.
Apparently in this place the color black is not accepted as a wearable color. Passersby are staring at your black slacks and a few muttered derogatory sounding words directed at your polished black dress shoes.
So you think to yourself, ‘What is wrong with these people? Can’t they be more open-minded? ’ After you finish bashing these people in your head, consider this. You are the minority. You just encroached on their territory, a complete stranger, and you want them to adapt to your differences. You should be grateful that you weren’t lynched. You should be open-minded to their way of living. I know you’re surprised that the world doesn’t revolve around you. Consider this; acceptance of differences will get you farther than an open mind.
(Maybe you should call the person in charge of your case anyways and request a destination change.)
You are invited to comment below.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
vodka on the rocks and roller coasters
“After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box.” (Italian Proverb)
What do you choose to do when you spend time with friends?
(a) Go out to eat
(b) Go out for drinks
(c) Amusement parks, bungee jumping, or rock climbing
(d) I don’t go out with friends- quality time for me consists of phone conversations and emails.
(e) What friends?
May I question society’s equivalence of money with fun? The more expensive the dish you know, the smaller the portion. That says something. (I’m not sure what…) If there’s one area where the lines of the caste system blur it should be in the form of entertainment we choose.
Ever considered baking chocolate chip cookies, eating the dough and baking what’s left? What about the board games? Checkers is quite stimulating if you play it right, and some oldies like monopoly, balderdash, boggle, and scrabble can really get you going. Apple to apples, Banangrams, Cranium, and The Settlers of Catan are some of the newer ones that you might want to add to your closet if they’re not already there. I applaud those of you who enforce a ‘Family Game Night’, and recommend that everyone strongly consider it.
You don’t have need to do this with your family but you’d be surprised how much more pleasure you’ll get from playing a brain game or fiddling around with finger-paint (I know you think there’s an age limit on that, but you’re wrong) than a pricey martini and speeding ticket. Comments are welcome below.
What do you choose to do when you spend time with friends?
(a) Go out to eat
(b) Go out for drinks
(c) Amusement parks, bungee jumping, or rock climbing
(d) I don’t go out with friends- quality time for me consists of phone conversations and emails.
(e) What friends?
May I question society’s equivalence of money with fun? The more expensive the dish you know, the smaller the portion. That says something. (I’m not sure what…) If there’s one area where the lines of the caste system blur it should be in the form of entertainment we choose.
Ever considered baking chocolate chip cookies, eating the dough and baking what’s left? What about the board games? Checkers is quite stimulating if you play it right, and some oldies like monopoly, balderdash, boggle, and scrabble can really get you going. Apple to apples, Banangrams, Cranium, and The Settlers of Catan are some of the newer ones that you might want to add to your closet if they’re not already there. I applaud those of you who enforce a ‘Family Game Night’, and recommend that everyone strongly consider it.
You don’t have need to do this with your family but you’d be surprised how much more pleasure you’ll get from playing a brain game or fiddling around with finger-paint (I know you think there’s an age limit on that, but you’re wrong) than a pricey martini and speeding ticket. Comments are welcome below.
Friday, July 22, 2011
mudpies and fish oil
“Adolescents are not monsters. They are just people trying to learn how to make it among the adults in the world, who are probably not so sure themselves.” (Virginia Satir, U.S. family therapist and author)
How clear are your memories of adolescence? No matter how many memory vitamins you insist on taking, I’m willing to bet that your recollection is way less accurate than you think. We tend to have selective memories. This isn’t always a negative thing. You don’t want to remember that time when Marcus, the biggest kid on the playground, made you eat dirt. Or the incident where Mom humiliated you in front of the entire neighborhood.
That’s the funny thing about the transition from being a child to becoming a parent. You forget what it’s like. All those promises you made. You said you’d be different when it came time to raising your own. You promised to be understanding and patient. What happened? Let me tell you. Life happened. We are trapped in the curse of the Grown-up. But is it really a curse? Could it be that we’ve gotten wiser with age? Or are we sinking in the mire of lost innocence and truth?
Maybe the next time we get caught in a heated argument that involves slamming doors and shattered china we should make an effort to really hear what the youngster has to say. On the other hand, it might be simpler to ground him indefinitely. After all that was your good set of dishes.
How clear are your memories of adolescence? No matter how many memory vitamins you insist on taking, I’m willing to bet that your recollection is way less accurate than you think. We tend to have selective memories. This isn’t always a negative thing. You don’t want to remember that time when Marcus, the biggest kid on the playground, made you eat dirt. Or the incident where Mom humiliated you in front of the entire neighborhood.
That’s the funny thing about the transition from being a child to becoming a parent. You forget what it’s like. All those promises you made. You said you’d be different when it came time to raising your own. You promised to be understanding and patient. What happened? Let me tell you. Life happened. We are trapped in the curse of the Grown-up. But is it really a curse? Could it be that we’ve gotten wiser with age? Or are we sinking in the mire of lost innocence and truth?
Maybe the next time we get caught in a heated argument that involves slamming doors and shattered china we should make an effort to really hear what the youngster has to say. On the other hand, it might be simpler to ground him indefinitely. After all that was your good set of dishes.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
slnt trtmnt
“My play was a complete success. The audience was a failure.” (Oscar Wilde, writer 1854-1900)
Whether you like it or not, you depend on human interactions and other people’s opinions for your survival. The main reason solitary confinement is considered such a severe punishment is based on this premise. People can go mad from lack of human contact- emotional and physical.
Or perhaps it’s because they can’t deal with themselves and their reality.
Consider this; when was the last time you purposely spent time alone with yourself to…well, contemplate your life? For most of us the appreciation of solitude comes along with age and intelligence, and is usually hard earned.
To translate into a scenario that is more palatable to the modern day, envision your communication minus cell phone, twitter, Facebook, email, smart phone, Skype, etc.
Experts on human interaction are quite bothered by this. They recommend ‘unplugging’ for extended periods of time and paying more attention to live interactions. Although it has been recognized that too much of any one thing is destructive, I can’t say the average person is at fault for overdosing when it comes to technology. What these so-called experts have to take into account is that people adapt to their environments. What they are suggesting is that those who have been ‘infected’ remove themselves and make themselves different from their surroundings. They are contradicting themselves! We are told over and over to be normal and not to attract unnecessary attention to ourselves. We observe how people who are radically different are often condemned and doomed socially.
Personally, my sole connection to the outside world is a pre-paid cellular (archaic, yes I know) which under five people have access to. I have received much rebuke about this from people who haven’t the courage to call my land-line and complain that I am unreachable. I prefer it that way. But there are many valid reasons to be ‘plugged in’ and I respect that. Rather than establishing unreasonable guidelines to decrease electronic usage, a more effective solution might be to just raise an awareness of the damage that excess technology is causing. Skills such as spelling and use of quality vocabulary have been lost to writing in ‘text speak’ and monosyllables. People who you can interact with verbally and have a relatively intellectual conversation with are harder to come by. We find it exceedingly difficult to focus on just one (can you imagine?) task without getting distracted. This might seem too passive of an approach but the only way someone will consistently do something that is against their nature is if they want to.
Most of us desire more wholesome relationships and clearer communication with those who we care about. When all is said and done and your cards are laid out on the table I’ve got one question- why haven’t you signed off yet?
Whether you like it or not, you depend on human interactions and other people’s opinions for your survival. The main reason solitary confinement is considered such a severe punishment is based on this premise. People can go mad from lack of human contact- emotional and physical.
Or perhaps it’s because they can’t deal with themselves and their reality.
Consider this; when was the last time you purposely spent time alone with yourself to…well, contemplate your life? For most of us the appreciation of solitude comes along with age and intelligence, and is usually hard earned.
To translate into a scenario that is more palatable to the modern day, envision your communication minus cell phone, twitter, Facebook, email, smart phone, Skype, etc.
Experts on human interaction are quite bothered by this. They recommend ‘unplugging’ for extended periods of time and paying more attention to live interactions. Although it has been recognized that too much of any one thing is destructive, I can’t say the average person is at fault for overdosing when it comes to technology. What these so-called experts have to take into account is that people adapt to their environments. What they are suggesting is that those who have been ‘infected’ remove themselves and make themselves different from their surroundings. They are contradicting themselves! We are told over and over to be normal and not to attract unnecessary attention to ourselves. We observe how people who are radically different are often condemned and doomed socially.
Personally, my sole connection to the outside world is a pre-paid cellular (archaic, yes I know) which under five people have access to. I have received much rebuke about this from people who haven’t the courage to call my land-line and complain that I am unreachable. I prefer it that way. But there are many valid reasons to be ‘plugged in’ and I respect that. Rather than establishing unreasonable guidelines to decrease electronic usage, a more effective solution might be to just raise an awareness of the damage that excess technology is causing. Skills such as spelling and use of quality vocabulary have been lost to writing in ‘text speak’ and monosyllables. People who you can interact with verbally and have a relatively intellectual conversation with are harder to come by. We find it exceedingly difficult to focus on just one (can you imagine?) task without getting distracted. This might seem too passive of an approach but the only way someone will consistently do something that is against their nature is if they want to.
Most of us desire more wholesome relationships and clearer communication with those who we care about. When all is said and done and your cards are laid out on the table I’ve got one question- why haven’t you signed off yet?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
eat your vegetables or no dessert
“In some circumstances, the refusal to be defeated is a refusal to be educated.” (Margaret Halsey, novelist 1910-1997)
Here’s a question. Is it really possible to force a person to do something against their will? It’s relatively common for one to put another person down in order to feel powerful. It may not even be a conscious decision, but essentially a large percentage of our actions are dedicated towards self-preservation and we all know that only the fittest survive.
What about when you’re forcing someone to do something that’s in their best interest? In cases such as taking a knife away from a child or trying to keep someone with hypothermia from falling asleep- you and your adversary’s wills are fundamentally one and the same. In situations when you’re arguing to convince someone of your way of thinking it’s turns into a power struggle. Taking into consideration that violence and physical strength aren’t being used as manipulators, the victor will be whoever has the mental stamina to hold on longer.
Mental endurance is a mixture of person’s conviction in his morals and values, arrogance, and stupidity. Being able to impose your will on others doesn’t necessarily have a positive connotation. Winning isn’t everything and admitting your wrong is arguably the best way to prove your intellectual supremacy.
I submit myself to reading your comments below.
Here’s a question. Is it really possible to force a person to do something against their will? It’s relatively common for one to put another person down in order to feel powerful. It may not even be a conscious decision, but essentially a large percentage of our actions are dedicated towards self-preservation and we all know that only the fittest survive.
What about when you’re forcing someone to do something that’s in their best interest? In cases such as taking a knife away from a child or trying to keep someone with hypothermia from falling asleep- you and your adversary’s wills are fundamentally one and the same. In situations when you’re arguing to convince someone of your way of thinking it’s turns into a power struggle. Taking into consideration that violence and physical strength aren’t being used as manipulators, the victor will be whoever has the mental stamina to hold on longer.
Mental endurance is a mixture of person’s conviction in his morals and values, arrogance, and stupidity. Being able to impose your will on others doesn’t necessarily have a positive connotation. Winning isn’t everything and admitting your wrong is arguably the best way to prove your intellectual supremacy.
I submit myself to reading your comments below.
Monday, July 18, 2011
bigfoot and chocolate rivers
“Modern technology / Owes ecology / An apology.” (Alan M. Eddison)
Do you know what your carbon footprint looked like this past year? That’s OK. Neither do I. How about your last paycheck? What did that look like? We tend to recall and pay attention to the things that have an immediate impact on us. One might be fooled into thinking that this is how we survive but in truth this is really a method of self-destruction, and it affects everyone differently. It’s hard to take the future into account when it’s so abstract, but I believe that everyone has at least enough imagination to paint a picture of the possible outcomes that smoking, over budgeting, careless remarks, outbursts of anger, or bullying may bring.
One of the best tools for life that we can give kids is to give them an understanding of the link between actions and the consequences that follow. They can’t comprehend what teasing and suicide have got to do with each other. Or how having excess candy can cause stomach pains- how could something so good lead to so much agony? I believe the world and its pleasures are here for us to take advantage of and at the same time the ‘candy’ is also there to test the boundaries we have hopefully set for ourselves.
There is no limit when it comes to comments.
Do you know what your carbon footprint looked like this past year? That’s OK. Neither do I. How about your last paycheck? What did that look like? We tend to recall and pay attention to the things that have an immediate impact on us. One might be fooled into thinking that this is how we survive but in truth this is really a method of self-destruction, and it affects everyone differently. It’s hard to take the future into account when it’s so abstract, but I believe that everyone has at least enough imagination to paint a picture of the possible outcomes that smoking, over budgeting, careless remarks, outbursts of anger, or bullying may bring.
One of the best tools for life that we can give kids is to give them an understanding of the link between actions and the consequences that follow. They can’t comprehend what teasing and suicide have got to do with each other. Or how having excess candy can cause stomach pains- how could something so good lead to so much agony? I believe the world and its pleasures are here for us to take advantage of and at the same time the ‘candy’ is also there to test the boundaries we have hopefully set for ourselves.
There is no limit when it comes to comments.
Friday, July 15, 2011
a bowl of cherries sans pits
“Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.” (Jean de la Bruyere, essayist and moralist 1645-1696)
If you were to add one thing to your daily activities what would it be? Personally I’d recommend laughing more often. This is not to say you should hire yourself out as a clown for your local circus. Nor am I referring to the purchase of silly joke books. What I’m talking about is using humor as a coping mechanism. There are those who wake up in the morning and dread whatever is forthcoming. They count the hours until they can crawl back into bed and slip into oblivion. With good reason. Life is tough. Disasters crop up weekly and there are depressing hardships that we face daily such as family conflicts, emotional issues, unemployment, and physical ailments. If we take everything that comes our way seriously life becomes Act lll of a Shakespearian tragedy.
But what would happen if we removed ourselves from the picture for even a moment, and injected ourselves with some humor (not to be confused with heroin) to ease the pain?
What do you think?
If you were to add one thing to your daily activities what would it be? Personally I’d recommend laughing more often. This is not to say you should hire yourself out as a clown for your local circus. Nor am I referring to the purchase of silly joke books. What I’m talking about is using humor as a coping mechanism. There are those who wake up in the morning and dread whatever is forthcoming. They count the hours until they can crawl back into bed and slip into oblivion. With good reason. Life is tough. Disasters crop up weekly and there are depressing hardships that we face daily such as family conflicts, emotional issues, unemployment, and physical ailments. If we take everything that comes our way seriously life becomes Act lll of a Shakespearian tragedy.
But what would happen if we removed ourselves from the picture for even a moment, and injected ourselves with some humor (not to be confused with heroin) to ease the pain?
What do you think?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
flotation devices
“Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.” (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice)
Misnomers are quite common in this society. We assuage our guilty consciences by using language as a means to manipulate other people into thinking what we decide will keep them content. Humanity is funny that way. We’re so used to our routines that we forget to consider our motivation for what we do. What spurs us on? Is it about personal gain or protection of our ego? Your mother might have told you to think before you leap. It’s possible that she just didn’t want you to entertain yourself by trying to drive her station wagon into the neighbor’s pool. She also might’ve wanted her means of transportation to stay in one relatively dry piece. But regardless the saying has its merits.
Don’t lose sight of what you really want. It’s all right if you chose to persuade someone with your own interest in mind- I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. But force yourself to be aware of it so you can desist at your discretion and not unintentionally hurt someone you care about.
Misnomers are quite common in this society. We assuage our guilty consciences by using language as a means to manipulate other people into thinking what we decide will keep them content. Humanity is funny that way. We’re so used to our routines that we forget to consider our motivation for what we do. What spurs us on? Is it about personal gain or protection of our ego? Your mother might have told you to think before you leap. It’s possible that she just didn’t want you to entertain yourself by trying to drive her station wagon into the neighbor’s pool. She also might’ve wanted her means of transportation to stay in one relatively dry piece. But regardless the saying has its merits.
Don’t lose sight of what you really want. It’s all right if you chose to persuade someone with your own interest in mind- I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. But force yourself to be aware of it so you can desist at your discretion and not unintentionally hurt someone you care about.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
doctors and records
“If you talk to God, you are praying. If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.” (Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry)
Whether it’s a matter of committing suicide or running a marathon, talking to oneself can be a powerful motivational tool. You may think that family, friends, or circumstances are preventing you from getting what you really want out of life, but in reality you are your own worst enemy. Psychologists suggest that 90% of our self-talk is negative and self-defeating. Some people are born physically, emotionally, or educationally handicapped. Yet these are the people who tend to inspire others. They have every reason to collapse into themselves and spend their days tanning in self-pity. Disability affects 15-20% of every country’s population, and look what they have accomplished. They participate in Special Olympics, provide hope by defying medical predictions, and adjust in a world that doesn’t always cater to their needs.
Talking to yourself (so long as it’s not aloud) is an important contributing factor when it comes to personal achievements. Don’t let the constant chatter and running commentary in your head drown out your vision. Rather use it as a stepping stone to success.
Comments from your switchboard are welcome.
Whether it’s a matter of committing suicide or running a marathon, talking to oneself can be a powerful motivational tool. You may think that family, friends, or circumstances are preventing you from getting what you really want out of life, but in reality you are your own worst enemy. Psychologists suggest that 90% of our self-talk is negative and self-defeating. Some people are born physically, emotionally, or educationally handicapped. Yet these are the people who tend to inspire others. They have every reason to collapse into themselves and spend their days tanning in self-pity. Disability affects 15-20% of every country’s population, and look what they have accomplished. They participate in Special Olympics, provide hope by defying medical predictions, and adjust in a world that doesn’t always cater to their needs.
Talking to yourself (so long as it’s not aloud) is an important contributing factor when it comes to personal achievements. Don’t let the constant chatter and running commentary in your head drown out your vision. Rather use it as a stepping stone to success.
Comments from your switchboard are welcome.
Monday, July 11, 2011
scalpals and catgut
“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.” (Mark Twain)
Curiosity is an interesting phenomenon. At first glance you might think that a person could do without it. It’s a pesky twitch in the back of your head that persists in propelling you to find out why yawns are contagious and taxicabs tend to look like refurbished police cars. When you think about it though, curiosity is the tool that shapes you into the unique person that you are. The most intelligent people are not necessarily born with an innate ability to soak up information. Rather they are possessed with this need to know, to explore, learn, and absorb everything that they can. And it is this need that makes the world go round. After all, what was it that drove Benjamin Franklin to invent the light bulb and perfect the glass armonica? Are you convinced that it was solely the longing for wealth and prestige that motivated Marco Polo to explore Asia and China? How is it that at this very moment there are archeologists sifting through dirt and applying aloe to soothe their sunburned arms trying to unearth a disintegrating chamber pot? Why are biologists wrinkling their foreheads in concentration as they peer through microscopes attempting to discover the 357th kind of salamander?
But as humans have a tendency to; curiosity is taken to morbid extremes. People experiment to see how much pain can be tolerated. How high they can climb, how deep they can drill. How much violence and destruction must be committed before I attract the public’s attention.
Curiosity didn’t kill the cat. Man did in order to dissect its innards.
Invest in your curiosity and nourish it daily. But beware of your weaknesses, show courage and stick to your morals.
I’m curious as to what you think. Comment below.
Curiosity is an interesting phenomenon. At first glance you might think that a person could do without it. It’s a pesky twitch in the back of your head that persists in propelling you to find out why yawns are contagious and taxicabs tend to look like refurbished police cars. When you think about it though, curiosity is the tool that shapes you into the unique person that you are. The most intelligent people are not necessarily born with an innate ability to soak up information. Rather they are possessed with this need to know, to explore, learn, and absorb everything that they can. And it is this need that makes the world go round. After all, what was it that drove Benjamin Franklin to invent the light bulb and perfect the glass armonica? Are you convinced that it was solely the longing for wealth and prestige that motivated Marco Polo to explore Asia and China? How is it that at this very moment there are archeologists sifting through dirt and applying aloe to soothe their sunburned arms trying to unearth a disintegrating chamber pot? Why are biologists wrinkling their foreheads in concentration as they peer through microscopes attempting to discover the 357th kind of salamander?
But as humans have a tendency to; curiosity is taken to morbid extremes. People experiment to see how much pain can be tolerated. How high they can climb, how deep they can drill. How much violence and destruction must be committed before I attract the public’s attention.
Curiosity didn’t kill the cat. Man did in order to dissect its innards.
Invest in your curiosity and nourish it daily. But beware of your weaknesses, show courage and stick to your morals.
I’m curious as to what you think. Comment below.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
hello- is anybody home?
“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him to find it within himself.” (Galileo)
It is our nature to be self-absorbed. With our financial state, physical condition, and emotions. In order to get access to a person you don't need life experience, you don't need brains or good looks. The key to transition from bystander to friend to trusted is learning how to listen.
If it sounds simple- try going just one day without interrupting anyone when they're talking to you. Wait a bit to make sure that they've finished before you even start contemplating a reply. I bet you were formulating a response only a few seconds into the conversation without even realizing it. When a colleague comes over complaining about how money's real tight and his marriage is in the toilet, he does not want you to tell him to trade in his Maserati for a Honda and to stop flirting with the women in HR. He wants to complain. He wants you to get involved in his misery. He is inviting you to his Ego party and wants you to contribute with Pity cake and Esteem Booster presents. Didn't your parents ever teach you how rude it is to turn down an invitation to a black tie affair?
Silence will lead you to the answer. If we'd just shut up, pieces of the puzzle would just fall into place. We'd learn so much more about a person's needs and desires. They will tell you exactly what kind of reaction they want from you. A person might ask for an opinion but when you give your suggestion- and it could be the most sensible of ideas- he may or may not acknowledge what you said- but he'll go on talking right where he left off. It's really quite a phenomenon. You gotta remember that this is not about you playing the hero and swooping in with your grand solutions- it's all about what the other person needs. A listening ear, validation, a shoulder to cry on. If you can figure out what it is and give it to them, you have basically just committed all your free time to humanity. “Cuz they'll be back.
If you have any comments- I'm listening.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
shrinky dinks
“Though familiarity may not breed contempt, it takes off the edge of admiration.” (William Hazlitt, essayist 1778-1830)
Farmers breed mules, horticulturists breed gardenias, and brains breed emotions. Feelings are a funny noun if you think about it. You’re experiencing something, and no one can really understand what you’re going through. You are completely isolated in your circumstances, and even if someone is extremely articulate, there is no way to know that whoever they’re talking to really comprehends what’s going on in their head.
This is what mental health providers are trained for. They are taught how to dissect and analyze people’s descriptions in a way that will come across as a delicate blend of empathy and validation. We tend to create our own demons by diagnosing our emotions. We classify our symptoms, go into a panic and convince ourselves that we’re a danger to society. By that time, we are so utterly lost in the labyrinth we so cleverly created that the professional help we seek becomes essential. Instead of letting an emotion breed and multiply, we should ask ourselves why. People should take the time and effort to delve beneath the layers and explore the direction it came from. We have to overlook our pride encrusted egos and ask for advice before it develops into a necessity.
Scrutinization is welcome below.
Farmers breed mules, horticulturists breed gardenias, and brains breed emotions. Feelings are a funny noun if you think about it. You’re experiencing something, and no one can really understand what you’re going through. You are completely isolated in your circumstances, and even if someone is extremely articulate, there is no way to know that whoever they’re talking to really comprehends what’s going on in their head.
This is what mental health providers are trained for. They are taught how to dissect and analyze people’s descriptions in a way that will come across as a delicate blend of empathy and validation. We tend to create our own demons by diagnosing our emotions. We classify our symptoms, go into a panic and convince ourselves that we’re a danger to society. By that time, we are so utterly lost in the labyrinth we so cleverly created that the professional help we seek becomes essential. Instead of letting an emotion breed and multiply, we should ask ourselves why. People should take the time and effort to delve beneath the layers and explore the direction it came from. We have to overlook our pride encrusted egos and ask for advice before it develops into a necessity.
Scrutinization is welcome below.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
bloody ping-pong balls
“People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide.” (Will Rogers)
What did sharks do to deserve to be held synonymous with lawyers? For those of you who blame them for snacking on people’s limbs, maybe you should think again. We take the liberty of entertaining ourselves in a carnivore’s habitat and then freak out when they react in a way that is totally natural to them. Would you ever consider skateboarding in a lion’s den? Or playing tennis amongst venomous snakes? Animals were in existence before we came along and it is our obligation to protect ourselves with the huge amount of resources we have. This is not to say that you have to support PETA or go vegan. This is about accountability. You can’t sue a watch company for distributing an item with a faulty battery that caused you to lose out on a promotion cuz you were late for your annual review. (Although in America you probably could) In most cases you are responsible for your blunders. Are you gonna go crying to Mommy for help? In which she’d better take responsibility for her mistake-which would be raising you as a coward. You’ll never get anywhere if you can’t even face reality. Try as you might you can’t run away from yourself. So the Beach Board Safety Person made a mistake. But if a professional is hired quickly enough, he’ll get a leak free statement that should relieve him of all guilt. In the end it’s shark eat shark world. May the best creature win.
What did sharks do to deserve to be held synonymous with lawyers? For those of you who blame them for snacking on people’s limbs, maybe you should think again. We take the liberty of entertaining ourselves in a carnivore’s habitat and then freak out when they react in a way that is totally natural to them. Would you ever consider skateboarding in a lion’s den? Or playing tennis amongst venomous snakes? Animals were in existence before we came along and it is our obligation to protect ourselves with the huge amount of resources we have. This is not to say that you have to support PETA or go vegan. This is about accountability. You can’t sue a watch company for distributing an item with a faulty battery that caused you to lose out on a promotion cuz you were late for your annual review. (Although in America you probably could) In most cases you are responsible for your blunders. Are you gonna go crying to Mommy for help? In which she’d better take responsibility for her mistake-which would be raising you as a coward. You’ll never get anywhere if you can’t even face reality. Try as you might you can’t run away from yourself. So the Beach Board Safety Person made a mistake. But if a professional is hired quickly enough, he’ll get a leak free statement that should relieve him of all guilt. In the end it’s shark eat shark world. May the best creature win.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
redundant questions and word games
“When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.” (Otto von Bismarck)
If there would be a fifth element to describe the composition of the world we inhabit, might I nominate Truth as such. Messing around with Truth is comparable to playing Mad Libs. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Wikipedia describes Mad Libs as a ‘phrasal template word game where one player prompts another for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story; these word substitutions have a humorous effect when the resulting story is then read aloud.’ A very complex definition for something so simple.
This is how you would see it in context; the (adjective) Truth.
Any description will do. Awesome, fearsome, gruesome, loathsome, and then some. As ironic as it is, the perception of Truth is quite malleable. The details, punctuation, circumstances, and intonation are constantly reconfiguring themselves. But when examined closely, you will find the bare Truth at the core. With the constant exposure of Ponzi schemes, appalling scandals, and political corruption, Truth is becoming increasingly valuable. Primary sources are easily forged with the rise of technology, and secondary sources barely hold any water. The equivalent to alchemists in the 1700’s would be an honest person in the 21st century. Research shows that the average person tells four lies a day. (Teenagers, criminals, and politicians do not fall into the average category.) We don’t do it intentionally. Sometimes we fudge the Truth to avoid an argument we’re bound to lose. We ask ‘How’re you doing?’ when we don’t really care. We make up excuses to relieve ourselves of social obligations.
We promote lies and ban those who express how they really feel. We use labels such as ‘socially awkward’ and ‘verbal diarrhea’ to describe people who make us feel uncomfortable with Truth overloads. It’s as if our emotional system can’t handle the overload. Too much of a good thing…
Truth or false comments are welcome below.
Monday, July 4, 2011
mad dogs
“Seek solitude for growth.” (8789 Words of Wisdom)
Homo-sapiens crave companionship. How many people do you know who don't spend at least a fourth of his time with family members, friends, co-workers, or pets? The future does not bode well for the rare person who decides to pave the way with only his thoughts and living necessities for company. Christoper McCandless thought that was what he wanted. He hitchhiked to Alaska and stayed there for over one hundred days. Alone in an abandoned school bus. He spent his days in thought and pursuit of survival. After a while he decided that living within society was the right decision. He wanted to go back. Unfortunately, fate had other plans for him and he died of starvation in the wild.
Maybe you've read about other hermits. They are usually the ones who attempt to come back to live with their species. They are labeled as crazies, missing screws, and off their rocker. Then again, sanity is over-rated. Aren't we jumping the gun when we diagnose a person as insane just because they can't function according to our rules and high expectations? Maybe we're intolerant. Anyways, who really wants to be sane in a world that's gone completely mad? Go with the flow. Survival of the fittest and all.
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