Tuesday, December 21, 2010
What are We Willing to Give Up?
This blog is dedicated to becoming aware of the mechanisms that are driving our world. These mechanisms are both physical and ideological in their structure. It is one thing to want change or even be aware that we need change, but it is an entirely different thing to know what the real changes need to be. What are you willing to give up for the world that you want to see? Your car? Your nice house? Your cell phone? Your fancy pants? What then? What do we really need? At some level, we all need to wake up to the fact that we are chasing our tail, thinking that it is what we need and not accepting that it is what we want.
What are we willing to give up?
This blog is obviously going to challenge some widely accepted social norms; this can be uncomfortable for some, and extremely threatening to others! The intentions of this blog are to do no harm while attempting to incite a much needed civil dialogue. To accomplish the goal of this forum we must respect the unique perspective of others. Finding a balance between ethnocentrism and relativism is the only way to have respectful arguments that can lead to the positive changes that our world so desperately needs. Thus, let us all follow these simple guidelines: be truthful in your words, be respectful in your words, and treat others with your words as you would have them treat you. One last thing - if you cannot speak through your "real name" please do not bother participating with this blog, there will be no anonymous bloggers allowed at this site!
Thank you for taking the time to listen to others and to share your thoughts. Meaningful social dialogues are one of the fundamental mechanisms of change.
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I'm personally most interested in the energetic mechanisms. I know it could fit into ideological, but not quite. Perhaps I am unresponsible about my "things". Sometimes I want them and sometimes I don't. I certainly don't need them, but I sometimes associate myself with them (as a form of self expression I guess). It's all part of my world. The questions that I ask myself and the concepts that I feel are important are the same whether I use my cell phone, my head, my hand, or a gift to accomplish them. It seems they all have a place. I'm still thinking though... :)
ReplyDeleteJessica, do you think that your mind would not function differently within a society that was constructed differently? That is, do you see or feel a connection between the thoughts of the mind, experience of the body, and the specific environment of them both?
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that our minds function with specific patterns of thought that are directly affected by the experienced environment, which includes all material objects. I am not suggesting that our thoughts are created by the objects that we posses, but rather are strongly influenced by their presence and the initial choice we made to posses them. Some of us are more aware of this influence, and therefore potentially less affected by the material object's influence.
There is current research within the field of psychology that suggests the use of electronic devices (e.g., smart phones delivering email and text messages) and performing behavior such as multi-tasking, are associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is the kind of relationship that I have concerns about with our society's affinity for gadgetry. I would actually go as far as predicting that in the near future neuroscience will find that American youths that use electronic devices excessively, will have maladapted brain functions and structures.