praise for individualism?

Toward the end of this school year I was talking with Mr. Webb (I believe that I included a student or two at one point) about a tendency that some people have to be critical of most everything - to look upon all options with distaste. He hypothesized that this is due, at least in part, to the safety of this position: it is easy to dissect virtually any idea to the point where flaws are readily apparent. In other words, it is very easy to find something wrong with pretty much anything if that is what you're looking for, since all things are ultimately highly complex. On the other side, the pro- to this bitter con-, there is great risk. If you openly decide that you like something, you are identifying with it, in essence advertising that "I am the sort of person who likes this thing." For those nay-sayers, eager to dislike, it is now easy to conclude that you are as distasteful as your naive preferences. Lack of identification--criticism--, therefore, is the safe position, involving no risk-taking.

Last night, I was discussing this idea with one of my college friends when he proposed a link between this and the 'mob' mentality. He suggested that people feel much more comfortable getting behind something (approving) when there is a large group in agreement since that same critic who claims that you are a fool for your preferences is now denouncing the entire group. Safety in numbers.

Thus, once again, the lone wolf faces exceptional challenges. But what about when the lone wolf is onto something? (s)he is now in a perfect position to engage in a form heroism, since heroism, after all, requires that one face fears and challenges.

the separation of self

So, since my junior year of college (96-97) I've kept up a study of philosophy from time to time. Over the past 6 years I've gotten pretty into the eastern stuff, and a lot of it resonates with me, largely because it seems like the underlying truths to many western ideas as well (though those are so often cloaked in layers of interpretation and pointed vernacular). One of the big ideas that fascinates me is the notion that in the real reality, not the one that has passed through our sensory filter, we, all people, all things, all lack-of-things (space), and even time, are all connected, we are all one. In Buddhism, this is the essence of Buddha, in Taoism, this is the Tao (though in both cases my generic one-line description only scratches the surface of these 'beyond words' notions). As a side-note, there are some theories in physics that assert the same claim about the underlying unity of reality. So, with this whole parenting thing I've done a lot of reading and apparently babies are born without the ability to distinguish themselves from the world around them. There is no separation. They perceive everything as themselves. They also have no notion of cause and effect, which, of course, is another term for time... but yet they most certainly perceive. They can almost immediately distinguish between their mother and anyone else. They very deliberately move toward their food source and they are certainly aware of their physical needs. This state of awareness persists, apparently, for some time. This raises two (+) questions:

1) Are humans born Buddha (or whatever name you choose to use)?
2) How can one perceive without distinction between self and "other?" In particular, what is Mother to such a being? Assuming no sensory distinction between forms, what remains?

goal setting

Something that I've been working on lately

I often hear all this hubbub about goal setting. Goal setting is a great tool, but it can sometimes interfere with your performance in the present, as it can be a distraction to think about where 'this' is going. It is certainly true that a goal can be a motivator, but I suggest that when setting goals, be sure to not get attached to them. Let them depart when it is their time, so that you can fully embrace the path that presents itself.

change

Every 7 years or so your body has completely recycled itself. The rates of cellular reproduction and cellular death are pretty much the same for most of your life. People are literally re-born in slow motion continuously. Life--reality--is ever-changing, ever-renewing. I often look back and recognize the person I was just some years ago as distinct from who I believe myself to be right now. Life is a process. So often we focus on products - goals. In fact, our society is structured around the idea of goals. "making something of yourself" is touted as the utmost freedom afforded by American life. That statement, "making something of yourself," implies a timeline with a destination, which in turn implies that there is some goal, some future self that you should set out to 'achieve.' Achievement is overrated. I say live instead of achieve. No acquisition will replace this moment, and with an emphasis on those moments ahead, these moments pass away. As beautifully painful and exquisitely sinister as this moment might be, it is a work of art that is exactly as magnificent as each of you. You, after all, don't exist except right now, and you will never again exist as you do now. 7 years from now you will be completely different. Life is process... not product.

persuasive illogic

I was listening to a commentator who had opinions about Obama's delivery style. He said that the president used one of 2 tones when discussing the health care bill with the general public: 1) political - describing the spirit of the thing in terms that would invoke feelings or, 2) graduate level seminar. I then listened to an example of his graduate level seminar prose and heard nothing too confusing. He didn't use any complicated terms, specialized rhetoric, or unfamiliar acronyms. He just moved through a logical argument. The commentator was saying that Obama needed to teach the public about the plan, using language that "everyone could understand."

I then looked at some headlines from a popular American "news" source and saw virtually no news. Everything was drenched in commentary with little or no concrete evidence to support it. Later, I noticed a commercial for some gum, which implied that chewing on the artificially sweetened processed petroleum wedge would teleport you to a place where beautiful people are attracted to you and you cease to experience discomfort. Later, there was this other ad suggesting that taking a "dose" of some certain yogurt every day would solve all of your bowel problems. Nothing explaining the why, just a bunch of persuasive statements.

This seems to be the case with almost all popular sources of information these days: nothing concrete, just persuasive commentary without evidence.

In our school district, the K-12 science teachers are embarking on a mission to move our emphasis a little away from content and a little toward methodology. We are going to be teaching argumentation using evidence. I am already doing it with the conceptual physics courses that I'm teaching, but the vision is that everyone will be proficient logicians by the time they leave high school.

In thinking about this undertaking, I realize that we have to fight a drumbeat of illogic that pours from all other unsolicited instructors. We are social creatures and move with the flow of society, but the flow has been artificially hijacked by the loudest voices through the "innovation" of mass media. Persuasive illogic is winning people away from reason.

a creative piece by Alex Furnas

I just thought this was hilarious and exceptional:

1. My special place is the theater in Factoria. It is a pretty cool theater. It always has something fresh to bring to the table. I live close to Factoria so I can walk down and watch good movies like the Tooth Fairy and Alvin the Chipmunks: the Squeakquel. Cats are always hating on Factoria Cineplex because it keeps breaking and the screens aren’t very big, but Lincoln Square and Crossroads can both go suck it, because Factoria is the real beeswax and it can’t be topped in cinematic enjoyment. Last weekend I watched The Book of Eli, and I know none of those other theaters could have displayed Denzel’s sexy beard and shaved head the same. I felt like I was right there shooting bad guys and listening to Motown with him. Now I’m best friends with Denzel Washington and we go out and chill all the time. That is why Factoria Theater is the place to be.

2. My favorite character from a book or movie is Nicolas Cage. I can relate to Nicolas Cage’s daily life and experiences. I get really pissed when there’s iguanas on my desk but nobody else can see them, and I know if Nicolas Cage was real, he would know exactly how I feel about it. One time the world got blown up by a solar flare, but if people listened to me they could have stopped it. Nicolas Cage went through the same shit one time. Whenever Satanic witch cults try to get fresh with me and put bees on my face, I know the only solution is getting in a bear suit and punching them like Nicolas Cage did. Thanks to Nicolas Cage, I now know that there’s a national treasure buried under DC and I can only find it by stealing the Declaration of Independence. If it weren’t for Nicolas Cage, I wouldn’t know what to do if John Travolta stole my face and pretended to be me. Also, I am Ghost Rider.

First post

I suppose I should start with the most pressing topic currently: the nature of knowledge. I say pressing, as if there is some kind of a time crunch, but rather it is more like the kind of pressure that you get when you plug up a hose, in that there's been a lot that has encouraged thoughts about this in the past year or so...