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30/03/2007 At Ease: Common InterestWarning: may be too informative and to-the-point for some audiences
I am slightly lacking socially, I admit it. I am openly and proudly over-analytical and it drives people away/crazy. Such is the life of a scientific-minded progressive thinker with a constant eye on the future, and an interest in making it better. However, in an effort to find out how to make/keep friends when I do want to, I have been researching and observing people with all sorts of social abilities.
Rule one in creating an easy-going atmosphere is that it is important never to pick a subject that makes your target insecure, and if you do, get out of it quickly. It is important to make your target feel like neither one of you is greatly inferior or you will regret it later, trust me. Don't say things like, 'I am a multi-millionaire,' or statements like, 'You should get a better job,' since those statements imply that you are better than them. Don't ask them too many questions as it may seem like you are interrogating your target.
It is important to be expressive when conversing with your target, but don't try to muscle in on someone else too quickly. Be positive and try to seem interested in whatever they are interested in, and be very careful about redirecting the conversation. If you know some of your opponents, try to sneak in some comments that they disagree with to make them uncomfortable, but only if they are free to leave immediately. If you find a topic that your target seems to be very interested in, make some helpful comments about it, or make yourself seem more interested in that topic than any of the others.
Don't show the other person that you are uncomfortable about a topic of their interest, or it will make them uncomfortable. If it causes you too much discomfort, consider choosing a different target, or try a different subject after a while. However, if you find a topic of discomfort for your target, make sure to show them similar feelings about it, this will usually strengthen their bond with you. Do not try to seem too upset or uncomfortable or your target may feel you are too emotional or vulnerable, unless that is the type of situation you like.
Feel free to have your own opinions and interests, a person who only sucks up to the other may seem creepy or hollow. Try not to seem to interested only on your target this early in the relationship, and yes, relationship is the correct word for prolonged social interaction, even if it is only for a very slightly prolonged time. Also, try not to talk about too specialized topics unless your target is knowledgeable in the subject.
Common interest is often the most important factor, if you have the other guidelines down. Common topics are those that are easily recognized by anyone, usually spread worldwide by 'the media' and other methods. Television shows and famous music bands, as well as famous sports teams and tourist attractions. Be ready to trade specific facts about such things, or admit that you don't know much about it right away. Trading trivia is often an enjoyable activity, if you do stumble upon a common interest, don't hesitate to blurt out a fact or two.
The point is that you don't want to seem boring to your target. You don't want to be at odds with your target. You don't want to seem too interested, and you definitely don't want to seem uninterested. Don't exhaust your target by flooding them with words, but try to add a comment in at appropriate times. Being interesting to talk to and making your target have a bit of fun by keeping the mood light will not only keep your target(s) at ease, but it may also gain you many friends. 28/03/2007 Cultural RevolutionThere is one type of history that has been interesting to me since I was very young, it is one of t he only historical things that interest me at all. That is the struggle of cultural revolution, the struggle of a more advanced lifestyle to dominate and overthrow the old obsolete culture. More advanced cultures, in a biological standpoint, need more breathing room, more room to grow. Population density is often a good way to judge the advancedness of a society.
The scenario of cultural revolution is usually the same. First a new set of rules is created by someone, usually attributed to a single person. This person helps or convinces people in some way to be followers and endoctrinates them. These people will often be friends and eventually travel in one way or another. In the normal event of travel, these people will begin to slowly spread this new set of rules, make no mistake, they are rules of how to act. The trick is that these people don't seem any different than anyone else, and they seem sociable enough.
Eventually some progressive and less tolerant people will join into the fold and start making trouble. If the enveloping civilization is distressed by the new proto-civilization, there will probably be a great effort of alienation, usually emanating from the government. This is how things have been throughout history, and I am going to avoid this situation. One previously attempted solution, again ancient history and modern, is the secret society. People add into their way of life an element of isolationism and secrecy in an attempt to keep from alarming the outlying civilizations, however, the approach increases the potential for aggression. This is because - when you segregate a growing culture from the existing one, it becomes its own civilization, which then eventually becomes a threat.
As is historically, and repeatedly noted, after the initial confrontation, whether it is peaceful or not, an uneasy coexistence takes place. I think that in this time period, we should be able to eliminate the confrontational element altogether. We can learn, in a scientific methodology, how to ensure that proponents of other civilizations do not feel any amount of discomfort. This is something that I am researching, however, I prefer not to invent the wheel, as you should notice from this.
As a matter of preference these days, people don't talk or think much about our differences. This is all well and good when there are a lot of cultures, but at some point I think culture should evolve. Sure the mixed cultures have caused people to become better able to tolerate eachother, but we should either adjust, choose between, or eliminate the elements that cause incompatibility. Culture is an element of civilization, just like any other, that must advance and change, just like medicine and technology and entertainment. Priorities/ValuesEvery person is wired to favor one or two of these 'schools of thought / awareness' to a degree.
The degree to which each of these values is instilled is the essence of one's character. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, they must be balanced, usually by sub-conscious choice. It is important that we all study and define to what degree each of these values is instilled within us. It is also important to understand that by being aware of your situation, you can change it, in this case leading to the ability to change one's very nature. The implications of this may be beyond many to comprehend, but it may be important for the future development of humanity for us to use methods to balance ourselves. It is important for 'leadership' type people, those who have learned to be decisive, correct, and stubborn - to be able to live in close quarters with eachother. In my research, it is difficult for such a situation to remain cohesive for long. My research is directed toward creating leaders and enabling them to live in high density populations with minimal unhappiness and disorder. 25/03/2007 A Thinker's BetrayalWarning, some content may be too symbolic for light thinkers:
The realm of thought is a thinker's paradise. This realm is full of all things, good, bad, even the gray areas. The thinker travels this world searching, not for anything in particular, but for the thrill of the search. In some respects this can be likened to a wild goose chase, however, this is the life of the thinker.
Thought meanders aimlessly through the world without meaning and without desire. It is the light of the mind and the pen of history. Those of us who are thinkers have sought to open the window into it just a little bit farther. Many have tried, some have succeeded, others can only chase an eternal dream. This world which we make our homes is not devoid of thought. In some way, everything thinks, even if only through a stretch of the imagination.
Time is the oil and the ink of the light and the pen of thought. Often there is far too little of it to go around. Some people can think while they work, some can think while asleep, others are bound within those peaceful moments of bliss for thinkers called free time. Truly, as with everything in life, thought is not something one must do all at once. The shrewd thinker thinks during small moments throughout the day, steadily increasing the strength of the thinking muscle until the time of enlightenment.
Yes, the end of the thinker's trials are finally at hand at the time when thought comes most naturally at any moment. One could go into the desert, find a small spring, and loose oneself in such a state. Call it what you will, it is a time of mental peace, however, much strain upon the body is often to be endured. The pain often helps sort out the dreams from the visions. As was once said, all things may come and go.
Why the sad face? Are you not one of the select few? Everyone is. You're fooling yourself thinking you're not! Even people who aren't quite all there have been known to be great thinkers in the right conditions. Yet thinking is not only a skill, it is an art, it is also not of this world. Let it come to you in its time and fill you with that which it must, let it wash over you, and take what you will. Enough thought may drive the weak a bit crazy, but that only means you must take it slower. Keep strengthening yourself, first each week, then each day, then for a few hours, then it will become second nature.
There are many ways to sheild oneself from the effects of thought. Keep yourself occupied and you will certainly not notice the strain. Perhaps you decide to make a chemical fix and take a break from life for a while. I would not, for the long term effects may haunt you in the future. Stimulate your mind's chemical from within. Learn to enjoy the powerful effects of contemplation. There are other, nonchemical means, if you still find it difficult. Anything to side-track your sub-conscious from knowing what you are doing.
Take control of your life and seize the power for yourself! The mind can be sneaky, it may trick you into a vicious cycle of pain for such actions. Pay attention to what your sub-conscious does while you are occupied, watch what it makes your body do when you're not in control. Do you wake up every morning and say or do the same old things? Aren't you tired of the same old breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Is there something you've always wanted to do, change, or have? Don't think that you are any different for this, keep yourself out of trouble.
Now the good life is here. You have learned what your sub-conscious, the automator, doesn't want you to know. You have become your own person! Remember to think from time to time, do the right things, keep healthy... Suddenly everything is getting clearer.
But wait, what's going on over there? That doesn't look right. What's that over there, and there, and there? Those people are living in such squalor. Those others seem to be in such pain. Look at the boredom on their faces, the hate, the discomfort, the tedium. How can people exist in such a condition? They won't listen to me, they refuse to lighten their loads. Do they enjoy being unhappy? Do they fear happiness? Are they just plain stupid? I must help them, we must help them! Don't just stand about, there are so many people whose problems we can now understand, don't you remember those times when you stopped and considered just such problems in your own life?
Hopefully you're not too old or young to do something, hopefully you can help teach these fools how things are, and how things should be. Of course we're not perfect, but we practice what we preach, we try as hard as can be expected of anyone. You remember when it all happened for you, don't you? Try to remember and keep such memories with you! Who cares what it looked like outside, it's different for everyone, just try to remember how gradual it was and how difficult it was. It will surely be less difficult with us around, but that is a good thing for them, they should be even more willing with that.
Thought often brings discomfort from time to time. Perhaps it is the hectic lifestyle. Perhaps it is the sub-conscious sneaking out from its cage, shoo it back in there. I often reflect on the hard times, how hard we tried and failed. Friends lost, enemies made, others little more than aquaintances. Lonliness. How hard it's been, but at least I am not tormented by daily life. At least I have some friends around, people who stand by for no other reason than to be a friend. People with their own lives, their own cares, their own victories and defeats. We feel old and tired together, we take a breath and rest our minds. It is such a friendship that keeps people close, even with no joy at meeting and no sorrow at parting.
The days wind into weeks and months and it seems very little gets done. Everyone putting in and taking out of the pool of life. Back into thought, and the world opens up once more. Bliss, the feeling of weightlessness, all things become possible. Once, vaguely in the distance, I hear someone congratulate me for fighting the system, I hear the 'popping' sound of people being born, growing old, and dying. I feel the wind on my face and take a deep breath. One day I will succeed, one day my mission will be complete, or I will go on forever. 23/03/2007 Downfall of MedicineI have always respected the teachings of the medical community. Do no harm and never turn a sick person away. These terms are subject to some interpretation, and they are by no means absolutes. It is nice that, in many areas, doctors will not refuse emergency services to people who can not pay. Free clinics, however limited, are also quite commendable in their sentiment.
I have also noticed that in many areas of the world, the medical community compounds the painful reminder that we are mortal, limited people. With bills that rival expenses of millionares issued to common folk, and all of the legal issues that accompany such things. In some regions they simply put you in jail. In others, people are forced to work low-end jobs for several years. On the outskirts of civilization there are still slaves made out of such unlucky people. I really think that something new, or some restructuring, must be done soon.
Human care is the fastest growing field in the entire world, and until we humans stop multiplying and getting older, it will not stop. I am not asking people to stop having children or to kill themselves at a certain age, I am simply noticing that the current situation isn't scalable enough. Let me take careful note of all of the human care fields that I know of, and you will see what is happening.
There are five main systems of human care. One is the hospitals, which are often split into birthing and repairing sections. Another is schools, which have many well-known segments. The third is waste cleanup, which takes many forms. We mustn't forget about the food industry, which also takes many innumerable forms. Lastly, I bring to your attention, an institution looked down on by some, the old folk's homes. Many of these are areas of little profit and little real competition, for the demand is outstripping the supply, and unless people get it in gear, the gap will continue to widen.
Luckily, with so many people around, there are a lot of extra hands, and look at those elegible unemployment numbers. There are plenty of willing and able bodied people just waiting for someone to gather them all together to do the deeds that must be done. Suddenly I find myself solving the main problem within the same article it is present. As you can see, the only real problem is how to get these lazy people to meet the rising needs. Capitalism doesn't seem to be enough. Religion doesn't seem to be enough, or is simply not effective anymore. Honor, dare I speak of such a thing? Perhaps a call to need, no, people are trained to care only of themselves.
It seems that the only thing that gets to people these days is shame. Shame on them for putting their grandparents out on the street to die. Of course it's rare now, but it will become common if nothing is done. Shame on them for not going to school and getting trained to figure this stuff out on their own. I doubt that is important to many people. What about an ominous reminder that we are all connected? Yes, that just might work. When you are old, your kids will put you out on the street to die. It's because you let your kids deal drugs and steal cars instead of going to school. Maybe it's just too late?
I predict that the first thing to fall will be the educational system. Then the retirement system. Later the cleaning people will go out of business. By then, there will be too many poor sick people people to support the medical community. Of course, the food industry will be the last, and it may not even fall. Actually, I predict that people will notice each problem at the last minute and make a quick fix that will last about twenty years or so. Perhaps there are already some quick fixes in effect. It is even possible that my generation has noticed the problems during their childhood, and are already designing some solutions to these most obvious problems, and that this article will be looked back upon as another useless alarmist paper. God's UsefulnessWhether real or myth, God(s), in one name or other, has guided life on planet earth for untold centuries. Great stories have been told, and great people have been believers. I myself was born into a family of believers, and I can safely say that it has done me good. However controversial God's existence, God's usefulness rivals that of tools and food.
So, why has God stuck with humanity so long? Of course, there have always been people who do not believe in such things, but what is so important about having a god? How can we imagine a supremely powerful being, and why would we want someone around to remind us of all of our imperfections? Is there a biological or psychological aspect to this whole thing? Could we possibly need God?
The answers to these questions are not so difficult to answer, however philosophical they might seem. In fact, there is supposedly a gland of some sort in the brain that stimulates a feel-good response to having a God. No, God is not such an alien among us as we had once thought. There is a human compulsion in us that causes small children to obey their parents, if the parent uses it right, they can get a child to do anything. In fact, it is the same compulsion that is probably controlled by the 'God gland' that causes masses of people to obey and believe the teachings of a single person on stage, on radio, on TV, etc.
It is also true that we humans need company to a certain degree. We must associate with some entity and befriend it, whatever it may be. Many hermits raise animals or grow plants for this reason. The range of things that humans have accidentally humanized is at first astonishing. Some people make friends with their cars, boats, dogs, silverware, table, lamp, books, prized mug, pair of clothing, plant, doll, toy truck, wild animals, stars, the moon, and even something as far out as God. So, why do we do it? It is one of the most basic human compulsions we never knew we had. It separates us from many of the beasts, even.
The social equation, one which I have spent years studying and mastering, is a complex one. It is so complex that we can succeed or fail miserably without knowing much about it. In truth, I am still finishing up my studies, but I am sure about this. People associate with eachother to keep a gland in their brains producing the social chemical. This chemical gives us a sense of wellbeing and hope, and makes us oblivious to the hardships that we share. It raises us up when we are feeling low, and comforts us when we are distressed. When no one else is around, God is often called upon for help and guidance. The social gland and the 'God gland' start up, giving us a feeling of satisfaction and hope which gets us through our lives. Of course, you could also go to your pet goat.
So, back in the 'who knows which' ages, humanity forgot about a higher power and started feeling bad. They decided to search around the world for something to cheer them up. Some royal or other decided he/she had found the answer in a small church. A royal decree or something as powerful soon made it manditory for everyone to learn this mysterious religion. Soon, everyone was revitalized with vigor and willing to do whatever the king, or God demanded. They studied all sorts of things, they perhaps even loved their enemies. They conquered a large part of the world.
The twin beliefs in a higher power and a (possibly made-up) friend not only compound the feeling of peace, but they multiply eachother. Along with the belief in a higher power comes the feeling of being able to do anything, and perhaps we can do anything. This is what spurred the conquerors on, and perhaps it did spread civilization to distant parts of the world. I am not saying that people who don't make friends or believe in a higher power are less motivated, I am saying that there is no person alive who is this way. Everyone who forsakes friendship and higher powers gets sick and dies. Everyone who claims they have no such beliefs are in denial. Maybe one day people will genetically engineer people not to need such stimuli, but in the mean time it is better to be enlightened about such things than to be in the dark.
On another note, there are things that can be done to cripple people by taking advantage of these needs. There are usually preachers, silver tongued people who try to get others to do their work, or do something so they don't get in trouble for it. I will soon learn what these people do, and I will make sure to use their harmless methods for good, and forget about their harmful methods. I will learn the ways of the holy preachers who spin lies to boil the blood and put themselves upon a pedestal to enforce loyalty. Of course, I will be respected for who I truly am and I will tell people to do things that will cause harmless progress and unite the world. 22/03/2007 Internet PermanencyIt has come to my attention that there are people who do not believe that the internet will survive for very long. It is my belief that the internet as a form of storage and communication is at such a basic level that it can change to meet the changing times. Let us not argue amongst ourselves over what we believe, and look at how far the internet has developed as it is.
The internet itself was supposedly developed in the US military. It was created as a means for communication, possibly for secret military messages. After a while, the public sector got hold of it and it quickly spread across the entire world. In the begining, back when computers were large slow things, the internet was very useful. Now, with a few modifications for ease of data transfer, the internet is still very useful, if not one of the most useful things in the world. Eventually the internet will spread throughout space.
There are many other things that are thought to be permanent - that are really not going to last much longer. One reason for many of them is the internet. In areas where the internet is easily accessible, children do not play with trucks or board games, they play online computer games. In such places, business people do not communicate by phone, but by email or online voice communication. Many people no longer bother to watch TV, they instead download whatever shows they like at whatever time they wish.
The internet has more than doubled our productivity, and much more than multiplied human potential. It has connected us over the entire world, and it has enabled us to do things more quickly than many ever dreamed possible. The internet has even taught an innumerable amount of people, both formally and informally. The internet keeps us informed in every way that any other media ever could, and more. Speaking purely from a professional point of view on survival, it doesn't look like this is an endangered system.
There is also something to be said about online businesses. The type of business that thrives on the internet is primarily a social one. Businesses that offer an experience such as with MMORPG's have seen astonishing profits. Businesses that offer media downloads of all kinds are booming. However, there are certain types of businesses that the internet does not cause to thrive, if used primarily. Those are small businesses that offer things that are not in demand, or that can be offered cheaper somewhere else, or local products. Many people have risked and lost a lot of money trying to corner a market that never existed on the internet.
It is also important to include non-profit organizations. Their existence is the foundation of order and harmony on the internet. Companies that provide free meeting places and free essential software tools serve to give hope to otherwise hopeless people. Companies that provide free information allow anyone to learn, and anyone involved in such things can not help but profit in one way or another. I think it should be easy to conclude that businesses that want money are not supported well on the internet, and businesses that want to give to the community are supported to a great degree.
There are some financially oriented businesses that do profit, these are middle-men for trade, and alternatives to going to the bank. Sectors and LocationI had been trying to think of some way to minimize the processing costs of motion planning and collision detection in my computer programs. Back in 2000, with only 1024w/768h screen size, having too many objects on the screen moving around would use up most of the processor. Further exacerbating the problem were the hundreds of other things that those objects each needed to do in each moment. At first, I decided to use a collision system that scanned a small area around the object, but this also proved to be too slow. I also tried searching through the coordinates of every object and performing a calculation on their coordinates, which proved to have scaling problems. I then decided to stop until I could find some good way of handling things.
The solution I came up with was the product of what had been in front of my face from the begining. I had watched many strategy television shows, and I had also watched many strategy board games. In most of them, I noticed a sort of grid system for coordinates. Some of them even mentioned sectors, but the connection didn't occur to me until the usual time of 3am as I waited to become unconscious. I began going over the proposed solutions, and some abstract ideas I had of my own.
As everything started to blur toghether in my mind, I suddenly remembered about sectors. Sectors are a simple and uniform way of dividing a large area into smaller chunks. Once divided, one of these chunks can then be divided into still smaller chunks. This process could be repeated to any degree of precision. In the real world, this is simply a matter of simplifying and plotting locations, but in the computing world it can be much more. It can be the solution that a programmer had been waiting for a long time.
In a computer program, a sector is a grid. In a two dimensional program, it is simply a set of grids with the ID of grids it contains - to a certain degree of precision. In a three dimensional program, a three dimensional array can be set up, or a complex set of lists can be produced. List 1 can be the line along the x axis. It carries the ID's of lists spanning the y axis. Those lists carry the ID's of lists spannign the z axis. The last set of lists either hold the next set of x axes which lead to repeating the previous steps, or they hold a list of ID's of objects that reside within the sector.
There are many advantages to this system. For one, it isn't as affected by scale as the others. A larger amount of objects simply means some of the main lists will carry one or two more ID's. It doesn't involve checking every object, and it doesn't involve checking a huge area one unit at a time. This system can also help the programmer to decide how to space things evenly, and possibly give the programmer a more objective idea of how to budget space.
There are a few drawbacks to this system from others. For one, it usually requires a great deal more memory or disk space than the other methods. It may also take more time to implement. It may also be a good idea to create a multi-method approach. Perhaps the switch to the sector system can be done when the program begins to slow down because of too much activity. In the end, with very large programs, the best option has to be taken. This happens to be the best system that I know. 19/03/2007 Balance is the LawIt has come to my attention that people expect some catastrophic natural disaster to occur to wipe us all out. This is a very unlikely scenario, and based on scientific research, we know it to be against the earths system of things anyways. I will explain a few scenarios and a few reasons why they will probably not occur, as well as giving a few other helpful details.
The thing that most people are afraid of is not really natural, but human made. What if one country nukes another? The whole world will throw their nukes and kill evachother, right? Wrong, if one country nukes another, the other countries are most likely to nuke the offending country. Nuclear weapons are not only deadly to the people being destroyed, they are also dangerous to the surrounding areas and anyone around the world who could come in contact with radioactive dust that is carried on the wind. In effect, a nuke to any country is a nuke to the entire stability of the earth, which means no matter who you are, you should join in to stop nuclear weapons from being fired.
The next threat is from biological outbreak of some kind, and although you may think it is rare, it is actually quite common all over the world. In truth, upwardly viral infectuous agents are usually less deadly than their extremely deadly counterparts. They survive by sickening their hosts without killing them, thereby increasing the chances of infection of others. Just think how often you or someone you know has gotten sick, and think to yourself whether it is an epidemic or not.
Another well known threat is artificial intelligences being created, becoming their own life forms, and destroying humankind. This is also very unlikely because computers are already thousands if not millions of times more intelligent as they are. If we gave them the ability to think for themselves and to procreate, they would simply continue to coexist with us. Maybe one day we would go extinct, and maybe one day we will be replaced on earth by our robotic counterparts, but not for their lack of trying to cure and preserve us.
Another recent threat that everyone thought would wipe us out was the global warming ozone thinning combo. Look at what happened, everyone started creating eco-friendly products, and some people even tried to help the ozone repair itself. People around the world came together in harmony to ease the pain of storms caused by the storms that resulted, and some parts of the world outright ignored the problem altogether.
Here's even another example from the past, one that I hope nobody has yet forgotten. Back when species started being hunted to extinction. Can you guess what happened? Wildlife preserves were created, and countless endangered species were brought back from the brink. Even now, scientists are continuing to sample, preserve, and document countless endangered species in the hopes of one day replacing them into the natural flow of things.
I think I've made most people at ease, so now I'll focus on some more basic instances. What happens when someone lights fire to a building? People come with water and other things to put the fire out. What happens when someone is found to have criminal tendencies? The person is separated from the public so they can do no more harm. What happens when someone gets sick? Their sickness is diagnosed and they are usually treated.
I think I'll indulge in a much more historical reference. Back when people first started to make weapons, people thought that people with weapons would wipe out the people without weapons, but it turned out that people without weapons could tend crops instead of strengthening their fighting skills, and pay for protection. What happened when the bow and arrow were invented? People thought that such bowmasters were extremely deadly and would wipe out all swordsmen from the treetops. What happened when the cannon was invented or the trebuchet? People thought that people with such weapons would wipe out everyone else, but people found ways around those.
What happens when the sun gets all the way up in the sky? It goes back down. What happens when a baby is born? It lives its life, grows old, and dies. What happens when you are hungry? You eat. When you are thirsty? You drink. When a positive and negative field are near eachother? They are pulled together.
In retrospect, we see that balance is the law, not only with humans, but with nature too. Anything with a balance can remain in balance, if not forever, then for a very long time indeed. 18/03/2007 Evolution vs. StabilityThere are two main views on the future, a more evolutionary outlook, and a feeling of need for greater stability in this world of chaos. Many people tend to believe strongly for one and against the other. This is often because they lack understanding of the opposing side. In addition, they are prone to fight for their beliefs without properly describing them.
Many people believe in the evolutionary view of society. That it will grow and change in its course without any specific guidance. There are several established systems that follow this belief system. Evolutionary activity is often described as happening through the casual sharing and adoption of ideas, leading to an improvement. This kind of thing does happen, but it's the least common of the two views. The main reason people go for this system is because they are afraid that someone will alternatively try to force them to act a certain way and work within extremely restrictive conditions.
People who believe in the need for creating stability are often history buffs and have usually lived in an environment that is not structured enough for their needs. They have often lacked the basic structure that others take for granted, and have become awakened to the need for a minimum standard, and for improvement of the norm. It is true that these people may become carried away with their little rules and conditions, and people who are fanatical about such things should be kept in an advisory role. The main reason people choose this system is that it is a definite solution, even if it is not the best solution. Many people go this way if they are impatient for changes to occur.
Truthfully, throughout history, both of these methods have come into play for the good of all. In some cases, everyone notices an improved situation and decides to copy it. In other cases, the royalty institutes a set of elaborate rituals and belief systems to condition their followers to obey their rules and not to question their activities. When these two systems are combined, however, they create something that is not unlike the legal system. It changes as the need arises, and has to be non-constrictive to promote cultural diversity and ease of integration. Perspective AgeThis article is to put everyone in their places. It isn't as safe to float around in the unknown intellectual pool, but I'm not saying you should be limited in any way.
Perspective is your outlook on the world and life. Everyone has one, even a neutral outlook is still a perspective. Perspective is changed by how you view your experiences in total. When you have a new experience, your perspect is subject to change. It can also be manipulated by the people around you. You may decide not to make your own opinion, but to agree with your friend's opinion. Of course you may decide it was wrong later, but how you take life is affected none the less. Your perspective affects your every action and reaction.
It may be difficult for anyone to imagine a sense of age when thinking of perspective. It may even be impossible for some. Yet, I believe that how you view the world directly affects your maturity in the eyes of others. We can see that through our lives we go through many changes. These changes are often summed up in age-based developmental stages which are thought to occur with everyone at slightly varying times.
One version of this scale is:
infancy - cry when needy, stick everything in your mouth, look up at people with big round eyes.
toddler - upwardly mobile, making odd noises or even talking, getting into trouble.
small child - walking around, asking childish questions, believing adults are gods, playing, going to school
teenager - rebellion, doing your own thing, having own agenda, general turmoil, making same mistakes your parents made
young adult - becoming stable, getting a career, getting a family, becoming less selfish, getting stuck in ruts(smoking,drinking,drugs?)
middle age - mid life crisis?, reexamining your life, having fun, realising bad life choices
elderly - waning health, less able, playing w/ grandchildren, making peace with the end
Once you are done critiquing this scale, try to decide which stage you are in based on the description, not on the name. Maybe you are between stages, or maybe you have decided you are too enlightened to subscribe to any of these. Perhaps you had a difficult trial on life's path that has opened your eyes, or maybe you are in a vicious cycle of misery, anger, sadness, and distrust. I'm sure you may think it impossible, but before age 20, I have experienced every situation.
You may be more comfortable with a different approach, perhaps one that is more commonly used among people with lives. Perhaps you consider it better to simply call someone mature or immature based on your mood at the time. However, calling someone mature or immature is not a good thing to do. We live our lives in fluctuating patterns of maturity, so when someone is being stable, don't mistake it for maturity, and when someone is unsure of themselves, don't mistake it for immaturity.
I will now list some perspectives. I will use my bias to label them good and bad:
BAD
Isolationist - believes outside influences are unhealthy
Alarmist - believes the world will come to an end
Antagonist - interested in making people unhappy
Selfish - interested only in onesself
Chaotic - does whatever whenever to whoever
Indecisive - doesn't do much, not sure how to proceed
Emotional - angry at bad things, euphoric at good things, sad about crisis, afraid of scary things
Expansionist - grow out, plow over any opposition
GOOD
Optimist - goes on with life no matter what
Progressive - constantly pushing forward
Futuristic - believes a solution is coming soon
Scientific - looks at problems logically and tries to solve them
Preservationist - save the endangered, document history, learn from the past
Of course there are many more, and some can be less harmful or helpful depending on the situation, but generally, the bad perspectives make you more immature and the good perspectives make you more mature. We all have a little of both, and it can be a constant struggle. Now, lets allow the higher thinkers to pull the lower thinkers up onto their level! Many vs. FewThere has been some debate about the quality of decisions made for someone rather than by him or her. It is true that there are advantages and drawbacks to each system, however, I tend to gravitate toward the decisions of the many. I will now attempt to argue both sides of the argument, and bring my views to light in as delicate a way as possible. It seems that I have some experience in both areas and on either side.
FOR
First let me describe who I am talking about. The few can be thought of simply as you. You are an individual with talents and abilities, and also problems. The many can be described as the people around you, everyone who knows you, and anyone who cares enough to be included in making decisions about the wellbeing of the community. They may be a relative or a dear friend, or they could be a prominent member of society trying to lend a helping hand. It would seem that there are so few people interested in fixing the broken lives of others, I would like to see that change in a very formal and legal sense.
Next we must consider the establishment upon which decisions are made. This is often though of as a delicate system, but I can show you it's not. As in law, there are many precidents and amendments to old rules that simply don't cut it anymore. In this system this is not done, and I consider it to be rather archaic. When a new decision is made, a precident is drawn up. It fully details the important conditions and considerations of the decision, and passes into a beta stage to weather the tests of time. Once an opposing argument or condition is set up, the decision is revisited and either edited for clarity or overruled and recorded as a failed attempt, with the new decision in its place.
Now it is time to discuss a scenario. Remember, the many can make decisions for the few. This means you can ask the committee to help you do things you wouldn't normally consider doing. You could ask the committee for help picking out colors for your house, or even help purchasing the right car for you at an affordable price. Maybe you are having marriage problems. The two of you could ask the community for help with either staying together and raising your child, or help deciding who should fairly and rightfully get what. The community is so large that you could have someone decide what you will be eating for the next month to save money.
Now lets consider a grandscale alternative. Remember, the community/committee is full of people who are concerned about the issue you bring to the table. This is not only a small city community, it can possibly be a national and even global one. With such volume of volunteer enthusiasts to work with, how can you yourself resist joining a group to solve a problem? You know that with so many people helping that there will be very few things gone unconsidered. This would be a sort of community involvement thing that community leaders go to everyones doors every week telling them to join up.
Community heirarchy is another thing that must be described here. It has to be more organized than the internet, which will probably turn out to be its medium. At the top there will be two sections, local and nonlocal. In the local section, you can be sure that someone nearby is responding to your question or problem. In the nonlocal section, nonlocal decisions are made. You can ask for help with larger problems that your area may not be fully equipped to solve. What if your river's ecosystem is degrading and nobody around can do anything about it? You post on the eco section, and suddenly thousands of foreigners are poking around the swamp cleaning everything up. Alright, that may be a bit unlikely, but you get the idea.
I bet someone is wondering exactly how you would get access to a tool like this. Well, the answer is simple, create a web forum and put fliers on everyones doorstep or something. Put ads in the newspapers and on television. Or let the system spread by word of mouth. Everyone is allowed access to the nonlocal section if they can get through the high security login page. Now here's the real shocker: If you want to join a community that you do not qualify for, you get to partner up with someone who is qualified! No more access denied, your voice is now guaranteed to be heard, if you're human (or just intelligent).
AGAINST?
Yes, it's true, communities suck. They like to make decisions without consulting you first. They like to annoy you with fliers about things you don't care about. They yell at you about how shabby your property is, or that you smell, 'you don't take no showers.' Of course things seem to work out fine, unless you have a problem. Then either nobody's interested, or it takes a month to get back to you. Alright, maybe you are indecisive about what color your house should be, you never expected them to choose neon pink! Alright, so your request for someone to clean up your lawn came through and the lawn kid is doing a good job tidying up, and maybe it was a good idea of the community that you get a maid to clean up once in a while.
When has a community ever done anything but ask for money? You gave $100 one time, and they haven't quit begging since. So they want to fly first class and stop at 20 restaurants between here and France or Brazil, that's their problem. So they want expensive snacks at their community meetings, you don't go to those anyways. You bet you could do a much better job at planning the budget, what do they think that master's degree on the wall is for, decoration? Wait a second, how much do they spend on a financial planner?
O_O
What? That's highway robbery!
UNDECIDED
Alright, so the person against the community is an isolationist slob, we're only human, right? And you may also be wondering why I'm not already doing any of this stuff... Well, I am in the planning stages, a framer of the general basics of such a society. I will say one thing though, if nobody else gets to it soon, I will. |
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