So I haven't been able to post blogs very consistently lately, but I have been having some conversations with people on the interweb. I shall post my responses to the comments here:
This was in reply to comments on my Beaten by his Dad post on Glipho:
We have the innovation to go to the moon, to invent all sorts of things that have little or no purpose simply because they can turn a profit - we have the potential to solve any problem, yet we focus on fashion, cars, drugs, convenience. We focus on advancing those things that we care most about - wouldn't you agree?
Most social ills can be traced back to one thing: money. People who feel valued by their society (they receive a good education, good housing, their voice is heard, they contribute in a meaningful way, etc) are far less likely to be violent. There are many people who try to make a difference by focusing on one aspect, but what really needs to be considered is that our entire society (incl economy and the way we value life) needs to be changed, as domestic violence, crime, animal abuse, economic segregation - all these things are symptoms of a far greater problem. The problem is that changing our entire world system means huge changes, and those who are happy and do have enough money are not willing to change their entire lives for the sake of the "other half". Charities, activism, awareness campaigns all mean well - but realistically, can they make any substantial changes on a global scale?
And this is from a comment thread on Facebook, in response to the Eqafe interview Perfecting the Human Race - Parenting - Part 20:
Manipulation is the result of generations of teaching children a certain way - it is in no way an unchangeable part of human nature.
Then it comes down to word definitions. as per your definition of the word, yes, it is much more widely applicable to interactions. In the context of the interview it is focusing on emotional manipulation.
Truth in this world is never objective - there are only those things which we believe to be true and those things we have lived for ourselves and proven to ourselves to be a certain way. There are many different gurus promoting many different forms of self enlightenment, most turn out to be just another way to feel good about ourselves without any real practical solutions to the global problems.
manipulation implies an attempt to sway another to your views/to do what you want them to do - i do not want to "sway you" from your views, I am presenting a different perspective for you to consider, it is up to you whether you will consider it or not. I am not trying to "Sell" you anything. If I am understanding you correctly, that is what you mean by manipulation.
There are many views, beliefs, teachings, writings and the like. We are introduced to only a handful in our lives, and we tend to stick to the same, or similar types, because that is where we are most comfortable. What we fail to do is look for, discover, test different views for ourselves to see whether they are valid, whether they can be practically applied and whether they can be beneficial to the world.
Many of the things you and I have said so far are pretty much along the same lines. The one point where we differ is the point of "power" - power is a point that allows abuse within the world and simply should be eradicated. Playing the power gaming is simply partaking in the perpetuation of the cycles of abuse. "If you can't beat them, join them" is a perfect example. That statement accepts every single act of abuse that happens, it justifies it all by allowing one to think and feel "I can't do anything about it", because doing something about it would require that one give up everything that makes life nice and comfy (to a certain extent). Doing something to change the world and stop the abuse would mean recognising the abuse and exploitation that goes into every part of our lives - our clothes, computers, TVs, cars, oil, soap - most people prefer to ignore the genocides and atrocities committed every day so that they can be "happy" find someone who accepts them for the "happy", team player they are, bangs them and raises children with them who will turn out to be exact replicas.
This sounds harsh, but the things we allow to happen in every minute of every day - the things we justify by saying we are powerless - are far more harsh.
So feel free to add your input and such.
This was in reply to comments on my Beaten by his Dad post on Glipho:
We have the innovation to go to the moon, to invent all sorts of things that have little or no purpose simply because they can turn a profit - we have the potential to solve any problem, yet we focus on fashion, cars, drugs, convenience. We focus on advancing those things that we care most about - wouldn't you agree?
Most social ills can be traced back to one thing: money. People who feel valued by their society (they receive a good education, good housing, their voice is heard, they contribute in a meaningful way, etc) are far less likely to be violent. There are many people who try to make a difference by focusing on one aspect, but what really needs to be considered is that our entire society (incl economy and the way we value life) needs to be changed, as domestic violence, crime, animal abuse, economic segregation - all these things are symptoms of a far greater problem. The problem is that changing our entire world system means huge changes, and those who are happy and do have enough money are not willing to change their entire lives for the sake of the "other half". Charities, activism, awareness campaigns all mean well - but realistically, can they make any substantial changes on a global scale?
And this is from a comment thread on Facebook, in response to the Eqafe interview Perfecting the Human Race - Parenting - Part 20:
Manipulation is the result of generations of teaching children a certain way - it is in no way an unchangeable part of human nature.
Then it comes down to word definitions. as per your definition of the word, yes, it is much more widely applicable to interactions. In the context of the interview it is focusing on emotional manipulation.
Truth in this world is never objective - there are only those things which we believe to be true and those things we have lived for ourselves and proven to ourselves to be a certain way. There are many different gurus promoting many different forms of self enlightenment, most turn out to be just another way to feel good about ourselves without any real practical solutions to the global problems.
manipulation implies an attempt to sway another to your views/to do what you want them to do - i do not want to "sway you" from your views, I am presenting a different perspective for you to consider, it is up to you whether you will consider it or not. I am not trying to "Sell" you anything. If I am understanding you correctly, that is what you mean by manipulation.
There are many views, beliefs, teachings, writings and the like. We are introduced to only a handful in our lives, and we tend to stick to the same, or similar types, because that is where we are most comfortable. What we fail to do is look for, discover, test different views for ourselves to see whether they are valid, whether they can be practically applied and whether they can be beneficial to the world.
Many of the things you and I have said so far are pretty much along the same lines. The one point where we differ is the point of "power" - power is a point that allows abuse within the world and simply should be eradicated. Playing the power gaming is simply partaking in the perpetuation of the cycles of abuse. "If you can't beat them, join them" is a perfect example. That statement accepts every single act of abuse that happens, it justifies it all by allowing one to think and feel "I can't do anything about it", because doing something about it would require that one give up everything that makes life nice and comfy (to a certain extent). Doing something to change the world and stop the abuse would mean recognising the abuse and exploitation that goes into every part of our lives - our clothes, computers, TVs, cars, oil, soap - most people prefer to ignore the genocides and atrocities committed every day so that they can be "happy" find someone who accepts them for the "happy", team player they are, bangs them and raises children with them who will turn out to be exact replicas.
This sounds harsh, but the things we allow to happen in every minute of every day - the things we justify by saying we are powerless - are far more harsh.
So feel free to add your input and such.
Comments
Post a Comment