A Dose of Sanity: Part Thirteen: A large portion of crimes… of all types are commited due to the clash of our primal urges with the norms of the current society. Since our emotional machinery is still best suited to the living conditions of (appromimately)15000 years ago (evolution is a painfully slow process), we are not well equipped to deal with the experiences of highly complex society such as what we currently have the world over. The more technologically and socially advanced we become the more psychological cost we will have to pay (because the clash would grow bigger), and the more incentive there will be to snap and “cheat” (break the required social decorum), and that will eventually cause the society to collapse. Maybe we should go slow. Become more aware of the gap in our duel evolutions (that is the personal and the material).. At the very least we seem to need to become more aware of the ever widening gap that is occuring between the two and really begin to address the problems this gap is creating. Evolution and progress is a wonderful thing, but only when it is a whole.
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A Dose of Sanity:

Part Thirteen:

A large portion of crimes… of all types are commited due to the clash of our primal urges with the norms of the current society.

Since our emotional machinery is still best suited to the living conditions of (appromimately)15000 years ago (evolution is a painfully slow process), we are not well equipped to deal with the experiences of highly complex society such as what we currently have the world over.

The more technologically and socially advanced we become the more psychological cost we will have to pay (because the clash would grow bigger), and the more incentive there will be to snap and “cheat” (break the required social decorum), and that will eventually cause the society to collapse.

Maybe we should go slow. Become more aware of the gap in our duel evolutions (that is the personal and the material).. At the very least we seem to need to become more aware of the ever widening gap that is occuring between the two and really begin to address the problems this gap is creating.

Evolution and progress is a wonderful thing, but only when it is a whole.

Good Intention Photos that make me think… well wait a momentPart Thirteen Progress and Change are (like death) two things that all humans must accept in life. Things will change; the human species will continue (for better or worse) to evolve so often the question one must ask oneself is… “Am I going to let go of my fear and apprehension of the unknown of the situation or am I going to let my own self doubt hold me (and my species) back”? But even more so than that these days it is the understanding that this progress is becoming more and more concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people and harder and harder for larger portions of our species to obtain. Sure, we all benefit from the progress in some way or another, but with the ever increasing wealth gap between the rich and poor of our world (in all nations, in all area of the world), it only seems a matter of time before we begin to see a stark difference created in two types of our species…the ones with the means to continue the evolution and the ones that don’t. Waiting to see what happens… for more and more is becoming the only option they have in a world that is marginalizing greater and greater numbers as our “progress” is linked more and more to a monetary sum. Progress for our species needs to be one across the board, in all areas of the world, in all walks of life. In the globalized world we are creating, this is ultimately beneficial to all of us for this to occur. It is ethically sound and no matter how one looks at it, even if it is from a place of power and money, history has taught us that eventually the have-nots will rise up and demand their own. If this were to occur, the effects would be felt not only in one area of the world, but more and more across the planet as our species weaves an ever increasing interactive web of existence. As technology accelerates our progress the challenge to proliferate these changes throughout the whole of humanity will increase as well, but it is a challenge we must understand we need to face and find a solution to, simply because it is the logical and practical thing to do for the increased betterment of our species.
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Good Intention Photos that make me think… well wait a moment
Part Thirteen

Progress and Change are (like death) two things that all humans must accept in life. Things will change; the human species will continue (for better or worse) to evolve so often the question one must ask oneself is… “Am I going to let go of my fear and apprehension of the unknown of the situation or am I going to let my own self doubt hold me (and my species) back”?

But even more so than that these days it is the understanding that this progress is becoming more and more concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people and harder and harder for larger portions of our species to obtain. Sure, we all benefit from the progress in some way or another, but with the ever increasing wealth gap between the rich and poor of our world (in all nations, in all area of the world), it only seems a matter of time before we begin to see a stark difference created in two types of our species…the ones with the means to continue the evolution and the ones that don’t.

Waiting to see what happens… for more and more is becoming the only option they have in a world that is marginalizing greater and greater numbers as our “progress” is linked more and more to a monetary sum.

Progress for our species needs to be one across the board, in all areas of the world, in all walks of life. In the globalized world we are creating, this is ultimately beneficial to all of us for this to occur. It is ethically sound and no matter how one looks at it, even if it is from a place of power and money, history has taught us that eventually the have-nots will rise up and demand their own. If this were to occur, the effects would be felt not only in one area of the world, but more and more across the planet as our species weaves an ever increasing interactive web of existence.

As technology accelerates our progress the challenge to proliferate these changes throughout the whole of humanity will increase as well, but it is a challenge we must understand we need to face and find a solution to, simply because it is the logical and practical thing to do for the increased betterment of our species.

And Now For a Few Words ….. (part one) Plato: -Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. -You cannot conceive the many without the one. -Everything that deceives may be said to enchant. -You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. -Death is not the worst that can happen to men. -Only the dead have seen the end of war. -Man…is a tame or civilized animal; never the less, he requires proper instruction and a fortunate nature, and then of all animals he becomes the most divine and most civilized; but if he be insufficiently or ill- educated he is the most savage of earthly creatures. -Never discourage anyone…who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. -The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. -The partisan, when he is engaged in a dispute, cares nothing about the rights of the question, but is anxious only to convince his hearers of his own assertions. -We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. -No human thing is of serious importance.
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And Now For a Few Words ….. (part one)

Plato:

-Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

-You cannot conceive the many without the one.

-Everything that deceives may be said to enchant.

-You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters.

-Death is not the worst that can happen to men.

-Only the dead have seen the end of war.

-Man…is a tame or civilized animal; never the less, he requires proper instruction and a fortunate nature, and then of all animals he becomes the most divine and most civilized; but if he be insufficiently or ill- educated he is the most savage of earthly creatures.

-Never discourage anyone…who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.

-The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.

-The partisan, when he is engaged in a dispute, cares nothing about the rights of the question, but is anxious only to convince his hearers of his own assertions.

-We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

-No human thing is of serious importance.

Monkeys and Bananas:  The Mob Mentality: It happens more often than we would like (or care) to speak about.  Gangs on the attack.  Setting fires, looting, pulling people from their cars, randomly attacking persons trying to escape the foray.  Groups at school waiting to pick on that one student, in the hall, at lunch, after school. As we sit and watch the horror from the safety of our living rooms (happy to not be a part of the goings-on), silently judging, listening to the “experts” or the news commentator (whom these days seem to think they are experts in all actions of humans)..  We attend the school assembly, sitting through another round of talks about how hard it is to be a teenager, and how we should all get along, learn respect, understanding, appreciate the differences in us all. But do we ever stop to really wonder what is the reasoning behind such actions?  Some may be based in suppression, marginalization, poverty, fear, but what of the others?  The spreading of the initial incident that may bloom into things that have no connection at all?  The attacking of those whom may even be a part of the main reason one is exhibiting such behaviour in the first place?  The “after the hockey/football (etc) game” rampages?  The seemingly unexplainable incidents in schools where ”jump-ins”  spread like wildfire, with seemingly no point at all? If you have ever wondered about the psyche of the “mob mentality”?  Consider this case study from “Progress in Primatology” : Start with a cage containing five (of our closest animal relatives) monkeys. Your belief system does not see them as related to us?  Okay, then probably you will stop reading right here, as this may not have any bases of logic to you. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the OTHER monkeys with cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt to get the banana… repeat the same action: Spray THAT monkey AND all the other monkeys with cold water. Pretty soon, if you repeat the action, whenever another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it. (they begin to understand…. climbing the stairs equals scary cold water) Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted. Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey. After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? …..Because as far as they know that’s the way it’s always been done round here, and that is just the way that it is. Now maybe you think we are better, different, not at all like the “savages” of the jungles… Or maybe, just maybe there is a truth in these (slightly less than perfectly executed) “scientific” findings … and you are just too scared to want to see it.
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Monkeys and Bananas:  The Mob Mentality:

It happens more often than we would like (or care) to speak about.  Gangs on the attack.  Setting fires, looting, pulling people from their cars, randomly attacking persons trying to escape the foray.  Groups at school waiting to pick on that one student, in the hall, at lunch, after school.

As we sit and watch the horror from the safety of our living rooms (happy to not be a part of the goings-on), silently judging, listening to the “experts” or the news commentator (whom these days seem to think they are experts in all actions of humans)..  We attend the school assembly, sitting through another round of talks about how hard it is to be a teenager, and how we should all get along, learn respect, understanding, appreciate the differences in us all.

But do we ever stop to really wonder what is the reasoning behind such actions? 

Some may be based in suppression, marginalization, poverty, fear, but what of the others?  The spreading of the initial incident that may bloom into things that have no connection at all?  The attacking of those whom may even be a part of the main reason one is exhibiting such behaviour in the first place?  The “after the hockey/football (etc) game” rampages?  The seemingly unexplainable incidents in schools where ”jump-ins”  spread like wildfire, with seemingly no point at all?

If you have ever wondered about the psyche of the “mob mentality”?  Consider this case study from “Progress in Primatology” :

Start with a cage containing five (of our closest animal relatives) monkeys. Your belief system does not see them as related to us?  Okay, then probably you will stop reading right here, as this may not have any bases of logic to you.

Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the OTHER monkeys with cold water.

After a while, another monkey makes an attempt to get the banana… repeat the same action: Spray THAT monkey AND all the other monkeys with cold water.

Pretty soon, if you repeat the action, whenever another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it. (they begin to understand…. climbing the stairs equals scary cold water)

Now, put away the cold water.

Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs.

To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him.

After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked.

Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana.

Why not?

…..Because as far as they know that’s the way it’s always been done round here, and that is just the way that it is.

Now maybe you think we are better, different, not at all like the “savages” of the jungles…

Or maybe, just maybe there is a truth in these (slightly less than perfectly executed) “scientific” findings

… and you are just too scared to want to see it.