Most rational people these days accept natural selection as a sound scientific theory. But one thing I have always wondered about is what happens when humans intervene with natural selection? Humans can often control which species survive and even decide how they will look, grow, and act. But is this a wise thing to do? We may think there is no harm in creating chickens with larger breasts, or plants that grow faster and with less water, or pigs that are almost identical in color, shape, and size. (All of these examples, by the way, are things that really exist.) However, we can not always know the consequences for hundreds or even thousands of years, and the consequences we do know about are not always favorable. The pigs have to be isolated from any kind of germs because their immunity is so weak that even the slightest contaminant will kill them. The trees that grow super fast produce poor quality wood that is almost useless. Genetically altered animals everywhere are popping up with unusual afflictions and problems.
Plants and animals are one thing. But what about our affect on the natural selection of humans? Certainly human life is precious and no one wants to think about someone they love being the weak link in the chain. But if you think about it, there really is little room left for natural selection in humans. Babies that would have died at birth in the past now live very long lives. Diseases that would have killed millions are now being eradicated. While these are wonderful advances, I can't help but wonder what their effect will be down the road. Will people lose their immunity from being so protected from disease? Will we become less intelligent by making everything so simple for our children? Will we develop new disorders from preventing others?
Obviously there are no easy answers to these questions. We cannot simply let babies die or do nothing about disease. We can't be expected to go about things the hard way just because there might be some far-off consequences to the simple way. We can, however, think, consider, visualize, judge, postulate, and project before we make decisions that my affect the future of mankind.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Real Life
Mike has been furloughed from his job for a little while now, and I have been soaking it in while I can because I like when he is around more, and it is only a short time before he will be back to work. We spend most of our time together watching t.v., going places, or just hanging out together. Also, this year we have been working to improve our yard just a bit. We hired some guys to pull out the bushes and small trees along the side of the driveway, and just that small step makes things look about 100 times better. We have also been buying a few plants to put in the front yard, and have been "trying" to keep the weeds under control. I say trying because short of having a small army of gardeners at my disposal, there is no real way of controlling all the weeds. All in all, I am feeling a little better about the yard than I have in the past, and I am enjoying having a project to work on with my Love.
Doesn't it seem like you can often get a feel for something or someplace by watching a show about it or reading about it? At least that's how I tend to feel when I am in the midst of a good book or enthralled by a documentary. But more often than not, when I actually experience something in real life, I get a completely different feeling than if I were learning about from my own home. It's kind of like the difference between reading a letter from someone and talking to them in person. Both can be very interesting and fulfilling actions, but one can scarcely begin to compare to the other. They both give you very different feelings.
A lot of people (including me), tend to prefer experiencing things from their homes. After all, home is where we feel safe and comfortable and free to be ourselves and make mistakes. But there's a catch to learning about the world this way. We are not really experiencing anything. We are only seeing a shadow of the full picture; a dull impression of the richness of color and feeling that comes from experiencing first-hand. When we choose to watch instead of do, we lose a part of our vitality. We accept a life that is only a fraction of what it could be, and we start to accept only written facts over our own feelings and intuitions.
I'm not one to say that reading and learning from books and computers is not important. The fact that we can understand language and complex ideas is part of what makes us human. But another (maybe even more important) part of being human is getting out and experiencing things for yourself and feeling the full range of emotions that come from that. Because without doing more than skimming the surface of our humanity, we are little better than our books and computers.
Doesn't it seem like you can often get a feel for something or someplace by watching a show about it or reading about it? At least that's how I tend to feel when I am in the midst of a good book or enthralled by a documentary. But more often than not, when I actually experience something in real life, I get a completely different feeling than if I were learning about from my own home. It's kind of like the difference between reading a letter from someone and talking to them in person. Both can be very interesting and fulfilling actions, but one can scarcely begin to compare to the other. They both give you very different feelings.
A lot of people (including me), tend to prefer experiencing things from their homes. After all, home is where we feel safe and comfortable and free to be ourselves and make mistakes. But there's a catch to learning about the world this way. We are not really experiencing anything. We are only seeing a shadow of the full picture; a dull impression of the richness of color and feeling that comes from experiencing first-hand. When we choose to watch instead of do, we lose a part of our vitality. We accept a life that is only a fraction of what it could be, and we start to accept only written facts over our own feelings and intuitions.
I'm not one to say that reading and learning from books and computers is not important. The fact that we can understand language and complex ideas is part of what makes us human. But another (maybe even more important) part of being human is getting out and experiencing things for yourself and feeling the full range of emotions that come from that. Because without doing more than skimming the surface of our humanity, we are little better than our books and computers.
Friday, April 11, 2014
How's That Working For You?
I have been known to watch Dr. Phil from time to time, and while I think he gives a lot of sound advice, there are some things he says that I don't always agree with. One thing he likes to do often is to ask people what they have been doing and then ask, "How's that working for you?" Then the person usually responds with, "It's not working." and Dr. Phil can declare that if you always do the same thing, you will always get the same results. There is even a saying that states something to effect of, "The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results."
This is where I disagree somewhat. Yes, you can generally expect certain reactions when dealing with other people. If you are mean to someone you can usually expect them to be mean back, or to be sad and upset. If you smile at someone, you might expect to lift their mood or get a smile back. But wait a minute. Most of us can think of a time when we smiled at someone and they were still ornery or were mean to someone and that person was unaffected. This is because human emotions are not governed by hard and fast rules like say, the laws of physics. Different people do not always react the same in the same situation, and the same person may react differently in the same situation.
Let's say you are at a party and you see a girl making out with multiple people, and you call that girl a slut. You would generally expect the girl to be upset by this and maybe cry or call you a name back. But isn't it also possible that that particular girl loves being called a slut and is proud of her sexual conquests? Isn't it also possible that the girl would have usually been upset, but she had recently decided to not let other people's perceptions of her bother her? You see, people's emotions are fickle and subject to constant change, so there can be no set "rule" for dealing with any given situation.
There can be guidelines of course. You probably don't want to go around calling every girl you see a slut, just to see what her reaction might be. Also, it is usually not good advice to be extremely nice to everyone, lest you get the reputation of a doormat, or become unhappy from pleasing everyone and neglecting yourself. But there is never going to be an exact "formula" that you can follow to get exactly what you want. It is very possible to keep doing the same thing and to get different results because when it comes to human interactions, there are too many variables to isolate.
I do agree with Dr. Phil on one point - If you are unhappy with your life, it is probably a good idea to try changing something to try to make it better. But change does not guarantee a positive outcome, just as staying the same does not guarantee the same results.
This is where I disagree somewhat. Yes, you can generally expect certain reactions when dealing with other people. If you are mean to someone you can usually expect them to be mean back, or to be sad and upset. If you smile at someone, you might expect to lift their mood or get a smile back. But wait a minute. Most of us can think of a time when we smiled at someone and they were still ornery or were mean to someone and that person was unaffected. This is because human emotions are not governed by hard and fast rules like say, the laws of physics. Different people do not always react the same in the same situation, and the same person may react differently in the same situation.
Let's say you are at a party and you see a girl making out with multiple people, and you call that girl a slut. You would generally expect the girl to be upset by this and maybe cry or call you a name back. But isn't it also possible that that particular girl loves being called a slut and is proud of her sexual conquests? Isn't it also possible that the girl would have usually been upset, but she had recently decided to not let other people's perceptions of her bother her? You see, people's emotions are fickle and subject to constant change, so there can be no set "rule" for dealing with any given situation.
There can be guidelines of course. You probably don't want to go around calling every girl you see a slut, just to see what her reaction might be. Also, it is usually not good advice to be extremely nice to everyone, lest you get the reputation of a doormat, or become unhappy from pleasing everyone and neglecting yourself. But there is never going to be an exact "formula" that you can follow to get exactly what you want. It is very possible to keep doing the same thing and to get different results because when it comes to human interactions, there are too many variables to isolate.
I do agree with Dr. Phil on one point - If you are unhappy with your life, it is probably a good idea to try changing something to try to make it better. But change does not guarantee a positive outcome, just as staying the same does not guarantee the same results.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Being Myself
Look at me flexing my writing muscles and writing more than once in a month! At least I am trying, hey?
When I was younger, I felt like it was was very hard to be myself. Not that I truly knew who I was because most young people are still discovering who they are and trying a lot of different things to get there. But I felt a lot of restrictions growing up - restrictions from my family, restrictions from religion, restrictions from myself. I was afraid to try something different because I was afraid to venture out into unknown territory, beyond what I knew I was comfortable with. Then, in my early twenties, certain events in my life almost forced me to leave that comfort zone. It was scary at first, as any change is. However, with time, I enjoyed my new freedom more and more as I started to make wonderful discoveries about myself and about life.
I feel very lucky that that I went through this transition, even though it was a struggle at times. I am grateful because I think many people never get to experience that freedom. They go their whole lives feeling stifled by social pressures that tell them they must be a certain way, and sometimes they don't even realize it. Sometimes the pain of breaking free is more than a person can take, and it is definitely harder for someone who grows up with more of that pressure on them. The security of conformity disguises itself as happiness. I don't blame these people. I only feel sorry for them and wish for them to find a way to find their true selves and true happiness.
All of this is not to say that I am a perfect person who has found the perfect road to happiness. I still conform in a lot of ways and feel pressure to "fit in". I don't always know what it right or what I should be. But I also feel a lot of joy and freedom that I never knew in my younger years. I feel freer to try new things, to think a different way, to speak my mind, and to do what I want to do. I would not trade any of that for the world.
When I was younger, I felt like it was was very hard to be myself. Not that I truly knew who I was because most young people are still discovering who they are and trying a lot of different things to get there. But I felt a lot of restrictions growing up - restrictions from my family, restrictions from religion, restrictions from myself. I was afraid to try something different because I was afraid to venture out into unknown territory, beyond what I knew I was comfortable with. Then, in my early twenties, certain events in my life almost forced me to leave that comfort zone. It was scary at first, as any change is. However, with time, I enjoyed my new freedom more and more as I started to make wonderful discoveries about myself and about life.
I feel very lucky that that I went through this transition, even though it was a struggle at times. I am grateful because I think many people never get to experience that freedom. They go their whole lives feeling stifled by social pressures that tell them they must be a certain way, and sometimes they don't even realize it. Sometimes the pain of breaking free is more than a person can take, and it is definitely harder for someone who grows up with more of that pressure on them. The security of conformity disguises itself as happiness. I don't blame these people. I only feel sorry for them and wish for them to find a way to find their true selves and true happiness.
All of this is not to say that I am a perfect person who has found the perfect road to happiness. I still conform in a lot of ways and feel pressure to "fit in". I don't always know what it right or what I should be. But I also feel a lot of joy and freedom that I never knew in my younger years. I feel freer to try new things, to think a different way, to speak my mind, and to do what I want to do. I would not trade any of that for the world.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Second Chances
So I guess having more time to blog didn't turn into more blogging. I have a hard time coming up with acceptable topics to write about. When I have time to write and a topic doesn't come to mind easily, I tend to move on to other things. Hopefully I can find a way to brainstorm better topics, or this blog will get really sparse really fast.
Over my lifetime, I have become well aware that I don't always give off a great impression. Frequently, when I wish to speak my mind, the words come out much differently than I imagined in my mind, and I come off sounding stupid or uneducated. For this reason, I have learned to keep my mouth shut in the vast majority of social situations. As the saying goes, "Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt."
I am also human, and therefore prone to error. I have made plenty of mistakes in my life, including everything from saying something rude or hurtful, to making poor decisions, to being ignorant. Once again, I have learned to keep most of my actions private, since the judgement of others can often be more harsh than I can handle.
All of this is to say that when you are judging others, perhaps it is a good policy to look past fist impressions and mistakes. People are never perfect, so you may miss out on a great friend by judging too harshly. I have known plenty of people who are awkward or who have done and said things I don't agree with. I try not to think less of these people, but rather to inspect their motives and reasoning. Very seldom do I conclude that their actions come from a mean or evil place. They are just imperfect people, just like me, trying to make their way through life as best they can.
Even when I don't like a person right away, I usually give them many chances to show their true character. Sometimes, the process of understanding and getting-to-know someone can even last a lifetime. It could be said then, that the only real mistake and ignorance is to close yourself off to someone once you believe them to be a bad person. Keep yourself open, and there is no limits to the ways you can learn and grow from others.
Over my lifetime, I have become well aware that I don't always give off a great impression. Frequently, when I wish to speak my mind, the words come out much differently than I imagined in my mind, and I come off sounding stupid or uneducated. For this reason, I have learned to keep my mouth shut in the vast majority of social situations. As the saying goes, "Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt."
I am also human, and therefore prone to error. I have made plenty of mistakes in my life, including everything from saying something rude or hurtful, to making poor decisions, to being ignorant. Once again, I have learned to keep most of my actions private, since the judgement of others can often be more harsh than I can handle.
All of this is to say that when you are judging others, perhaps it is a good policy to look past fist impressions and mistakes. People are never perfect, so you may miss out on a great friend by judging too harshly. I have known plenty of people who are awkward or who have done and said things I don't agree with. I try not to think less of these people, but rather to inspect their motives and reasoning. Very seldom do I conclude that their actions come from a mean or evil place. They are just imperfect people, just like me, trying to make their way through life as best they can.
Even when I don't like a person right away, I usually give them many chances to show their true character. Sometimes, the process of understanding and getting-to-know someone can even last a lifetime. It could be said then, that the only real mistake and ignorance is to close yourself off to someone once you believe them to be a bad person. Keep yourself open, and there is no limits to the ways you can learn and grow from others.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Use Your Time Wisely
I'm back! Well, technically I was never gone, but it has sure been a long time since I blogged. Now the season has ended at my tax job, so hopefully I will have more time to write. I read a quote online the other day that said, "Do more than exist." I would love to do that, although I am not quite sure what other thing I am supposed to be doing other than existing. So while I am trying to figure that out, I will blog. (Hey, maybe I will luck out and blogging will be the thing I am supposed to be doing!)
Now that I have more time on my hands, I get to thinking about what is really the best use of that time. Back in the day, if you had down-time, you were either extremely rich or about ready to die. Because throughout most of human existence, it took most of your energy and effort just to stay alive. You had to either gather food or grow crops, tend to children and animals, build shelters and houses, prepare food, make clothes, wash clothes and dishes, and hundreds of other activities. There was no time for relaxing or being creative, or thinking about much of anything other than how to survive.
Today, I think many people take the luxury of free time for granted. We have a great many machines and businesses that do almost everything for us, yet what do we do with all this time on our hands to better the world? Do we invent amazing things? Do we create art? Do we learn and grow? Do we teach? Do we give of our time to the needy? Some people do, yes. But the overwhelming majority are doing things like updating Facebook, getting drunk, making YouTube videos, pulling pranks, watching T.V. and movies, or overall causing trouble. It's like they are just finding ways to waste time and fill the void until they die.
It's sad to me that so many people are counter-productive with extra time. It doesn't give me much faith in human-kind. Yet I can't say much since it's not like I do amazing things with my free time. But at least I am thinking about it and realizing that things need to get better. I think most people are just oblivious. So, maybe the point is that awareness about good use of time needs to spread, and that is something we all can do. We can all make life more meaningful and happy by doing good things with our time, rather than idly watching the clock run down.
Now that I have more time on my hands, I get to thinking about what is really the best use of that time. Back in the day, if you had down-time, you were either extremely rich or about ready to die. Because throughout most of human existence, it took most of your energy and effort just to stay alive. You had to either gather food or grow crops, tend to children and animals, build shelters and houses, prepare food, make clothes, wash clothes and dishes, and hundreds of other activities. There was no time for relaxing or being creative, or thinking about much of anything other than how to survive.
Today, I think many people take the luxury of free time for granted. We have a great many machines and businesses that do almost everything for us, yet what do we do with all this time on our hands to better the world? Do we invent amazing things? Do we create art? Do we learn and grow? Do we teach? Do we give of our time to the needy? Some people do, yes. But the overwhelming majority are doing things like updating Facebook, getting drunk, making YouTube videos, pulling pranks, watching T.V. and movies, or overall causing trouble. It's like they are just finding ways to waste time and fill the void until they die.
It's sad to me that so many people are counter-productive with extra time. It doesn't give me much faith in human-kind. Yet I can't say much since it's not like I do amazing things with my free time. But at least I am thinking about it and realizing that things need to get better. I think most people are just oblivious. So, maybe the point is that awareness about good use of time needs to spread, and that is something we all can do. We can all make life more meaningful and happy by doing good things with our time, rather than idly watching the clock run down.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Intuition
Merry Christmas everyone! Since I don't have any kids, I figure what better way to spend Christmas than relaxing with my husband and blogging. We have already made the rounds to my dad's house and my grandma's house. Now we at home and slowly drifting into sugar comas before it is back to my dad's house for Christmas dinner.
Lately I have noticed that when I hear advice about how to live a better life and be happier, it usually includes something about how you should follow your intuition. The thing is, for me, I seem to lack that gut feeling. I don't know if I was born with it and I lost it somewhere along the way, or if I never had it at all. But if I ever stop to try and figure out what my gut feeling is, I just get more and more confused.
It probably comes from my tendency to over-think just about everything. I will think one thing is right, but then an argument will come into my head for the opposing view. Then, before you know it, I have no clue what's right or wrong, let alone what I should do. I'm not sure it there's a way to develop intuition. It would be great to feel like I have a compass that I can always depend on. Some sort of guide. But what can I do, other than try my best to make the right decisions? I never intentionally try to do the wrong thing, so maybe that is as much intuition as I need.
Lately I have noticed that when I hear advice about how to live a better life and be happier, it usually includes something about how you should follow your intuition. The thing is, for me, I seem to lack that gut feeling. I don't know if I was born with it and I lost it somewhere along the way, or if I never had it at all. But if I ever stop to try and figure out what my gut feeling is, I just get more and more confused.
It probably comes from my tendency to over-think just about everything. I will think one thing is right, but then an argument will come into my head for the opposing view. Then, before you know it, I have no clue what's right or wrong, let alone what I should do. I'm not sure it there's a way to develop intuition. It would be great to feel like I have a compass that I can always depend on. Some sort of guide. But what can I do, other than try my best to make the right decisions? I never intentionally try to do the wrong thing, so maybe that is as much intuition as I need.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)