good point. Yet isn't all use of language a label at some level? I mean... I am looking at a screen. It is blue and white. I hope it doesn't feel pigeonholed...
I have dealt with enough stereotypes and been called honey enough times that I see the point, really. But descriptors are useful, I think, if one does not allow oneself to start believing that the particular descriptor is the only one that is useful. For example, here is a news story that challenges the current paradigm in medecine that race has no genetic basis. Apparently some of the PC crowd is offended. http://www.forbes.com/technology/sciences/2004/11/09/cx_mh_1109ntmd.html But yet, if the result is fewer people dying isn't this a step forward? It seems to be that the danger lies in saying that well, if being black is genetic, then all blacks therefore really must have rhythm. Etc. Since I am not black, let me put it in other terms. I have a kid that is adhd-diagnosed, a condition that is genetic and probably congenital. He also has a near-genius IQ, likes to skateboard, reads all my geek magazines as soon as I get them, is a talented potter and torments the hell out of his sister. All of us are multifaceted. I think that the people who say things like "it's a child not a diagnosis" are correct, but kids whose parents don't want to label them, in my opinion, sometimes do not address their issues and then other more harmful labels are attached like "bad" and "spoiled rotten" and "lazy." But that is another rant. You see my point, I hope. But this train of thought leads to the old conundrum: can a person conceive of something for which their language does not have a word? I have noticed that French does not have a word that means "pattern" exactly, and wondered if this has something to do with the old joke that the French Army always fighting the previous war. Doesn't this little zoan* just warn against seeing what we think we are going to see? Dana * is this the right word? On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 13:29:42 -0600, Kevin Graeme <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Contrast that with Zen Buddhism that is less about controlling > > > and labelling and more about accepting things as they come. > > > > Whoa - that's good. If you'd like to expand on that, I'd like to hear > > it. It's a perspective I hadn't considered before. > > *shrug* I'm just some guy. I gave up trying to learn about buddhism a > while back. But here's one of the simple stories that people like so > much: > > -- > Nan-In, a Japanese master during the Meijii era (1868-1912) received a > university professor who came to inquire about Zen. > > Nan-In seved tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring. > > The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself. > "It is overfull. No more will go in!" > > "Like this cup," Nan-In said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculat > ions. > How can I show you Zen unless first you empty your cup. > -- > > -Kevin > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Gold Sponsor - CFHosting.net http://www.cfhosting.net Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:134985 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
