Do you think it is right and limited. That is The neighborhood belongs to the culture that it occupies? It is somewhat new to me of this outlook. I geuss a person without a land and a culture is left out. No country,no place. And could this cause fear?
On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 8:23 AM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > That is exactly what the Cultural Evolution thread is basically all > about; people finding groups of like thinkers without regard for good > or bad, positive or negative. It's the old adage Birds of a feather > flock together. > It is also the basis of much of gruff's xenophobia in that the more > groups increasing in number that are incongruous with others the more > potential there is for fear which can lead to violence. The > neighborhood belongs to the culture that occupies it. > > On Aug 9, 10:05 am, Jean Briscoe <[email protected]> wrote: > > I enjoyed what you said and it is well put. Sometimes a verification let > > some know that others think somewhat the same way. > > > > On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > ..............how do we confront a level of fear that > > > allows us to get past it and function more fully without stripping > > > away that portion which keeps us from being vanquished by the world? > > > > > As individual units we can adjust our sense of fear accordingly and > > > within the parameters of our environmental circumstance but as a > > > global society I don't see anything changing for the better or for the > > > worse. Global fears would have to be replaced with global trusts in > > > order to circumvent what seems to have been the mode de jeur for > > > centuries. Private gated communities have established a secluded > > > sense of trust within the confines of the community but the presence > > > of the gates themselves indicate the distrust of all that lies beyond > > > the perimeter. Fear has grown over the past several years with the > > > ever growing terrorist threat. Neighbors are increasingly looking at > > > others around them as potential threats as homeland security pushes to > > > expose homegrown terror. The economic landslide, post the subprime > > > mortgage scenario, is a wake up call for many who never thought they > > > had anything to fear; losing home, job and a good life is a reality. > > > Meanwhile millions of illegal immigrants continue to leach off the > > > public coffers further depleting the resources that once sustained the > > > country. George Bernard Shaw “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ > > > But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?". This in > > > all reality can change things but I'm not sure that people are still > > > capable of dreaming and bringing those dreams to fruition. We have > > > become sullen and morose and complacently waiting for things to change > > > on their own or trusting others to make the changes. Soap box > > > politicians are still leading us down the path of delusion without any > > > real change and we are stuck in a quagmire of stagnation politics. > > > The whole of it needs revamping as is the case with any revolution. > > > Governments wield the power to make real change but have only indulged > > > those in the world of high finance and capitalist gain; I think > > > capitalism breeds fear. From Pat in another thread: ".........there's > > > a moral wealth > > > that is completely ignored by the ruthlessness of applied capitalism. > > > Capitalism divides society into 2 parts: the rich and the poor. > > > Socialism, to some extent, tries to redress the balance and bring that > > > excess 'wealth' back into a useful form for society's poor. If > > > America doesn't try to protect the well-being of its own poor, then > > > they will be forced to defend themselves against an enemy government, > > > and, the Declaration of Independence, whilst NOT the Constitution, > > > still lays down a framework granting justification for such a self- > > > defence if presented with "...a long chain of abuses and usurpations > > > pursuing, invariably, the same object, evinces a design to reduce them > > > under absolute despotism...". > > > As a proponent of capitalism I don't think you would agree with the > > > premise or the outcome but for sure it is or should be considered as > > > one element underlying the climate of global fear. > > > > > On Aug 8, 2:01 pm, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Sure, times are tough for the average person but that’s no reason to > > > > get nasty about it. I know it’s legend that people used to be much > > > > nicer to each other but I’ve no idea if that legend has any validity > > > > or basis in reality. > > > > > > I can believe that rural folks were much nicer to each other and more > > > > concerned with each others welfare. But the country was much bigger > > > > and our population much smaller back then. That lack of crowding led > > > > to conditions that made people behave better toward each other (with > > > > some exceptions as we shall see.) > > > > > > Back in that day, people in a rural community also had the same > > > > background, heritage, religion and values, which lent to a common > > > > concern for each other. Today most communities, even some of the > more > > > > rural ones, are a homogeneous mix of race, culture, religion and > > > > values, all of which tend to make people a bit more wary of each > > > > other. Or at best it makes them distant from oneself. Makes one > more > > > > stand-offish. > > > > > > If there is one significant characteristic all species seem to share > > > > it is a general xenophobia – a fear of anything unknown or new, a > fear > > > > of strangers. Many blame it on being driven from heaven but > > > > regardless it’s source, as we have with so many of nature’s built-in > > > > protections, our species has taken xenophobia to heretofore undreamed > > > > levels. We even create things to fear – vampires, ghouls and such. > > > > And there are far too many of us even to afraid to look themselves in > > > > the eye in a mirror. It took me till I was in my late thirties and > > > > had some therapy under my belt to accomplish that little feat. > > > > > > I can believe some of the legend of nice people because I can recall > > > > times when I would be overcome with an urge to perform some > > > > spontaneous act of kindness and the response was generally thanks and > > > > gratitude or at the very least a smile and a nod. Today when I try a > > > > gratuitous kindness I am too often looked at with suspicion – as > > > > though I had some hidden agenda. I don’t do it very often anymore. > > > > I’m no hero. > > > > > > Our politics these days seems to run more on hate than I can remember > > > > in seventy years of the stuff even though I only paid attention for > > > > the last two decades. Sure, politics is the arena most likely to > > > > evoke emotional reactions but anymore it seems like those emotions > > > > boil over into a darker place in us. One that removes all trace of > > > > concern for each other and replaces it with aggression, fear, lies > and > > > > hatred. > > > > > > Yet these facets of human behavior are not too hard to understand. > > > > After all we’ve come from a very frightening past and certainly still > > > > carry a lot of those fears with us. But there is a new dimension to > > > > our xenophobia, a new level we’ve taken it to that is beyond anything > > > > rationally acceptable as a survival instinct. In spite of commonly > > > > available knowledge we fear differences in each other that we know > (or > > > > should know) are false. > > > > > > But to borrow a Gumpism, fear is as fear does and most frequently it > > > > is fear itself which drives itself to higher levels of intensity. > > > > Remember Roosevelt’s admonishment? “We have nothing to fear but fear > > > > itself.” I don’t think many realized the eternalness of that truth. > > > > > > Lies are virtually always rooted in fear which accounts for the > > > > overwhelming number of them being floated about these days. Fear of > > > > not appearing a certain way, fear of not being what we think we > should > > > > be, fear of accepting responsibility, fear of the consequences of > both > > > > acting and inaction. Fear drives most of Madison Avenue’s best > > > > creations: Fear that you smell, that you don’t look good, that your > > > > teeth are not white enough, that your skin’s not smooth and blemish > > > > free, that your medical condition needs a cover up, that you need the > > > > newer drug, that your children are too fat, too thin, too disturbed, > > > > too talkative, too … anything. Superficial fears all. > > > > > > A new aspect to commercials I’ve noticed is the disdain they show for > > > > civil behavior: the shopper who leaves her no longer wanted pain > > > > killers in the basket in the aisle, the man who treats children > > > > cruelly and dishonestly, the executive with not enough sense to know > > > > that if he fell on the lizard it would crush their main advertising > > > > gimmick. The list goes on. Any fool can pick out the commercials > > > > that are destructive to society and civilization: virtually all of > > > > them. There are few commercials that are constructive and honest and > > > > fewer yet that are even creative and entertaining. > > > > > > Right now the two biggest fears clutching our hearts are jobs and the > > > > economy. Following closely on their heels come two wars, the > deficit, > > > > health care and the future of our nation. Some may change that order > > > > but I think it’s fair to say that those are among the Top Ten. > > > > > > To my thinking the most dangerous aspect of this out-of-control fear > > > > that is driving a lot of our behavior is that it blocks clear > thinking > > > > which is the key to finding solutions. This is easily seen in some > of > > > > the bizarre options people, pundits and politicians are spewing. > > > > > > We expect our judges to put aside their personal feelings and rule on > > > > issues and events based on the evidence and the law. Would that we > > > > could even come close to that ideal in our individual and public > lives > > > > we might be much further along than we are. But on the other hand > can > > > > we afford to do less? > > > > > > President Obama would probably gain a few points in the polls were he > > > > to come out and demand responsibility of the citizens to and for each > > > > other, our society and the government. Push responsibility. Demand > > > > it. Accept no less. A side benefit might be that more people would > > > > come to meet their responsibilities as rational and honest citizens > of > > > > a civilized society. Wouldn’t that be nice. And I bet people would > > > > start to be nicer to each other again – if we ever did, that is. > > > > > > While a nice dream it does not get us any closer to the core problem > > > > of xenophobia. Classic psychology and the wisdom of ages teaches > that > > > > it’s best to confront a fear head on. It’s a method that I recommend > > > > but it does not work easily. The easiest fears to see are the > > > > superficial ones we used to mask our deeper more real fears. > > > > Superficial fears include those which commercials are designed to > > > > salve. > > > > > > In > > > > ... > > > > read more »
