The importance of knowing who you are.

An interesting way to figure out how important it is to know yourself is to look at it in its extremes.

• First extreme: Everyone in the world hasn’t a clue as to who they are.
• A wimpy person may take up boxing and get beaten to a pulp because they did not understand their physical limit.
• A intellectually challenged person would spend their whole life in rocket science school and never graduate because they didn’t understand their intellectual limits.
• An extremely creative person would never try painting because they thought that everyone should be a rocket scientist.

• Second extreme: Everyone in the world really knows who they are.
• Everyone would take responsibility for their decisions. (See my blog entry on taking responsibility: http://samwhatdoyouthink.blogspot.com/2009/05/taking-responsibility.html )
• If something goes haywire, everyone would be able to analyze it from the perspective of their strengths. This would make it easy to categorize the event as a learning experience or, oops, I just did something foolish, experience.
• There would be little self confidence issues. Doing something new would bypass thoughts of “can I do it” and be reduced to a simple issue of courage. :-)

Yep, the above are a bit silly but the examples demonstrate the different perspectives and are not meant to stir deep emotions. It’s important to understand that the above analysis is pure conjecture and hasn’t a resemblance to the real world. However, even if there is some semblance of accuracy, which category would you like to be part of? It’s an easy decision...

Now there is also a metaphysical perspectives that I think is really valid. The bottom line is:

The better you know yourself the more profoundly you are able to express yourself. The better everyone expresses their true self, the more balanced the world becomes. I think that this if fodder for an independent blog entry so I’ll just drop it for now.

What do you think?

Sam

Does what others think, count?

I’ve been thinking about this blog topic for a number of years. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two valid answers. Yes and no. Now, I’m not trying to be flippant but there really are two valid answers in what can be categorized in each of three perspectives. Whether it is yes or no depends upon the perspective you are coming from.

Here are three perspectives with a example of the two answers for each of them:

1. Environmental perspectives:
1. The answer might be yes if your perspective is coming from a job that requires interaction with people.
2. The answer might be no if you are retired and live in your motorhome that is docked in some nondescript place where living off social security is possible.
2. Emotional perspectives:
1. The answer might be yes if you have a need to please others.
2. The answer might be no if you really don’t give a darn.
3. Awareness perspectives:
1. The answer might be yes if you are a counselor and helping another person break through a problem. How the other person reacts to you is important.
2. The answer might be no if you are so comfortable with who you are that the negative side of what another thinks never becomes confrontational.

Naturally, there are many variants of the six above statements. I am not really sure if any of the variants is good or bad, better or best. Neither am I sure whether the three perspectives are properly labeled, but at least they are a good start...

The only nonjudgemental thing I can come up with is, “so what.”

What do you think?

Sam

Resistance is futile.

I’m a Star Trek fan and the 1990 episode “The Best of Both Worlds” had an interesting statement that came from the Borg.

"Strength is irrelevant. Resistance is futile. We wish to improve ourselves. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service ours."

This seems to me to be selfish or, at best, non productive. I don’t agree with the part about cultures adapting to service ours. In fact, I’m also not sure about the part concerning adding biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. I do, however like the part about resistance is futile. Let me explain...

The Universe does not create problems. Through free will, we resist change in our thoughts or in our actions, to the point where friction presents itself as a problem. In other words, problems are not created by the universe, they are created through our own free will choices. At least those choices that divert us from our path.

A part of my belief is that we are here to grow in awareness and understanding about ourself and how to apply our energies in a way that brings balance. This means that the what goes around comes around law, creates an arena that moves us to a greater balance and awareness. The law ultimately directs us along a productive path. Resistance to the personal changes that are needed for full awareness of our path, is futile. At least if we want to solve our problems without too much consternation.

Here is a rewrite of the Borg perspective that is more agreeable to me...

In the long run, strength applied toward resistance of change, is futile. Through free will we wish to improve ourself by adding cultural and technological distinctiveness as part of our own knowledge. Through diverse knowledge, my perspective will grow and change to a better understanding of my uniqueness.

The above statement could probably still use a bit of tuning up but it provides a good start. What is your version?

What Do you think?

Sam

A thought about experiential teaching.

More and more now days I seem to forget things. I’m not sure if it has to do with age or something else. However I do know that when I am focused, my memory is not a problem. So I’m working on focus...

There is another factor that comes from the philosophy of Scott Adams. (The Dilbert comic strip creator.) It is that people have a tendency to forget what they are told but remember what they experience. I certainly agree with that. In fact, if I experience something I remember it, independent of my focus at that moment.

All of the above is pretty obvious at least from my point of view. However, the telling vs. experience thing has significant ramifications concerning teaching styles. It implies that if a teacher stands up in front of a class and pontificates, then the students tend to forget the information. That is certainly true for me whether I’m listening to a friend or part of a class or group discussion. I don’t have a long attention span and pontification is boring.

So how do you teach people in a way that they will remember what you are teaching?

I think that the key lies in perspective. Whenever I’m experiencing something my perspective centers around myself. My entire sensual experience has to do with, as well as create, my state of being at that moment. This means that if the teacher teaches from the perspective of the students, the teaching will have greater impact.

OK, so how does a teacher come from the perspective of the students? Here are some steps that work for me...

1. Have a stated theme and don’t get diverted.
2. Be open minded and don’t follow a prescribed lesson plan.
3. Ask a question, concerning the theme, and get as many individual answers that can be drawn out from the group, as possible.
4. Find, and state, a single common thread contained in the answers, making sure to relates to the theme. This is easier than you might think. It’s actually fun!
5. Use that common thread in an experiential exercise to build new individual perspectives. Use art, meditation, writing, etc.
6. Ask a question to draw out the new individual perspectives.
7. Find, and state, the common thread in the new perspectives, making sure to relates to the theme. This is easier than you might think. It’s actually fun!
8. Stop before things get too philosophical. Remember pontification doesn’t work!

Yep, it does take a bit of practice but isn’t the job of a teacher to teach? I think that trying to show others how much you know isn’t productive. I also think that a good teacher, in every class, will learn at least as much as the students.

What do you think?

Sam

PS: Here are some other blog entries that might be interesting.

Some thoughts about communication...

A Thought About Listening...