How Great Is It?
3/22/2021 Blog
And Life goes on
If you would prefer, you can watch this segment on video by clicking here.
Since my last post, I have drafted and set aside many versions of ‘what’s next’.
But each strategy I tried to develop was confounded by the moral decay plaguing our society.
We just don’t seem to care enough about the right things.
We are such intelligent beings and yet often we behave so foolishly.
I would love to be proven to be wrong but I consistently see mounting evidence and opinion in suggesting this is true.
Consider these few of many examples:
- The most prestigious position in our society has not been held accountable for exaggeration, misrepresentation, lying, fomenting insurrection, etc., in the midst of ‘cancel culture’, the #MeToo movement, and priest removals.
- White supremacists are tolerated.
- There is willful denial of science when the conclusions are inconvenient.
- There is willful denial of parts of our history.
- There is willful neglect of the health and safety of others over personal selfish freedoms.
- And the list goes on
These character flaws are not only perpetrated by individuals
but then multiplied by those who not only excuse but even support these acts.
This decay of our society could be compared to ‘death by a thousand cuts’.
How can these ‘personality problem’ cuts be treated?
As another amplification of these problems, I would imagine you have heard of instances where a person simply questioning one of these offensive acts can suddenly find themselves in personal danger of reprisal.
Do you agree these problems exist and are weakening our society?
Do many or any of these problems impact your life?
And this is bringing me to the worst of the problems
Are you currently doing anything to work on these problems?
If so, please share.
If not, do you have any ideas on how to work on these problems?
If so, please share.
If you’re not feeling a need to be involved yet,
I refer you back to one of my early blog questions…
How bad does it have to get?
That worst problem
Apathy
The absence of collective will
(starting with the individual)
to not just survive
but to actually help solve our problems.
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So these problems are not always big and obvious
and there not always happening everywhere.
But for me , they are more than enough.
So now,
because I remain an optimist,
I have some requests of you
I believe there needs to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Your action on any one or more of these requests would be greatly appreciated.
I will continue this blog as long as I know someone is at least reading it.
I ask that you let me know.
And or,
Please answer or comment on any of the questions that I have posed in this blog.
This will help me gauge if I’m hitting the nail on the head or hitting my thumb.
And or,
Please share with me your thoughts or suggestions.
Some of you have been in touch with me and I hope you recognize your inputs in the blog.
And or,
Please ask me questions.
If I don’t have the answer, I will do my best to find the best.
Finally
I’d like to offer a few ‘baby step’ ideas for anyone to would like to do work on our problems.
The first idea is
For one full day, from waking through going to bed, in every encounter with another person, be certain it ends on a happy note. Do whatever it takes to cause the other person to either smile or say something like “Thank you”. It is important that this included every encounter or transaction. This should include even those at a distance, like driver to driver or driver to pedestrian. Also include people you call or text.
I’m guessing for some this will be a ‘piece of cake’. For others, it may just require filling in some gaps. For some this may be a challenge they cannot even complete on their first try.
The second idea is
Say a simple prayer and watch for the answer(s). Ask for guidance on how to help others be more satisfied with their life.
If it’s not entirely clear why you would want to do this, please let me know and I will be happy to explain.
The third idea is
Give facts a chance. The next time you get or see an email, text, editorial, post, or similar communication that contains very misleading or false information, respond in same communication method to its writer.
In your reply tell them that you are concerned that they may not be aware that what they said is not true. Tell them you presume they would not want to mislead or deceive others. Then point out to them at least two reputable, respected sources where they can find facts that indicate their statement was not true. Be certain you do not reference opinions that are not fact based or from an organization with a vested interest or bias.
If you have done your homework well, that person should not have a return argument. Be prepared to learn if there is a contrary reply. You gave it a chance but some people are so impressed with their opinion that ‘your’ facts or truth may not matter to them.
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That’s enough ideas for the moment. I’ve probably talked longer than I should have.
I’m hoping these ideas may be like a good virus,
starting tiny but then infecting many.
So now the rest is up to you
I hope you found my thoughts to be of interest or value.
What I will do in this blog is largely up to you.
The light will only be as bright as we make it together.
‘ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ‘
2/16/2021 Blog
Thank you for your comments and thoughtful input.
Your ideas will be reflected in this and coming editions.
Perhaps We Can Make Progress
If you would prefer, you can watch this segment on video by clicking here.
I’ve been a bit unhappy and struggling for quite some time now, complaining and watching our society commit slowicide.
Are you familiar with slowicide?
Slowicide is the slow but steady self-destruction our society is going through.
* Many in American society, especially in my older generation, see the fabric of our society weakening and decaying, surviving but steadily losing ground, watching chronic problems like racism, gun violence, political battles, economic turmoil, healthcare battles, losing our environment, and the list goes on.
But I believe I finally see an explanation and answer to these problems.
For me, the light came from Mitch McConnell. I’m not sure he even knew he was doing it.
He said plainly and clearly said that Trump had been largely the cause of a terrible act of insurrection on January 6th, but he had not voted to hold Trump accountable. He felt forced to use a weak technical excuse to escape doing what many would have seen as the morally right thing to do.
Why would he condemn that terrible act and then protect the one responsible?
I believe he did it for two obvious reasons. For one thing, he did it to politically survive, as a measure of damage control for his career. And the other thing was to represent the beliefs of a large number of people who elected him and also elected others in his political party.
So who are these people that would press him to this seemingly contradictory position?
They are a large number of people who tolerate, understand, condone, agree with, support, and perhaps even participated in that huge mob action. Yes, it seems there is a span of levels of support for what happened. They all identify as Trump supporting Republicans.
For me, it has been hard to fully understand this group.
In case you didn’t notice, I tend to be in the ‘other’ group, the Democrats. Although, I am not entirely proud of it.
I have been struggling for some time now to find a way to bring together the red and the blue. Divided as we are, this can only make things in our suffering society worse.
At last, I think I see the underlying cause for disagreement. It starts with something both groups have in common. In very brief words, both groups really dislike, perhaps even hate, our government. If you don’t think our government is falling short, perhaps you are in the top few percent or otherwise in denial. Please revisit the * paragraph above.
As I have said in previous blogs, we are the government. We created it. We maintain it. As such, this dislike of our government is sort of a self-loathing behavior. Not a healthy way to be.
Please stay with me. Here comes the really scary part.
This is actually beginning to make sense.
We all want our life to be better. Do not be distracted by different opinions of what ‘better’ is. We should all agree we are an increasingly unhappy lot.
If you’re not unhappy or dissatisfied, you might want to pay close attention to this.
We, the unhappy lot, may soon (if not already) be after you.
Let’s face it. If we are unhappy, we are motivated to make you unhappy too.
Do you recall the saying ‘misery loves company’?
Now add in the fact or suspicion that the happy people may have contributed to our unhappiness.
Just like survival, it is part of human nature to escape suffering.
I’m trying to keep this brief, so I‘m putting off a detailed explanation of our problems with our government. For the time, suffice to say, it is failing and has been increasingly failing the very body of people who created it. Our government has evolved in some good ways but mostly bad ways. It has allowed, and in some ways even contributed to, the decay of our planet, erosion of our protections, screwing with our morals, and even our bending our sanity.
If you doubt any of that last statement, for starters, watch all the complete videos from January 6th. If your still not convinced, watch videos from any of the riots in cities across the country.
Okay, so to one extent or another everyone should be dissatisfied.
So what is the divide between the red and blue?
It’s all about how do we make things better.
Again I’m going to be brief so we don’t get bogged down.
First I’ll describe the blue viewpoint.
They tend to believe government has been designed to have the ability to be adjustable and repairable. There are rules, there are elected representatives, there are systems in place, it should be able to be made to work for us.
They are basically optimistic. Their only reasonable option is to push hard enough, working the system to make the government work for our benefit.
Next I’ll describe the red viewpoint.
They see government as a corrupted machine. It does not seem to be able to meet their needs as it has struggled under ever changing leadership.
They are basically pessimistic. They are tired of watching so many things being handled in the wrong way. They feel they need to do radical and risky things to make the government work for our benefit.
I’ll grant you these may not be 100% accurate portrayals but I am just trying to give a quick flavor of the difference.
So I’m very loosely tagging the two viewpoints as blue optimism versus red pessimism.
Allow me to add a little color to the difference.
As a blue optimist, there is noble hope in the safety of perseverance.
Yes, but it is safest if you just stay home and don’t go anywhere, you can’t get hurt
but your life is crap.
As a red pessimist, it is tempting to try anything other than the current failing tactics.
Yes, but if you try releasing wild animals to eat your enemies,
they may turn and eat you as well.
Seriously, I do see a solution to our very complicated problems and standoff.
BUT THE SOLUTION WILL TAKE A LOT OF WORK.
The work of the solution is the stopping of movement in the wrong direction.
To get something, you have to give something.
As any realist will attest to, there is no free lunch.
Like the simple law of physics, for every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction. But this cannot be a simple trade. Another law of physics applies here. Over time, momentum is a large additional stored energy that also must be overcome.
More in my next blog.
Finally, in honor of Black History Month, I would repeat the recommendation of many others. Revisiting the speeches of Martin Luther King can be a great source of passionate spiritual inspiration.
Also along that line, I highly recommend a YouTube video titled Holy Post – Race in America
Please, don’t be misled by the title.
This video quickly explains the largest and historically longest problem that has troubled American society.
It is just under 18 minutes long and I think you will find it very informative and very thought provoking.
Here is a link to click that will take you to the YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGUwcs9qJXY
Enjoy the video and stay tuned.
1/8/2021 Blog
If you would prefer, you can watch this segment on video by clicking here.
The First Week Of The New Year
The mentally jarring events that have taken place this week are motivating many people to take actions of change.
This could be a window of opportunity for either improvement or regression.
It appears to be a time when many are rethinking, questioning, perhaps trying to adjust their opinions and plans.
I must admit I didn’t see the public explosion in Washington DC coming.
It is amazing to me that an apparently very large group of people were out there, living in an alternate reality, where they were deluded into thinking they could show up at the location of a congressional proceeding and then somehow change the election result.
If so many could be so convinced in such a fantasy what else could lie in store?
Did that impact with reality register with them?
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But now we must proceed.
Like it or not, we all have to live here together.
We only have one country.
So, how are you managing?
Are you shutting down and avoiding the flood of opinion?
or
Are you tuning in to just one or select channels of opinion?
or
Are you open to learning, seeking multiple opinions and views?
I hope you have chosen or will choose the latter.
This is a time when learning could be an indication of increasing intelligence and wisdom.
This is a time to very closely and critically examine your leader(s) and competing leaders.
It is a time when there is increased importance in using and encouraging thinking based on positive values and critical thinking.
I would recommend using these universal standards in your thinking and actions:
-
- Moderation
- Think of others before yourself
- Focus on positive moral values
- Consider consequences as far out in time as is possible and reasonable
- Employ balance, every take has to have a give
- Sustainability is a sure sign of balance
- Judge a person by ALL their actions,
not just their best or just their worst - Discovering a weakness in character is like discovering cancer,
ignoring it is a bad thing to do - All rights come with equally important and relevant responsibilities
Free speech isn’t free - Accountability is the check against irresponsibility
- If you are aware of a problem and do nothing about it,
you are part of the problem.
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Now, I have a few other things for you to consider.
Our life is influenced by those around us.
To a certain extent we can choose those who are around us.
We influence the lives of those around us.
To a great extent we can choose to be a positive influence to those around us.
If you are hiding in a group of like minds, look a little farther outside your group. As the total situation in our society gets worse, think carefully about how long your high ground will last.
Also, consider your group as a single person. Is your group a good citizen?
THE OBVIOUS!
And now some statements of the obvious for those who may have missed them.
On January 6th President Trump gave a speech to his supporters, encouraging them to demand the reversal of the national election. On January 7th President Trump threw the same group under the bus, condemning their behavior.
Live video coverage on the 6th showed an identifiable collection of people leading the crowd. Most of them had unusual appearances and outrageous behavior. Like it or not, all the people who were part of that larger crowd, will be remembered by those faces who emerged from the crowd.
There is national prayer
Please God, help any who found pride in the mob action of the 6th.
.
And now I need you to do more than listen or read.
To be or not to be… or what to be?
While I enjoy reflecting on life and sharing thoughts with you all, it is a time consuming effort to publish it as I have.
How or if I continue will depend on your response in the coming days.
Here is the high price I am going to ask you to pay:
- First decide if you found value in any of the thoughts I have presented.
- If so, I ask that you recommend this website to others, in particular at least one person who has views opposed to your own.
- Then lastly report back to me if you have taken any action in support of what I am asking.
I look forward to the results within the next week or two. Then I will be able to tell myself as well as you where this effort is going.
Please stay safe, be well, and I hope to hear from you at fred@fredobviouslymay.com
12/16/2020 Blog
If you would prefer, you can watch this segment on video by clicking here.
Looking For A Way We Can Come Together
The election is over. The judges have overwhelmingly ruled there has been no sufficient evidence found to support the claims that the election was seriously flawed. Our collective judicial system commands our respect.
The turmoil and discord associated with this election have exposed some of the serious problems in our society. We are suffering from bitter, hostile polarization and a general lack of trust in our leaders, our information sources, and each other. All these were magnified and showcased by the media’s treatment of the election.
If we were all in grade school, many, many report cards would have come home saying “Does not play well with others”.
Now, since not enough of us are thinking of moving to Canada, it is obvious that we need to re-learn how to work together.
Please continue with me in the work of finding common ground so we can earn each other’s respect instead of disdain.
As a starting point for agreement, I feel confident that all of you who matter feel our American society needs improvement.
Making America Great Again does not just belong on a red cap or a blue cap; it belongs on a red, white, and blue cap!
As a note of encouragement, recall that our situation has not always been this bad. ‘The good old days’ is more than just a saying.
If we can figure out and agree upon the origin and/or nature of our problems, perhaps we can begin to see a way to fix them.
But which problem or problems do we start with?
Think of your ‘top five’ list of our current problems in America
.
.
.
.
.
How many of them involve government?
Do these complaints sound familiar? It’s dysfunctional, it’s corrupt, it doesn’t represent my interest, it doesn’t protect me, it’s gridlocked, it’s too political, it’s doing too much, it’s doing too little.
Okay, I think we can we agree that government seems to be a major part of our complex and complicated batch of problems. As such, I think our common goal should be to try to fix those parts of our government that are that are causing or permitting the problems.
Where do we start?
Government is like the weather. It’s everywhere, it affects us all, and it seems there is little we can do about it.
I have often found that if I take things apart, untangle them, and spread them out, the problem can sometimes become obvious.
So, let’s examine this complicated, failing, machinery that we share in common… our government.
I think it will be worthwhile to spend a bit of time to consider the background and reasons for government.
Government is created when there is a group of people who want to live together in a shared space, like a community, a city, a county, a state, or a country. Because some people have bigger mouths or bigger guns but not necessarily bigger hearts, it quickly becomes apparent that there is a need for rules to be set for the game of life. Unless you’re starting at the top of the heap, everyone wants a level playing field. Hence the preamble of our Constitution was written.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution…”
That type of lofty language continues through Articles and Amendments.
But there is a very important implied aspect to this creation of government.
It is a living and timeless statement. It does NOT say there is any specific person, group, or higher being that is making and maintaining this government.
WE the people of the United States (any people who make this their home)
WE are the government.
WE are the people who created it.
WE are the people maintain it.
WE are the people who finance it.
And thus WE are the people responsible for its successes and its failures.
Hold that last thought. If you have not already realized the truth in it, trust me or wager me. I am confident that I can prove, in more than one way, every one of us holds responsibility for our government.
Now, let me introduce to you or review with you the concept of the Implied Social Contract.
This is not a new concept so do not give me credit or blame. It has been discussed and documented by many others for a long time.
The theory of this contract is that people who live in a society that has government agree to abide by the laws of that government.
The exchange being made in this contract is that the individual surrenders, by free choice, some of their liberties and freedoms in order to enjoy the protections, guarantees of fair treatment, and chance for prosperity afforded within the governed society.
To state it simply, even though you didn’t have to sign an agreement, if you want to live in our American society you must agree to obey the laws or suffer consequences.
So our ‘freedoms’ in fact are not completely free.
Summary
The election is over.
The election displayed to the world some of the worst decays of our society.
We have many problems to fix.
These problems affect all of us.
All of us need to find a way to work together to fix our problems.
Most of our problems seem to be related to government.
Examining the history and present status of government, we can see that this is a Frankenstein creation and WE own it.
By living here in this society, WE agree to take responsibility for its successes and in its failures.
I will be continuing this in my next blog.
–
12/6/2020 Blog
If you would prefer, you can watch this segment on video by clicking here and scroll down on the videos page.
A Few Lighter Weight Observations To Consider
The first thing to consider is an expression I used when talking with someone about the many law suits filed by Rudy Giuliani.
Without giving it a lot of thought, I said that it seems Rudy is making a lot of trumped-up false allegations.
Wait! Instant replay in my mind! Was it redundant for me to say ‘trumped-up false’? And should the word ‘trumped’ in ‘trumped-up’ have started with a capital T?
I felt puzzled so it looked up the expression ‘trumped up’ at Vocabulary.com
The definition read:
“Something that’s trumped-up is faked or fabricated to use as an excuse. You might be tempted to tell your parents a trumped-up story about a mean math teacher to explain a bad grade. When you hear about someone being arrested on “trumped-up charges,” that means that they’ve been falsely accused.”
That wording sounded so relevant to today’s situations that I suspected it may be a recent definition. I check a few other sources and it seems this expression has been around since the 18th century!
I guess this just seems to have turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy for Donald Trump.
A Hypothetical Analogy is my next story for consideration.
Imagine a well publicized, heavily attended, sporting event held in a giant arena.
There is a match between two highly rated teams from rival institutions.
As the game proceeds, each team successfully scores, exchanging the lead back and forth.
It’s a fierce game with many close and contested calls by the referees.
Each of the coaches show extreme emotion as the videos are reviewed and the calls finalized.
At the end of the game the winning point is scored in yet another questionable play. The ref’s have to discuss the play at length in order to rule that the final play won the game for that team.
It is a bitter loss for the other team. They leave the field, shaking their heads in disbelief.
The fans in the losing team bleachers begin to boo at the end of the game.
They yell out
“The ref’s are blind!”
“Somebody paid off the ref’s!”
“Those videos were taken by cameras made in china!”
“There was a huge amount of cheating!”
Then, the loosing crowd begins to chant “We won! We won! We won!” They are only quieted a little as the league executives broadcast over the loud speaker system, verifying the originally announced outcome of the game. End of the story.
So, if such a thing happened in another country, how would you judge their society?
Would you think their society is plagued by hooligans? poor sports? sore losers? uncivilized people? cheaters?
Perhaps you’d suspect they have corrupt referees or foreign tampering or league executives who had fixed the game?
Finally, if any of this sounds somewhat familiar, how would you judge things like this happening in our society?
12/1/2020 Blog
The Devil Made Me Do It
If you would rather not read this, you can click here and scroll down on the videos page to find this Blog date.
For better or worse, a significant part of Human Nature is our dark side. That is the negative things we think and do – typically blamed on the Devil.
Weather you think of this as part of your mind and soul or personify it as a creature with a red cape and horns, makes little difference.
The bottom line is we’re talking about thoughts and actions considered ‘bad’ in a moral sense, not for the benefit us or others.
Now evil (that’s Devil without the big D) traits are like most things in life, not simply black or white.
If you think back or look down to an earlier blog (the mirror image blog of 11/21/2020), you will recall or see, I briefly listed a table of positive human traits contrasted with negative corresponding traits.
Looking at any line in that list, imagine the things one could do that would be either at one extreme end or the other…
better, worse, or blah in the middle.
Let’s expand on an example line, like the one with selfishness on the negative end and caring on the other end.
At the worst we can easily think of examples of selfishness, like that person who cuts into a waiting line
or
One who thinks a mega, mid pandemic, party event is more important than the potential risk to the safety and health of others including the unsuspecting outside community.
Now for balance we should look at the other end of that line which is caring, in particular caring about others.
As a quick aside, it just so happens caring about others is an absolute essential quality for a society of people to thrive. But I will get into that in another blog on our implied social contract.
So caring about the wellbeing of others can be as simple as being polite and courteous in public. However, brace yourself for a twist on this one. Let’s say a person cares so much about others they press ahead to work to implement a better way for others to conduct their personal life.
If the person on the receiving end of this advice, opinion, or urging has not asked for it and perhaps does not like the idea at all, this wish to do a good thing becomes an evil thing.
My mother told us when we were growing up “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”
So let’s finish this example with another lesson from mother that applies not only to caring and selfishness but all the other human traits as well.
That lesson was to exercise moderation.
Doing or thinking anything to an extreme should raise a red flag in our mind.
Moderation is like the brakes on a car.
When you are doing something and, figuratively speaking, you have the ‘petal to the metal,’ be sure you have your moderation ready and in good working order or you may wind up in the ditch, or worse.
Wrapping up,
like I said near the start, in social life, things are rarely simply black or white; they are most often in the gray, as in gray matter.
We are incredible beings with amazing brains. We need to put our gray matter to its best use to maintain quality in our lives.
Taking short cuts and thinking less about the things we do is cheating ourselves and as a consequence also cheating others with whom we share our society.
Please think about it. And if you think any of these notions are worthwhile, please share with others.
(It would be selfish not to share!)
11/24/2020 Blog
A THANKSGIVING MESSAGE
Traditionally, at the Thanksgiving table, I suggest that we each take a turn to say what we are thankful for. Even though we are ‘making do’ with a Zoom gathering, the spirit will still be there. We won’t be able to share food but we can still share our thoughts.
This year with its many high-profile troubles, coming up with an expression of gratitude may seem more like a search, rather than just choosing from good feelings that float to the top of one’s mind.
As I thought about it in preparation, it became easy when I opened my mind and thought about all those who I am fortunate to share my life with.
I am thankful for all of you.
And as a Thanksgiving prayer,
With a hopeful and fresh new year ahead of us,
I sincerely hope our society will move toward
less dishonesty,
less selfishness,
restraint and moderation in what we do,
and consciously protecting the wellbeing of our society and our planet,
because this is what will determine what we can be thankful for a year from now.
11/21/2020 Blog
A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MIRROR CHALLENGE*
Since I will ask you to mark answers to the questions below, you may want to print these first three pages.
If you would prefer the video to reading this click here and scroll down on the videos page to find this blog date.
The challenge… your challenge, is to answer every question honestly.
You will be answering the questions only to yourself.
The benefit you may derive will be at the end, when you reflect on your answers.
- Are you a good person or a bad person?
- Are you proud of yourself or perhaps a little ashamed of yourself?
- To what extent do you believe in and practice the golden rule,
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you? - How often do you put others before yourself?
- Do you think a person can or should be judged by the company they keep?
- Study the entries in the following table and note the correspondence in the positive and negative traits. Are there any significant traits missing?
| Positive Human Character Traits | Negative Human Character Traits |
|---|---|
| Virtuous | Wicked |
| Generous | Greedy |
| Honest and open | Deceitful and secretive |
| Considerate of others | Selfish |
| Uses moderation | Extremist |
| Open to compromise | Uncompromising |
| Patient | Impatient |
| Tolerant | Intolerant |
| Cooperative | Uncooperative |
| Has an open mind | Opinionated |
| Has humility | lusts for power and control |
| Has empathy | Uncaring |
| Sympathetic | Unsympathetic |
| Cautious | Reckless |
| Responsible | Irresponsible |
| Uses balance in judgement | Biased |
- Considering your daily thoughts and behaviors. Remember all the big and little things you do each day, driving, shopping, interacting with family, and interacting with others, for each activity think of which human character traits you exhibit. For example, when you drive, are you Tolerant of the person who cuts in front of you?
- What percent of the time do your actions reflect the left column and what percent in the right column?
- The last time you had a spirited, controversial discussion with someone, what was your behavior like? Mark a check by any words in the table that would apply to your behavior.
- In that same spirited, controversial discussion, how did the other person behave? Mark an X by any words in the table that you feel would apply to their behavior.
- If you could back up and redo that controversial discussion and each of you could see how the other person was marking the other’s behaviors, how do you think it could have changed the course of the discussion?
So that completes the challenge.
For some this may be largely a reinforcement of self-confidence in what they do.
For others, it may give a helpful reflection on what they do.
For extra credit, this next activity will take time and work but it could very well give you a better perspective on yourself and others.
Set aside a block of time to watch one to two hours to watch television. Do this watching during the evening news hours. Watch alternately the Fox News channel and either ABC, CBS, or NBC network news. Surf back and forth for about 5 to no more than10 minute chunks of time. Have copies of the table above, one marked Fox and one marked Network. As you watch the significant presenters on each channel, add a tick mark on the word or words in the list that characterize their performance.
When you are finished watching these TV personalities, consider the following questions.
Which of these people were trying to inform you and which were trying to influence you?
What is the difference between a ‘news story’ and an ‘editorial piece’?
Consider this ‘made up’ story about you. You want to run for public office.
Two people do extensive research about you.
The first does a write up that talks about all your accomplishments and great things you’ve done.
The second is a bit more talented writer and exposes all the mistakes you’ve made and all the dumb things that people think you may have been involved with.
Both stories are fairly truthful. When interviewed, you endorse the first write up.
But how do the voters know which story to really believe?
Will they do opinion checking or fact checking?
*The “Mirror Challenge” is not a new concept. This is my effort to help people direct their thoughts in a more positive way, working toward better relationships in our society.
11/15/2020 Blog _________________________________________
I’d have done this in a video but nobody wants to watch a sorry, 74 year old man cry.
Well, just when we hoped it wouldn’t get any worse, it has.
The Devil has won.
Who says so? My How bad story is at the bottom of this page.
HOW COULD THE DEVIL’S TEAM NOT WIN?!?
Another bottom of the page deal.
Besides election problems, etc., what brought this on?
Tuesday the Governor of Illinois was brought nearly to tears explaining that his daughter’s safety and wellbeing were threatened… and in a practical sense there was and is little or nothing he can do about it.
Who could be responsible for such a terrible thing?
- The bar and restaurant businesses?
- The school and extracurricular sports program people?
- The parents who can’t work if the kids don’t go to school?
- A political party?
- A foreign government?
- All the people who shrug their shoulders and say “Oh well, what can anyone do?”
This website was originally to put out ideas suggesting ways people might overcome their differences and return to being a caring, positive society.
But a very large number of people in our society are NOT interested in hearing any of that.
- They have jobs and or money at stake.
- They are too busy ‘keeping up’ to worry about such things.
- They know things are broken but THEY are still able to survive.
- And anyway, somebody said they’d fix those things.
After I heard and read those type thoughts from those people, I thought perhaps I could post some truths about the reality of our current situations to get their attention.
And then I realized,
If a media spotlight moved to show damning truths attached to my name,
I could very well become a victim like my Governor or worse.
How bad does it have to get?
Please consider my case.
If I chose a shallow and blissfully ignorant perspective, I could look at my current situation as excellent. I should be able to feel happy and secure. I am retired, financially secure with impressive savings and preparedness for a long, comfortable retired life. I am insured against the typical health and property risks. As I go about my daily life, the weather is a little bit different but nothing within sight has been destroyed by a flood, monstrous wind, forest fire, chemical catastrophe, or major geological event. And even though the channels of access are a little different, I can acquire just about anything to satisfy my needs.
But in truth and in fact I am very much affected by the realities that are creeping into my life and the lives of the many people I care about. I care about all those who live in areas that could have the next deadly forest fire, or the next record breaking hurricane, or the next unusual cluster of tornadoes, or the next surprisingly devastating flood, or the next severe virus outbreak, or the next horrific gun violence, or who knows what other tragic development one might imagine that seem to be coming upon us more frequently. Some of those people I care about are being pulled away from me by trends toward polarized opinions. I find I can’t bridge gaps that occur due to so many bad, conflicting sources of information and what seem to be flat out lies. I have to be ever more fearful and cautious answering my phone, opening my email, or going to a new website. More and more frequently I get ‘terms and conditions’ and advisory notes telling me that if want their services I have to agree to let them set rules, with them having almost no responsibility if something goes wrong. I can’t just avoid the ‘bad part of town’ because crazy, foolish, and dangerous things are happening seemingly everywhere. I cannot escape feeling intense aggravation as I’m deprived of some of my great pleasures like camping, eating out, and gathering with friends. And these deprivations are because we cannot achieve an effective government to control a pandemic, even though it was done successfully in other countries. And finally I am suffering from the combination of intelligence, reason, and conscience which condemn me to watch as dozens if not hundreds of disparate efforts try with little or no success to actually solve these problems.
The red team wins!
The joke goes – He went into a gunfight with a knife.
So if the one side can lie and the other side believes they shouldn’t, don’t want to, believe in virtues, or whatever, how can that other side win?
If the one side disproves a lie with true testimony by others, the other side’s easy response is “Those are all liars!” So, if the other side’s mode is misrepresentation, what’s another lie?
Guess which side is left standing, holding a knife with a bullet hole in their heart.
I feel I am being beaten by them.
I am becoming a coward.
.
.
I am sorry if I have brought you to a dark reality. If you are interested,
I can offer a way to deal with our unpleasant reality. Click below to find out more.
Click here to find out more about this blog.