We Are All the Same.

So we have it set that we do rely on each other more than we may realize and that we are part of something bigger. My original intention was to go into relationships and such but there are a few things I wish to say 1st.

There's a question that has bothered the world for years, and its "What is the meaning of Life?". Douglas Adams once postulated the answer to the question is 42, and though this isn't a bad answer I have to disagree with Mr. Adams. After years of thought on the subject I believe that the buddhists have found the answer, Happiness. True and real happiness. Not a night with friends happy, or just got laid happy but true deep down happiness. Look at the world around you thats the one thing everyone seems to be thriving, fighting, and longing for. "If I get this job I'll be happy." "If buy that car I'll be happy." etc etc etc. Of course those things never really work, cause once you get the job, and the car, your gonna want the girl, and the house, and the kids, then your gonna want the kids to do well in life and go to college, then their out of the house and you want to retire...and so forth and so on. Happiness isn't about material goods, it's about emotional goods.

The Buddhist say the biggest emotional good out there is compassion. Again after much thought I agree. Compassion creates empthy, respect, and love. My last post touches a little on Compassion and empthy, and even more slightly on respect. I pointed out we all depend on each other so remember that next time you start to get annoyed or angry. Here I'm gonna go on a little more, this time I'm gonna actually come out and say, We are all the same. Yes we are individuals but beyond that we are all human. We all have the same hopes, and fears. We all hurt and love. You might be Black, Asian, Latino, Native American to my Caucasian. You may be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Shinto, Buddhist, Agnostic, or Athiest to my Roman Catholic. You may be Russian, French, English, Chinese, Japanese, Congolesse, Spanish, Mexican, South African, Vietnamise, Bolivian or Iranian to my American. But the hopes, the fears, the hurt and the love don't change because of that. We don't have different organs, no one group is less intellegent than another. "it is not so much forgetting our differenceces, but rather remembering our similarities."

By now I'm sure your saying I know this. I'm saying its time to stop knowning and start feeling it. Because we are great at forgetting it from time to time. I forget all the time. Show me a Yankee fan, or the guy that just cut me off, or the person that screwed up my drive through order and I'll show you how. I'll pick that person apart and find reasons to dislike and put down that person. Well at least thats how it use to be. Now I stop...asap (sometimes its hard to do right away at 1st) and reflect for a second. I reflect on the fact that this person wants to be happy, this person feels pain, this person has dreams, hopes and loves just like I do. I find away to feel compassion for this person. I suggest you do the same, this alone has made me, by leaps and bounds, happier. I've also found it makes me feel closer to others around me. Note I don't just do this with the people I have a dislike for, I do it with everyone now. It's a lot harder to do with people you dislike but give it time. Having this compassion will A. give you a new found respect for everyone B. it gives more empthy and C. it'll actually make you happier no lie there.

Changing ones persepctives will also make you happier. In the 1st paragraph I went through all the things we do to attain happiness. The job, the car, the girl/guy, the house, the kids, the retirement, the summer home etc. There is a short cut that is essentially pass go and collect 200 dollars. Its not easy but it is easier than all the things listed above (I am not saying don't strive for them you should but don't make it the basis of your happiness). Be happy with what you have. Be happy with where you are now. Yes easier said then done, but not impossible. Compassion to others will help and though its only a story this helped me find a way to be happy with my life right now...adapt this story to yourself, find your own "wise man."

Once there as a disciple of a Greek philospher who was commanded by his Master for three years to give money to everyone who insulted him. When this period of trial was over the Master said to him, "Now you can go to Athens and learn Wisdom." When the disciple was entering Athens, he met a certian wise man who sat at the gate insulting everybody who came and went. He also insulted the disciple, who burst out laughing. "Why do you laugh when I insult you?" said the wise man. "Because," said the disciple "for three years I have been paying for this kind of thing and now you give it to me for nothing." "Enter the city" said the wise man, "it is all yours..."

I have more to say but I need to end this here. I'll continue probably within the next week or so.

Individualism

Hey all. Sorry for the wait...I have been taking a lot of flak for it but there is a reason. I wanted to explore the subjects I wanted to talk about and break them down with logic, reason, and a degree of truth and thats not done over night...heck I'm not even near done yet but I believe I finally have a good starting point. That starting point is individualism.

Our nation loves the idea of the individual. Self releance and independence (at a personal level) has for years been the ideal in out nation. This raises questions. The first question that came to mind was "Am I self releant? am I independent?" Ask your self this question. So whats the answer? yes or no? My personal answer was "No".  My current jobless state and living with my parents was the reason I said no. I suddenly felt very small, so to make up for it I decleared to myself I was once. I reflected on that time and realized that I never have been truly independent. Nor have you. We are all extermely dependent. From those living on the streets to the Bill Gates of the world not one of us is truly independent.

Either you've already picked up on what I'm saying or you think I'm nuts and are currently thinking of how to list out all the things that make you independent and self releant to prove me wrong. If you are the second case. Stop for one second and hear me out. Look down at your shirt. I have one of my favorites on its black with white and red Kanji that says I like Sake. But thats not important right now. Ask yourself how did this shirt end up on you. If it's cotton it had to have been grown, loomed, colored, made, shipped, put on display, and sold to you. Look at all your cloths its all the same. You completely rely on at least 4 to 5 people every peice of clothing you own. One of my new favorites was I remember saying I was independent at 16 when I got my drivers license. But its the same with the shirt...I relied on all the people that made my car, the roads, the gas stations, the manufacture of gasoline etc. Everything you have you have because of someone else made it. Your house if you didn't build it yourself (cuting down the wood, making the copper for pipes, making the wires for electric etc) someone else at least helped. But you paid the money, which you got from your boss who got it from customers...our entire economic system depends on no one being truely self releant.

Actually seeing this for the way it is, made me very defensive at first.I went on for a week or so in a horrible mood but it slowly got better and over time I decided that, ok independence in a pyhsical sense isn't truely possible. But mentally it is. I have my own thoughts my own ideas, my own emotions when it comes to these things I am completely independent. Then something happened a real good friend of mine had a loss. Compassion took over and my heart went out to him. My feelings my emotions turned on a dime due to an external force. It made me return to this subject cause I was clearly wrong. My own emotions didn't depend just on me. I thought about how I felt for the Japanese people in the last few weeks after that earthquake and tsunami. I reflected on all the people I've seen (and heard of) suffer and how it made me feel. Without my choice without my permission I felt for them all. And when I lost my Meme, my Pepe, Mrs. C, my great Grandma all the people I cared for and lost what was it that made me feel better? Others. When ever I loved it wasn't fully due to me. When even I felt anything a large part was due to me but there was always some kind of external force.

So if I was so wrong about my feeling my emotions, could I be wrong about my thoughts? Hell yea.lol. It didn't take me long to see though my thoughts are my own they come from my education. The basis of my thoughts is what others have taught me and how I've interperted those lessons. As with anyone else.

So therefore we are all interconnected. So what does this mean for us? Well I think it means a few things. Even though we are interconnected like this we attempt to be an individual we think of ourselfs, and we close ourselfs off from others with some ease. No wonder we have widespread depression. We find that "one special person" and try and put it all on them and if we don't have that one special person trust me everyone pushes and prods you to find that person. Is that a good idea, to be emotionally and mentally dependent on only one? I don't think so...but this subject I need a little more time with so it will be fully addressed in my next post.

Again I would like to hear your thoughts an opinions on this subject. And as a parting suggestion when every you handle something or buy something or eat something just give a quick thought of the mysterious others that had a hand in it. It made me feel a little more connected and happy for the week or two that I've been doing this. So give it a try...let me know how it goes for ya.

Should parents be held responsible for the criminal actions of their teenage children?

Ok just for full discloser this is a convosation between me and my friend Alicia copied (with her permission) from another website.

Me: Yes. The world has a long legal history for this. Hell even here in the states. The Bay Colony made all parents responsible for their underaged childrens actions. In the world of politics and buisness the boss is responsible for the underlings actions. I think thats a good example. If a teenager murders well then the teen should be tried as an adult and the parents (for lack of supervising and clearly lack or exteme pushments) should get a year or two in prison as well. A teen drunk driving well a year in jail would be good for the teen and a 5 grand fine against the parents sounds about right, and so forth and so on. In our current world where parents don't discipline their kids this would be an effective way to make sure that happens. With the reestablishment of discipline and real parenting in this country the crime rate should drop nicely.

Alicia: Parents do need to step it up but a teen is their own person at that point they know what is right and wrong so they want to be stupid they need to be held accountable not the parent. The problem is kids need to be parented stricter at younger ages once they are teens your pretty much done it's more well you know their are actions and reactions for what you do and raised right you already have the fear of death put into them. plus how many kids would do stuff just to get their parents in trouble so they wouldn't be around and wouldn't have to deal with strict rules. so overall teens are accountable for their own actions. Parents need to hold children accountable for their actions starting at much younger ages.As well as STOP using the TV and VIDEO GAMES, and COMPUTER to watch them.

 

Me:

Oh I agree with you Lee. Just as you point out clearly parents aren't doing their job in the least. TV, Video games, and Computers are raising our kids now. So lets look at this from a critical point of view. In essence parents are refusing to do their job. In your words "kids need to be parented stricter at younger ages" The fact you say this means you agree with this point. Alright so kids and teens acting out is largely due to parents refusing to do what a parent needs to do. Therefore the actions taken by those kids and teens are partly a result of parents in-action. So why can't they be considered accomplices? In some parts of this country if we see a crime being commited and don't call for help quick enough we can end up in jail as an accomplice. So legally one who's in-actions leads to a crime or assists in the act of crime can be held accountable for the crime to a lesser degree. By your own statement part of the problem is the parents own in-action. Logically that should make the parents in-action a crime.

Another point even if your willing to exempt the parents from the legal responsibility they have you still need to find a way to motivate them to do what needs to be done. Well what works? The goverment can't coming into your house and tell you how to raise your kid, they can't take your kids away for a reason other than physical abuse so what other options are there than to hold them accountable for the results of their in-action? I would love nothing more than to have you tell me there is another way. I don't want to see this happen cause I understand there's difficulties in parenting. Yet on this topic I can not find any other or any better way to better society peacefully.

 

Alicia: You missed my point by the time they are Teens your done. It's to late for parents to be taught that they fucked up. I understand your point but when you were a teen and decided to do something wrong you were ready to accept the blame and was your choice. Your parents had no help in your choice so why should they be blamed if for example you got caught in the woods smoking pot.

I think their needs to be some kind of parenting class or something for parents who have kids that are causing trouble. Just interrupting a non parenting parent's life could be enough to get them going. For example smoking pot the parent should go to classes about how to spot drug use etc.

Me: I did get the point you were making that by the teens your done. My point was a way to get them to parent properly early in ones life based on the knowledge that in the future they could be held somewhat accountable. That being said. After looking at your idea of punishment for the parents though its not as extreme as mine I do see it working and working well. So it may work without going to an extreme therefore I actually would back this idea before my own. It is a form of punishment without having the possibility of ruining a life. I like it. Thats what I meant by if you have a better way :D

 

Alicia: I am glad but this also mean corporation with schools if a kid is very aggressive to other kids as and 8 year old if left untreated he would be a terror as a 16 year old. So schools should be able to send parents to a class about what causes aggression how to deal with it. The kid could have a disorder. Of course if a kid is already diagnosed with something there shouldn't be any consequence to the parent as they are already dealing with the issues.

I am just afraid some schools will go extreme to one side or the other sending a kid who ever shows agression once into the program therefore most of the school ends up going or the opposite they won't report at all.

 

Me: True. Its estimated that one out of every ten people are sociopaths [The Sociopath Next Door]. So there is a possibility that a kid could have a disorder that makes them prone to violence and or acting out. Now we get into a different discussion though, what disorders are genetic and what disorders are enviormental? And which are both? Not always the easiest questions to answer. So there should be some lenency towards parents with kids that have a disorder that are already acting to try and control/deal with the disorder.

Now your talking school based programs. Even with your idea I was thinking court based programs. But if you combine them both I see the court being able to stop the school programs from going to extreme in either direction as long as what ever establishes this program is written correctly. If the schools and courts work as a check and balance against each other I see a great program.

 

Alicia:

Well i say school because preferably it needs to be stopped before they grow older and get to criminal behavior.

I was earlier talking about court mandated and yes the two need to be combined in some fashion.

 

another thing is jobs shouldn't be able to fire people for having to go to these meetings. To many parents are more concerned with work. Both rents have to work to be even middle class these days. Which really doesn't help kids. Back in the days of stay at home mom's or mom's who worked parttime while kids where at school. Kids were parented better. Of course i am not saying mom's need to not have careers but mom or dad needs a career that is more flexible and allows them to be home more.

 

Me: Well I think this goes into discussion out of Manufacturing Concent. The idea that the upper class, and politicans work to create a society in which the middle class has to work to an extreme amount to stay middle class making them nothing more than tired exsausted drones. I agree with this idea for two reasons 1. I was there. I was in that boat. and 2. I see my parents everyday. They both work their asses off come home eat dinner and pass out. They don't have the energy or the time to criticly look at the world around them. At the same time I will say my own disorder aside my Mother did quit her job when I was born and raised me until high school and in that period they just went without many things.

 

Alicia: yes well child care is very expensive and half the time one parents salary goes straight to paying for the child care. It can be more cost effective to be a stay at home parent esp with young children in preschool. It's hard to find part time jobs during school hours too but that's another discussion.

You also hit the nail on the head "they just went without many things." Parents don't want to give anything up now a days. Having kids is a sacrifice and if your not willing to make it don't have kids hence why I don't have kids yet. When i am ready to let my life not be mine I will have them.

 

 

 

I'm no Philosophes but....

I for the most part agree with their outlook on the world. Is there really anything better to do with your spare time than to criticaly study, well everything to see if it provides us peace, freedom, and happieness? And if it doesn't provide those things to try and change it, peacefully, till it does. In my opinion no there's nothing better to do with your spare time. As I said in the post before this one, that is part of the goal of this whole blog at least the criticaly study part. So I'm gonna listen to Immanuel Kant and have the courage to use my own intellegence.

So the first question is why? Why do this here and now? Well as I said earlier its a great thing to do with your spare time. But if the answer was that shallow the act almost loses purpose. From my point of view the real answer is this. The world we live in isn't perfect. The nation we live in is buried in a recession, we are stuck in two wars, one of them is by the definition given it, by our leaders, is unwinable. It takes 5 hours to get a license renewed, two months to get unemployment, the national deficit is amazing, I can go on for days and thats just in the USA. I think that answers the why now. As for why do it here? Why on the internet? Well again I don't feel theres much need of explanition. Its what pamplets were in the 1700's, its what newspapers were in the 1800's its what radio was of the 20's and 30's, it's what TV was in the 50's and 60's. The great communication tool of our time. It's like all the others that had this title. Therefore I think I can use Edward R. Murrow's comment about the tv to refer to the internet "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and even it can inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it's nothing but wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of [the internet] could be useful." That is why I choose here, to do this.

Mission Statment and Disclamer

I'm writting this blog for my own entertainment and a place to put my thoughts. If you like it great, if you find it entertaining even better. The one thing that could be better is if you join in on my thoughts and comment and or debate with me.

As the title implies the main subjects are going to be History, a call for a modern day enlightenment movement, and the "other such things." So this means cool, funny, strange historical events and thoughts on them and thoughts on modern day issues. So it won't all be my thoughts. I am going to pull an Issac Newton and state openly that I'll be "standing on the shoulders of giants". Another piece of the disclamer part is: In the words of Edward R. Murrow "If what I say is responsible, I alone, am responsible for the saying of it." That goes for what I say and I expect the same attiude from any and all persons making comments.

Sorry for such a dry begining I promise it'll get better.