Comfort building - quick thoughts

kinda related to Tim's previous post

*Disclaimer:
This is by no means the way one ought to consciously behave with friends or acquaintances. They are simply tools for interaction with strangers you wish to influence and persuade.*

The capacity to build and maintain comfort, especially with "strangers", is in my opinion the single most powerful social skill to possess. Humor and wit are key components. Destroy a taboo shield and you strike at the heart and the mind. An immediate sense of intimacy builds.

Cold reading knowledge, fine-tuned intuition (which can be acquired by experience), adaptability, adjusted body language such as mirroring, displaying equal status, social psychology knowledge (the bit where intuition is not very useful), not being self-conscious nor taking anything seriously are other elements.

If a person can combine this with the capacity to control the frame of the interaction, i.e. to undetectably pull the strings, the social game in any context is won.

Epiphany 1

I think that by starting the previous immaturely-inspired thread, I may have finally stumbled upon the answer to a question that has been blissfully preoccupying my mind for the most of the past 6 years. What is the significance and evolutionary purpose of laughter and thusly humor?

Let’s begin…

After reading Daniel’s comment I felt the inescapable urge to add a little of me although I vastly agreed with him (I can’t help it – and neither can you, o’ reader). I was going to state that toddlers merely had less self-restraint than adults. Paired with the inescapable nature of the phenomenon (Daniel), this made children interpret a taboo as a humorous superficial idea rather than a deeply ingrained psychological restraint (of which we are so casually unaware of). But why laughter, of all the emotions we posses? Why not anger? Why not fear?

Because laughter is our way of accepting and rewarding wit and creativity, specifically triggering feelings.

Have you ever noticed that jokes get old? That the best jokes are the ones that are most unexpected? That the sense of humor changes with time (I mean on the large scale – think decades)?

As long as it is new, within our intellectual grasp and not overly taboo, we laugh. Children, specifically, laugh the most because they discover more, because to them, the world is new. The anal stage, in particular, exists because it is an inescapable occurrence that is only amplified by the society’s enduring strive to hide it; and to children, it feels like an ongoing discovery.

Whether the last statement is true or a misguided explanation for the “anal stage”, don’t let my definition of laughter and humor lose its value.

Humor, in my opinion is evolution’s way of forcing us to stay creative and rewarding those who are quick with their wit. This is nature’s way of ensuring that when we need something done quickly, our brains are active and ready. The joy of laughter comes from the bond created with the humorous individual – it is safer and more productive to stay close to one who can provide quick decisions.

Of course, in our day, with the social distribution of work, humor has become more of a means of entertainment (a way of wasting time and relaxing one might add). Wit, being a requirement for a large fraction of our jobs, no longer necessitates humor for rehearsal. Nevertheless, this instinct still serves a mildly important purpose, although it has been demoted from its original glory of a survival instinct.

(Daniel, thank you for inspiring this thread.)

Ps: I'm sorry for all the photos I posted, but I just think they're very pleasant to look at...

The Anal stage

Why do you guys think the anal stage of our psychological evolution exists and when (and why) does it end (if ever).


poop... hihihihi

Response to: “Warming up - Outgroup Homogeneity Bias”

I’ve decided to start a new thread because I figured that no one would read Daniel’s original post’s comments.

I agree with the two views being the mainstream ways that individuals view themselves (I personally belong, for the most part, to the latter – trait ascription bias). The existence of these, in my opinion, is due to the egocentric nature of humanity – which is a direct consequence of the evolutionary personal survival instinct. To evolve as a species we must all feel a certain superiority to make our (personal or group) life better. Imagine if we had bee-like minds and our only thoughts were of immediate survival paired with the protection of the clan, it would take millennia of accidental genetic mutations before we could improve our lives and our chances to survive. With our higher self-esteem, we are able to convince ourselves that we (once again, individuals or groups) deserve a better environment than others, and so, we work harder to create a better world for ourselves and evolve not genetically but socially and mentally.

Whether each individual is “ego-” or “ethno-” centric, does not matter because of the binary nature of our minds. We all have both views within us – simply one dominates. I like to think that I see myself as both an individual and a part of our species although the spectrum goes further. In reality, if one wishes to be “just” (correct) and in harmony, one should see oneself as part of the world’s ecosystem and then the entire universe. This is perhaps what the Buddhists were hinting on?

So, yes, I believe that we need to feel more complex than others but not as a means to build a sense of identity but because it’s a simple instinct of survival.

Wanting More

When is material desire innocuous and healthy? When is it harmful?

Trying to look at the big picture of consumerism is sobering.

When the world's on the Way,
they use horses to haul manure.
When the world gets off the Way,
they breed warhorses on the common.

The greatest evil: wanting more.
The worst luck: discontent
Greed's the curse of life.

To know enough's enough
is enough to know.

-Lao Tzu (as translated by Ursula K. Le Guin)

The above text is one of my favorite parts of the Tao Te Ching, especially Le Guin's beautiful translation of the last paragraph.

Karen

Karen is hunched over; she is always hunched over. Innocence and initiative are gone. Rolling the neck backwards and letting the eyes absorb the sky - the inspiration, wonder, humility and hope she would get from stargazing with her grandfather on warm summer nights - this was in a different life.

When water flows to the majestic river, it has reached its full maturity. The rushing stream, the rapids and waterfalls have been left behind. Turbulence, roaring, clashing with rocks, mad swirling eddies should never replace acquired tranquility.

Oh what a relief! The shopping cart gently moves on forward bearing her weight. Forgotten aches go unnoticed. Regular resigned huffs. Karen is tired.

-Substance

The capitalist is still alive: A ray of light in an otherwise gloomy dimension

Yes, I am aware that I was the one advocating the creation of this blog more than anyone and aside from my single “mysterious comment” (Daniel), I’ve been absent. Well, here is a post that should satisfy you and explain why I was and will be absent for a tad longer (- a sign of life one might call it).

It took two and a half years of tumultuous personality fluctuations and complete abandonment of all aspects of life taken for granted for me to come to terms with myself and gain the slightest idea of that which nourishes and sustains my self. It turned out that I simply sought freedom. In our human world, the many degrees of freedom that I seek are very difficult to obtain. Virtually every person surrounding us and every instinct within ourselves tells us to follow a path that secures our survival before our happiness. A great many even find themselves claustrophobically wedged in an unhappy lifestyle, marriage or job. On another side, many others simply lose control and abandon all civilization to live in an internal world of utter delirium. It is in my opinion that freedom requires immense amounts of self-control, knowledge and sacrifices.

Today, I am building a business for I believe it is the pathway to gain an important freedom – financial independence and power within society. This task, specifically, is (currently) requiring me to sacrifice my interest in intelligent ideas and intelligent debate.

– I must and it is an inevitable consequence of one of the first stages of my plan to become consumed with the business.

I hope that my lack of reading has not, yet again, hindered my ability to express myself.

Men's Four Yoga Challenges

Almost every part of the body will greatly benefit from a complete yoga workout. However, there are poses which are particularly crucial for men because of their anatomical focus on areas that seem to affect us more than our female counterparts.

1. The hamstrings
2. The abdomen
   
3. The hips
   
4. The lower back

The first two zones are muscular. The hamstrings are usually too tight and the core too weak to bear the weight of the rest of the body.
The second two are joint complexes. Hips are locked and the lower back is inflamed and stiff.

These parts of the body are too often overlooked by bodybuilders and many other athletes who could avoid pain and increase performance by targeting these areas from time to time.

Upavishta Konasana is recommended for the hips and lower back.
Paripurna Navasana for abdominal strength.
Uttanasana done properly will help stretch hamstrings and the lower back

Namaste.

My new motto!

"If it hurts, don't do it!" ROFL!

Timotei

Dude! If you don't post a smiley face in the comments of this post by the 20th of this month you are officially a wanker :)

Oh and, in case it wasn't blatantly obvious, I am talking to you Tim :)

Timotei is a shampoo brand owned by Unilever. The word Timotei comes from a wild grass called Timothy-grass.

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.

Greek philosophers were in some ways antiquity's Oprahs and Dr. Phils, Cosmopolitan Magazine columnists and self-development gurus.

A quick read of Plato's Republic will clearly reveal that the Agora's poets, sophists and demagogic political figures were more likely to be lionized by Athenians. Yet, although their popularity certainly overshadowed philosophers', they did not offer the precious self-help or self-improvement tips the bearded nerds provided.

Our typically Western perspective of associating these thinkers with Senex - Jung's Wise Old Man Archetype - whose works are recondite and daunting, for spectacled college professors or brave hippies only, hides an essential part of the picture. The conventional division of philosophy into metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and logic - let's not forget aesthetics, religion and politics - tends to make us forget about the reality of ancient times; the philosopher's job was to give his contemporaries a concrete set of recommendations for their daily lives. Wise advice such as "use Linux instead of Windows", "play Pro Evolution Soccer rather than FIFA soccer", "work less, rock climb more", "how to pick up women".

Plato prescribed eating figs to athletes for better performance. Food certainly is a big part of daily life, and a subject people love to give their opinion about (I know I certainly do). A popular expression claims "you are what you eat". Unfortunately, the food in in the U.S. has the following characteristics:

• Fat - food is deep-fried, smeared in butter, full of low quality oil.
• Emphasizes appearance over content, i.e. is superficial - apples are shiny, drinks and sauces have a pretty color and texture. These same apples are doused in pesticides, the drinks full of carcinogenic chemicals.
• The character on the box is friendly and warm, but the box is devoid of substance - Notice how there are smiling faces on every box or bright warm designs? A quick glance at the forty ingredients list at the back, 95% of which are artificial will give you second thoughts about the pleasure-inducing properties of the food. Which leads me to the next point:
• Artificial - No, what you are eating is not supposed to taste like this; and yes, you aren't used to the original taste and don't like it anymore.
• Littered with unnecessary junk - just like a home is often full of useless items you never will need, food is loaded with things that your body does not require to function. It takes room but serves no purpose. Why do rice cakes which can be found in Europe with one or two ingredients (whole-grain rice and perhaps salt), have about seven additives in the U.S.? This last experience in the supermarket almost gave me a nervous breakdown.

I could go on, it would be unfair. After all, the U.S. are the land of plenty. The healthy food is out there for you if you look for it. Even if mainstream culture unconsciously (or consciously) encourages you to go along with the flow and eat what is advertised for and served in dining halls, you can break out of it, a myriad of possibilties exists. The good, the bad and the ugly are available. Nowhere will you find more organic food, healthier products in quantity, places to exercise, books written about health, slow eating and protecting the environment. The best college professors, the best scientists, the best experts and amazing artists.

This country is endearing. A hodgepodge which generates vertigo. A land where "less is more" becomes "more and more and more" and "more for less $". A masquerade deliquescing into concrete reality. A brave new world; pleasure and positive feelings originating from the insubstantial, the material and the immaterial.

Introducing the merry-go-round water pump

Why are these kids - crowded on a merry-go-round - smiling in front of the beaming bread tower?

They are using a fun alternative to fetching the sometimes polluted water in the stream miles away. By spinning the playground apparatus, water is being pumped up from the water table!

Great ideas like these ought to make us all smile.

The 11th Hour

Seldom have I had as disagreeable a cinematographic experience as when I went to watch 'An Inconvenient Truth', in fact the only time worse was when my friend and I opted to watch 'Superstar' instead of the 'Sixth Sense' (he didn't feel like watching anything remotely frightening or dark - we were 12). My then girlfriend fell asleep on my shoulder, and the only reason I did not, in turn, cede to sleep was because of my determination to find an element of value in this "documentary" which would lend some credence to the hype. In addition, I had been fostering a steadily growing interest in all things ecological for some time, an interest which continues to grow today. Needless to say, I was not impressed by Al Gore's little PowerPoint presentation sprinkled with personal anecdotes and a dose of scare tactics. I would have much preferred he had spammed the internet with his .pps file and shut-up instead of regaling us with stories about his nanny that died of lung cancer, after which his father stopped growing tobacco (how touching [barf!]), in a "documentary" that felt more like an attempt at political-rehabilitation. Complete and utter WASTE OF TIME! I do, however, have to admit that the film did play an important role in raising awareness across the globe so... props to you Mr. Gore!

The 11th Hour unlike its predecessor does not restrict itself to scare-tactics, nor does it even dwell on these elements too long, but rather chooses to emphasize that this is a time of change and, therefore, a time of opportunities. The documentary has a very straightforward structure with Leonardo DiCaprio acting as a transition between the various parts of the film:

1. Intro
2. How did we get here?
   
3. Where are we today and where are we headed?
4. Why have we not yet made a change?
   
5. Human crisis
6. Human solution, human opportunity
   

So, what did I like about it? It was well paced, gave you an overview of the situation and its context without losing itself in detail, it had a broad panel of contributors each with their own perspectives and illustrations, it was cathartic and most importantly it was positive. I got up after watching the film feeling good and wanting to take action.

Alot of things struck home with me and I am sure to watch it again with paper and pen in hand to take note of the more interesting tidbits. I won't bother listing them here, you can, and should, watch the film yourself, but I will admit one thing: to illustrate man's ignorance and detachment from nature one of the contributors mentioned that by the time we are of age to attend college we have seen thousads of hours of commercials and can identify hundreds of corporate logos but that most of us are incapable of identifying ten types of trees. I thought about it and although I know the names of a few trees I don't think I could identify half of them.

It did not hurt to have my opinion on the resiliency of nature confirmed more than a few times either :)

Most imporant thing to remember? We are part of nature and nature is seamless. We are also at the top of the food chain and, therefore, the most vulnerable.

____________________________________

The above poster is not the actual film poster but rather a promotional poster made by the artist Shepard Fairey. OBEY! :) I love this guy's prints.

--==I Links I==--

IMDB - 11th Hour: www.imdb.com/title/tt0492931/
Wiki - 11th Hour: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_11th_Hour_(film)
11th Hour Action: http://11thhouraction.com/

--==I Trailer I==--

I Love To Singa - Merrie Melodies (1936)

Directed by Tex Avery -- 8 min

Warming up - Outgroup Homogeneity Bias

Can a sense of identity only develop at the cost of believing that others are less complex and therefore more predictable?

After all, isn't reduction of complexity paramount as a strategy to operate properly in the social world?

____________________________________

In Star Trek, humans are almost always the only species with multiple cultures; alien species are almost universally depicted as having a single culture.

A pretty intuitively obvious pair of cognitive biases would argue in favor of this argument: the outgroup homogeneity bias and the trait ascription bias. The main difference between the two is that the first relates to the group and the second to the individual.

I know, I am not kicking this off in a particularly merry spirit or allowing a smooth inception, but hey! ... ok, here's your smile ;) Don't worry, there will be lots of room devoted to fluff and idle palaver later on!

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article:

"According to the outgroup homogeneity bias, individuals see members of their own group as being relatively more varied than members of other groups.

This bias was found to be unrelated to the number of group and non-group members individuals knew. You might think that people thought members of their own groups were more varied and different simply because they knew them better, but this is actually not the case. The outgroup homogeneity bias was found between groups such as "men" and "women" who obviously interact frequently.

The implications of this effect to stereotyping is obvious, and it may be related to confirmation bias"

I'll devote a post to the confirmation bias later

Trait ascription bias Wikipedia article:
"Trait ascription bias is the tendency for people to view themselves as relatively variable in terms of personality, behavior and mood while viewing others as much more predictable in their personal traits across different situations. This may be because our own internal states are much more observable and available to us than those of others (more on the availability heuristic and other heuristics in a later post).

This attributional bias has an obvious role in the formation and maintenance of stereotypes and prejudice, combined with the negativity effect."

Trying to give order to a mind which is by nature a "disorganized mind", is probably inevitable and a source of violence.

Houston, we have a prob...

...oh, no, it's cool! Just another blog :)