The word of the day today is:
ratiocination: Reasoning. The process of conscious deliberate inference.
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This phrase has come up several times in the past few months.
I don't care
I've used the phrase before. Not often, because I think it's a bit careless and, very harmful, but there have been occasions. Let's break it down:
Used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself
It's just me. What is it that distinguishes us from others?
I remember one of my teachers in high school giving us a bunch of words / phrases and definitions throughout the class. One phrase he defined for us was: Frame of Reference.
Ones total outlook on a given situation as determined by ones position.
Lots of factors help define our frame of reference. There are cultural differences, social / economic differences, different experiences; lets face it, we're all different. That's what I is all about. We are all different.
What is the capacity of 'I'? We are capable of amazing things as individuals and as groups. We can create great works of art, perform great music, achieve great physical feats, but these are all self-proclaimed achievements. We set the bar. In a transient world, what makes one poem better or greater than another? What makes any one achievement greater than another? It seems so arbitrary at times.
We are also capable of horrific acts of violence and selfishness. We are an enigma.
We can use language, art, music, interpretive dance, any number of methods to try and share our thoughts with others, but ultimately we can't truly know what another feels or thinks.
Contraction of Do and Not. Got to love contractions. O'clock, 'twas, y'all, ok now it's confusing.
To eliminate the risk of freaking out the grammer police, I propose we always write it's (it is) and its (possesive) as it(')s.
If we are going to do something, we are going to work on something, take an action or perform a task. We are going to create or make something.
Not just gives us the negative in this case. So we are going to not perform or not take an action, or not do something.
But isn't the statement itself an action. Isn't simply saying I don't care showing at least some level of concern? The statement itself implies a kind of hypocrisy.
hypocrisy: The practice of claiming to have moral standards or belief to which one's own behavior does nto conform; pretense.
It's a verb in this statement. An action word, in this case to feel concern or show interest, to like, to look after.
Would you care for some tea?
What is the rest of the sentence? I don't care what you think? I don't care about you. Would we say I Care if the reverse were true? Maybe, but I don't know.
I see folks occasionally lament the anti-bullying campaigns. They don't see why bullying is bad, or why folks can't stand up for themselves. Maybe that is true for them. Maybe they have never been in a situation where they assert themselves. But I doubt that is the case.
I wonder what they care about. Can a persons crust become so thick that they don't have anything left inside? Just using the phrase I don't care must mean there is at least a spark of humanity left in them. I hope so. If not, then I worry they may truly not care, and there's not much left after that.
BTW - I care.
I shaved my head today. I've shaved my head before, and I like the look and feel, but what do I know.
Some folks have a great head for shaving, and some don't. I fear I fall into the don't category, but after a certain age, we all stop caring.
Once all the hair is gone, one can delve into the delightful pseudoscience of Phrenology. Of course, who am I to judge, perhaps phrenology is accurate and worth study. It makes as much sense as....
I'll leave the last sentence open for others to fill in.
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Words It's funny how differently people react to words and what is said. Some words effect people very emotionally, and some people pride themselves in their stoicism and hard-heartedness. Either way, you can't stop the associations in your head. The thoughts are often disjointed and leap from topic to topic, but that's half the fun.
Are you ready? Read the words below and see how you react to them.
Exercise, flexibility, and for some a spiritual practice. India and ancient wisdom. Crow pose.
This is what I think of:
And some people don't. People start pollution, and people can stop it.
Every time I see someone flicking their cigarettes out of their giant 8-passenger gas guzzlers:
And some people don't.
Potential energy. Capacity. The future.
I never really understood potential energy in school. I could do the math and recite the definition, but I really didn't get it. Kinetic energy, no problem. Things are in motion, but potential energy? The whole idea seems so uncertain.
Remember that great 'All In The Family' episode where Edith finds a lump in her breast, and they spend the whole show trying to keep the information from Archie? (Edith's Christmas Story) Edith is worried about what it could mean to her and Archie, the potential her situation has to possibly destroy their marriage. Margaret Atwood summed it up pretty good:
Time is another element
you never think about
until it's gone.
Things like ceilings, or air.
Selflessness is a challenging word. I've asked several people over the years to give me their definition of selflessness. I was surprised that some folks actually see a negative side to selflessness. It never occurred to me, but from a raw, single definition, being without self, I can see how that could mean a loss to some folks. A selfless person could be someone that is empty.
selflessness: altruism: the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others.
If you Google selflessness, you'll actually find folks writing that being selfless is a bad thing. Baffling. What could be more human than an unselfish concern for others? The flickr tag for selfless shows lots of images of soldiers. I get what people are trying to say, and there is certainly an aspect of sacrifice associated with military duty, but selflessness? How is killing selfless? Don't sweat to much about that, it's just my opinion. Don't let my use of words effect you emotionally.
The Wikipedia article for selflessness breaks the ideas down to scientific, religious and philosophical views. And it introduces a new word that I hadn't thought of, 'Sacrifice'. I'm not sure I agree. Sacrifice implies a loss to the individual, an egoism that I don't find in selflessness. To be selfless, ego plays no part. Take the great quote from Absolutely Fabulous:
What's the point of grieving if there's no one there to see you do it?
Boy--this is a word that has been really watered down thanks to facebook and other social networks.
I always think of the wonderful Rudyard Kipling poem, "The Thousandth Man"
Nine hundred and ninety-nine can't bide
The shame or mocking or laughter,
But the Thousandth Man will stand by your side
To the gallows-foot - and after!
That's friendship, and it's worth a lot more than some electronic sheep, or the number of twitter followers.
It's something I need to work on. I need to take the time to appreciate those around me, and also be the aspects of friend to others that I hold dear.
I wonder what other words stir interesting images and contradictions? Maybe I'll start a list for another post.
Enjoy!
I haven't written in a while. I've been heads down working on a personal development project. I'll talk about it more at another time.
Objective-c is fun, and writing for a platform as exciting as the iPad and iPhone brings it's own rewards, but thank the stars for perl. I'd never get through all the data I need to wade through without perl.
Time to get back to work. Enjoy this great vid from Adele!