Sunday, March 8, 2015
Summer Sunday Afternoon Afterlife
Also I've been struck yet again by how...unsavory the human race can be.
But...there is some silver lining in this (not a play books worth...HA).
We've been learning about the Milgram studies in a few of my Psych classes and it's something I knew about before but it's always interesting...oh and the Zimbardo Prison Experiment too (If you're unfamiliar with either of those Google em...interesting/disturbing stuff).
Essentially both of studies conclude with the same idea...under the right conditions (those conditions basically being someone else is taking responsibility for your actions and you also view that someone else as a legitimate authority) the MAJORITY of regular, average, perfectly mentally healthy folks can and will do horrible atrocities.
Later they won't understand why and usually almost always the answer is "I was just following orders."
Now this isn't to make some anti-military point (Abu Ghraib is one of many instances that makes these implications clear so I don't have to drone on myself) but just to be aware...most evil isn't "outside evil."
Outside evil is inside of us.
So what's the silver lining? If we live with that awareness we CAN be better people. If we understand that about 65-70 percent of people will hesitantly but willingly shock a person to death for the purposes of a science experiment (Milgram) then we also understand that there is some 30-35 that could potentially be heroes.
If we keep in mind that any one of us have the capacity for evil inside of us then maybe we can fight it when we're tempted to go with the flow.
So it's depressing thought initially but in the end it feels like a silver lining. There's still room for heroes. Here's to that summer Sunday afternoon afterlife. One can hope.
P.S.-Has anyone else been seeing the night sky recently? Last night was pretty amazing...hoping for another good one tonight. G'night folks.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Start
Does this inspire you? Does it make you think of something you want to do, but keeps not happening because of "priorities"? Start. This is a reminder to myself, as much as it is to you. I'll end this bloggette with another quote, a personal favorite of mine:
Monday, March 2, 2015
Interrupted shower
So here I stand, with only a towel draped around me in the bathroom. My hair is full of soap. The shower head made this noise, like a dying squeaky toy, and suddenly the water was completely gone, and I stood there suddenly confused. Sarah is going to the well/pump/whatever to check it out. And I wait...with no concrete plan to rinse the soap out of my hair. I decided to write about it. Normally I'd just write a quick sentence about it on Facebook but now you're getting a whole blog post about it! Also I could be editor of Sodo Mojo and make money. Writing about Mariners and MAKING MONEY. I guess the key is that the money isn't nearly enough to live on. And I'm writing for the Mariners now and making money...just separately, haha. College is the better thing to focus on...its got better payback. That's what I keep telling myself. I just heard a door open...I think Sarah might be back in from outside. Maybe there is water! I must investigate! Have a good night folks. And...hey! Its almost spring.