. . . w i t h | a r m s | s w i n g i n g . . .

Thursday, January 05, 2006 · posted at 1:29 AM

And then? No, no 'and then'! I'm always surprised when I ask people what they think of certain isues or theories and they reply, "I dunno, I never thought about it" or I ask them why they think a certain way and they say "I dunno, I just do."

It seems as though people are always so interested in folk psychology, figuring out the ways people behave, predicting how they'll act. This is the appeal of reality tv right? Seeing how people interact when you throw them together (Real World, Survivor) or when you break all social norms (Boiling Points). It makes sense to learn about psychology, as human interactions are necessary in all aspects of life.

But isn't it as (if not more) important to evaluate how you think and why? If psychology is the study of how people behave, philosophy can be considered the deeper question of why. So why is it that people don't know why they hold the opinions and attitudes that they do? Why do they never question the tenets which govern their everyday life?

Maybe because it's so complicated and hard to understand that you end up getting more confused and confusing others in the process (like me...I'll surely receive "your argument is weak" and "you got the defintion wrong" from those trained to even approach the subject).

I remember once I went on a twenty minute tirade about how people ultimately aren't born with a blank slate or choice or control and it's not fair... and at the very end of it while red-faced and catching my breath, the response I got was, "So?"

And I realized that my reiterating the inequalities of the world wasn't going to change anything. And if I believe that to be a truth, and the truth cannot be changed, then what? Which sounded a whole lot like the Serenity Prayer, and wow, those recovering alcoholics over at AA sure are onto something.

Maybe at the end of the proofs, theorems, and "A ·B" expressions, the really important question is not why, but this:

So?



	Thursday, January 05, 2006 · posted at 1:29 AM And then? No, no 'and then'! I'm always surprised when I ask people what they think of certain isues or theories and they reply, "I dunno, I never thought about it" or I ask them why they think a certain way and they say "I dunno, I just do." It seems as though people are always so interested in folk psychology, figuring out the ways people behave, predicting how they'll act. This is the appeal of reality tv right? Seeing how people interact when you throw them together (Real World, Survivor) or when you break all social norms (Boiling Points). It makes sense to learn about psychology, as human interactions are necessary in all aspects of life. But isn't it as (if not more) important to evaluate how you think and why? If psychology is the study of how people behave, philosophy can be considered the deeper question of why. So why is it that people don't know why they hold the opinions and attitudes that they do? Why do they never question the tenets which govern their everyday life? Maybe because it's so complicated and hard to understand that you end up getting more confused and confusing others in the process (like me...I'll surely receive "your argument is weak" and "you got the defintion wrong" from those trained to even approach the subject). I remember once I went on a twenty minute tirade about how people ultimately aren't born with a blank slate or choice or control and it's not fair... and at the very end of it while red-faced and catching my breath, the response I got was, "So?" And I realized that my reiterating the inequalities of the world wasn't going to change anything. And if I believe that to be a truth, and the truth cannot be changed, then what? Which sounded a whole lot like the Serenity Prayer, and wow, those recovering alcoholics over at AA sure are onto something. Maybe at the end of the proofs, theorems, and "A ·B" expressions, the really important question is not why, but this: So?	Recent Posts A GPS for all time. In Movies and the Meaning of ... I'm ideologically promiscuous. ~Louis, "Mu... Ply Wars: Why is 2-ply paper softer than 1-ply?Whe... Walden dreams, part II. I was at the public librar... Walden dreams. People bug me some time. Everyone ... There must be some Toros in the atmosphere. My fir... Happy Tofurkey Day I spent my first Thanksgiving ... Batty Koda: Are you sure?Zak: Positive!Batty: Onl... PBS is launching a 6 part mini-series on global he... I was flushing a public toilet when my foot slippe... Morning news babie goose ryan bluemouse daves son dawntaught desiree diorama emily escadawg galveric high entropy invisible cube jepgato kyellow lilly mhuang mogbert nudream starfish + coffee verbivore Archives March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 January 2007 March 2007 April 2007 November 2008

	all humiliation © by author