The question was: "Do you agree, is change a necessary part of life for there to be any progress of any kind?"
I do agree actually, that change is necessary for progression to be made. If everything stayed the same forever and ever, no one would ever go anywhere and we would all continue doing the same things. Change is not always the best thing at certain times but it can and does move things forward. Change doesn't even have to be big things like a new president; change can be trying a new type of food, or listening to a new type of music. These little changes progress your life in variety, which is a good thing, but again, it is still moving forward even though the changes are very little. People tend to be afraid of change because they generalize change as being something huge and new and unknown. But if it is taken at small steps, change doesn't have to be so bad and progression will eventually be made. Staying the same is not a bad thing either, if it makes people happy, but you never know if your life could be better until you try new things and make changes (big or small).
If someone were to never change their life at all, would you think there was something wrong with them?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Seeing is Believing?
This post is in response to the question from Cronin's Thought Maze: "Do you believe there is more to life than what we see? "
I think there are certainly things out there that we have not discovered yet. And I also think that there can be things on earth or in the spiritual realm that we cannot see but we must just believe or choose not to. A lot of people choose only to believe something once they have seen it for themselves with their own eyes. Seeing is Believing. But sometimes just having faith in something can make the belief stronger as was said in the blog. Believing is Seeing. Once you truly believe in something, it will open you up to so much more and faith can be guided by something strong. If we rely on only what we see, life would not be nearly as interesting as it is if we take risks and believe in things that we cannot neccessarily see for ourselves. Take the idea of ghosts and the spiritual world. There are people who believe in them, people who are skeptical, and people who don't believe in this at all. Either way, the possibility that something like a ghost from the past could haunt a place, object, or person makes for an interesting idea and brings up debates about beliefs and faith.
What do you think about the supernatural world?
Are we being tricked? Is there something else really out there?
I think there are certainly things out there that we have not discovered yet. And I also think that there can be things on earth or in the spiritual realm that we cannot see but we must just believe or choose not to. A lot of people choose only to believe something once they have seen it for themselves with their own eyes. Seeing is Believing. But sometimes just having faith in something can make the belief stronger as was said in the blog. Believing is Seeing. Once you truly believe in something, it will open you up to so much more and faith can be guided by something strong. If we rely on only what we see, life would not be nearly as interesting as it is if we take risks and believe in things that we cannot neccessarily see for ourselves. Take the idea of ghosts and the spiritual world. There are people who believe in them, people who are skeptical, and people who don't believe in this at all. Either way, the possibility that something like a ghost from the past could haunt a place, object, or person makes for an interesting idea and brings up debates about beliefs and faith.
What do you think about the supernatural world?
Are we being tricked? Is there something else really out there?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Answering Laura
Laura brought up the question "What do you think about Buddhism?"
The question is simple enough but the answer could go in so many ways. I agree with a lot of things that Buddhism goes by. I think it's a great idea to take violence out of the picture but not necessarily to the extent of not being able to defend yourself. Being able to defend yourself is really important if you get attacked but if violence was taken out of the picture entirely then there would be no need to defend yourself.
Another aspect I like about Buddhism is that there is no karma, only cause and effect: good actions cause good effects and same for bad actions causing bad effects. It's along the same lines as karma because what you put in for effort will cause what you receive in return, but you don't get the idea of getting a random good thing happen to you if you behave or a random bad thing happen if you wronged someone or did something bad.
Nirvana is another great thing to believe in. The idea that this is your life here and now, try to get what you can while you can and achieve whatever goals you want to while you still have your life ahead of you because there (according to Buddhism) is no reincarnation afterlife. There is no chance of reaching enlightenment after your turn in life is over so learn as much as you can, do everything you want to (without going past harmful societal limits like murdering) and you will have had a successful life once it's over.
One thing that can go either way in Buddhism in my opinion is the fact that there is no worshipping of gods. A good thing about not believing in a god is that you don't have anyone to turn to; you decide for yourself who you are going to be/what type of person you are and what your ultimate purpose is in life. But not having anyone to turn to can also be looked at as a bad thing. Sometimes its nice to know that someone is always there no matter what even if it seems like you're all alone and you are just looking for some type of guidance.
If I had to choose between Hinduism and Buddhism I would probably choose Buddhism. What would you choose?
The question is simple enough but the answer could go in so many ways. I agree with a lot of things that Buddhism goes by. I think it's a great idea to take violence out of the picture but not necessarily to the extent of not being able to defend yourself. Being able to defend yourself is really important if you get attacked but if violence was taken out of the picture entirely then there would be no need to defend yourself.
Another aspect I like about Buddhism is that there is no karma, only cause and effect: good actions cause good effects and same for bad actions causing bad effects. It's along the same lines as karma because what you put in for effort will cause what you receive in return, but you don't get the idea of getting a random good thing happen to you if you behave or a random bad thing happen if you wronged someone or did something bad.
Nirvana is another great thing to believe in. The idea that this is your life here and now, try to get what you can while you can and achieve whatever goals you want to while you still have your life ahead of you because there (according to Buddhism) is no reincarnation afterlife. There is no chance of reaching enlightenment after your turn in life is over so learn as much as you can, do everything you want to (without going past harmful societal limits like murdering) and you will have had a successful life once it's over.
One thing that can go either way in Buddhism in my opinion is the fact that there is no worshipping of gods. A good thing about not believing in a god is that you don't have anyone to turn to; you decide for yourself who you are going to be/what type of person you are and what your ultimate purpose is in life. But not having anyone to turn to can also be looked at as a bad thing. Sometimes its nice to know that someone is always there no matter what even if it seems like you're all alone and you are just looking for some type of guidance.
If I had to choose between Hinduism and Buddhism I would probably choose Buddhism. What would you choose?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Immortality response
Posted in response to Julia's question about immortality: "Would you choose immortality?"
This was one of the topics we discussed in my ethics class in high school. It was a very interesting subject because it could be interpreted in many ways as Julia discussed in her post. It could mean we live forever but still age. It could mean we can never die..etc. But immortality does interfere with the natural order of life in my opinion. The nature of things is that all beings are supposed to die to make room for the new ones being born. If no one or even some people were to never die, overpopulation could come into effect. Another problem that might occur is jealousy. If one person were to become immortal, others would get jealous and cause riots because they want to experience immortailty for themselves. What if it were only available to certain people because if it were a new thing, only the wealthy would be able to obtain it. But getting back to the original question, I personally would not choose immortality. I would want to keep things the way they are supposed to be, meaning i would eventually die, to let others have their chance to experience life when my turn ends. Immortality would upset the balance of nature and so I myself would not choose it.
Do you think immortality will ever become available with our advancing technology?
This was one of the topics we discussed in my ethics class in high school. It was a very interesting subject because it could be interpreted in many ways as Julia discussed in her post. It could mean we live forever but still age. It could mean we can never die..etc. But immortality does interfere with the natural order of life in my opinion. The nature of things is that all beings are supposed to die to make room for the new ones being born. If no one or even some people were to never die, overpopulation could come into effect. Another problem that might occur is jealousy. If one person were to become immortal, others would get jealous and cause riots because they want to experience immortailty for themselves. What if it were only available to certain people because if it were a new thing, only the wealthy would be able to obtain it. But getting back to the original question, I personally would not choose immortality. I would want to keep things the way they are supposed to be, meaning i would eventually die, to let others have their chance to experience life when my turn ends. Immortality would upset the balance of nature and so I myself would not choose it.
Do you think immortality will ever become available with our advancing technology?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Response to Jenna
Jenna posted the question "Do you think these are results of children not being educated well enough about violence and the severe consequences? Or some people just live for thrills no matter what the consequence?" concerning the kill thrill that teens/pre-teens seem to have
I don't think that these children are hurting people because of lack of education on violence. There are plenty of classes and clubs and even events like mock-accidents out there to teach kids about the acts and consequences of violence to not just other people but themselves. I think people will hurt others when they believe that those others don't matter to them. Like in your example of the story of the 18 year olds attacking a homeless person they probably believed because he was of low status that his life did not matter to them and because he wouldn't do what they wanted and buy them alcohol that it was okay to harm him and maybe even kill him. Some people like those teens think that nothing bad will ever happen to them and that they can do whatever they want to people who they believe to be inferior to themselves. They may think they won't get caught and the consequences of harming someone (stranger or not) won't happen to them. People forget the golden rule and don't treat others as equals just because they don't appear to be equal to them.
Could this just be teen rebelliance or a violent gene? or something else completely?
I don't think that these children are hurting people because of lack of education on violence. There are plenty of classes and clubs and even events like mock-accidents out there to teach kids about the acts and consequences of violence to not just other people but themselves. I think people will hurt others when they believe that those others don't matter to them. Like in your example of the story of the 18 year olds attacking a homeless person they probably believed because he was of low status that his life did not matter to them and because he wouldn't do what they wanted and buy them alcohol that it was okay to harm him and maybe even kill him. Some people like those teens think that nothing bad will ever happen to them and that they can do whatever they want to people who they believe to be inferior to themselves. They may think they won't get caught and the consequences of harming someone (stranger or not) won't happen to them. People forget the golden rule and don't treat others as equals just because they don't appear to be equal to them.
Could this just be teen rebelliance or a violent gene? or something else completely?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Response to Bryan
My post is in response to Bryan's questions "Do you think the fear of change exists? And If so, Do you believe that it is problematic in the lives of most humans?"
A lot of people are afriad to make changes in their lives, and yes, it can be a problem. I know from experience because when I was younger I was diagnosed with OCD for that reason. I was afraid when life changed around me and it affected me and my life. It still scares me a little becuase I like my daily routines becuase they make me feel safe and under control of what is going on. But big changes in life can scare anyone, whether they are like me or not. People find comfort in consistency and routines because it is what they become accostumed to and when people can control their own lives they find more comfort in that than if something happened that was out of their hands. Like Bryan commented on, people are afraid of the unknown. New things and new opportunities come about every day and the only way to learn and to improve in life is to sometimes take some risks. Take a chance and go for the opportunities because there might not be another chance for a long time or maybe not ever for that opportunity to show up again. Even little things like trying a food you've never tried before or going to a new part of town can make a difference in the way you live or see the world. Being afraid is a problem and a challenge people need to overcome all the time. But once we get past our fears it makes us feel so much better and a stronger person for having improved ourselves. Changes aren't always for the better but taking the risk to find out isn't the worst thing that could happen.
Are people only afraid of change because they worry things won't turn out they way they want them to?
A lot of people are afriad to make changes in their lives, and yes, it can be a problem. I know from experience because when I was younger I was diagnosed with OCD for that reason. I was afraid when life changed around me and it affected me and my life. It still scares me a little becuase I like my daily routines becuase they make me feel safe and under control of what is going on. But big changes in life can scare anyone, whether they are like me or not. People find comfort in consistency and routines because it is what they become accostumed to and when people can control their own lives they find more comfort in that than if something happened that was out of their hands. Like Bryan commented on, people are afraid of the unknown. New things and new opportunities come about every day and the only way to learn and to improve in life is to sometimes take some risks. Take a chance and go for the opportunities because there might not be another chance for a long time or maybe not ever for that opportunity to show up again. Even little things like trying a food you've never tried before or going to a new part of town can make a difference in the way you live or see the world. Being afraid is a problem and a challenge people need to overcome all the time. But once we get past our fears it makes us feel so much better and a stronger person for having improved ourselves. Changes aren't always for the better but taking the risk to find out isn't the worst thing that could happen.
Are people only afraid of change because they worry things won't turn out they way they want them to?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Night of Dreams
This is in response to Karla's question: "Would you prefer a night without dreams, or with dreams? Why?"
First of all, there is no such thing as a night without dreaming. Everyone dreams. You may not remember all your dreams or any of them but they do happen. I practically never remember any of my dreams and it is kind of upsetting when you dont because you would like to know what you dreamt about and maybe what it could mean. So to change your question around a little according to my answer, I would prefer a night when i remember at least one of my dreams (seeing as we have more than one every night). Dreams are just really interesting because they are mysterious images and stories and scenerios that show up in your head when you're unconscious. We try to figure out why they are there and what they mean but i dont know if that'll ever really happen. They could mean anything or nothing at all but they are still fun to have and to wonder about. Sometimes people even discuss their dreams with their friends either because they want to talk about what the dream might have meant, or just because it was really ridiculus. Dreams are a way for people to connect with each other and possibly to motivate us into doing something we wouldn't normally do.
Why is it so hard for some people and so easy for others to remember dreams? Does practice really make it any easier or is it just a predetermined thing?
First of all, there is no such thing as a night without dreaming. Everyone dreams. You may not remember all your dreams or any of them but they do happen. I practically never remember any of my dreams and it is kind of upsetting when you dont because you would like to know what you dreamt about and maybe what it could mean. So to change your question around a little according to my answer, I would prefer a night when i remember at least one of my dreams (seeing as we have more than one every night). Dreams are just really interesting because they are mysterious images and stories and scenerios that show up in your head when you're unconscious. We try to figure out why they are there and what they mean but i dont know if that'll ever really happen. They could mean anything or nothing at all but they are still fun to have and to wonder about. Sometimes people even discuss their dreams with their friends either because they want to talk about what the dream might have meant, or just because it was really ridiculus. Dreams are a way for people to connect with each other and possibly to motivate us into doing something we wouldn't normally do.
Why is it so hard for some people and so easy for others to remember dreams? Does practice really make it any easier or is it just a predetermined thing?
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