Monday, February 9, 2009
New Blog
There is a new blog here http://selfinformeddiscussion.blogspot.com/ in which there will be a topic(s) of the week selected at the start of each week, probably monday and the topic must be researched for discussion. Give it a bash.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Depth Perception
How are you perceived?
Does this matter to you?
Does self perception influence how you and others perceive one another?
These questions stalk us throughout our lives and I merely want to discuss the topic as opposed to drawing conclusions because it is not something I have thought adequately about. So, I ask those who read this to evaluate the topic with me, and to weigh in on the discussion via the comments section.
Life is based on perception, it is one of the solid foundations that never leaves us throughout our journey. Whether it be the perceiving of others, ourselves or the world around us (i.e. that bubble we live in) we constantly are evaluating the constituents of life. The differences in the world can all boil down to the different angles of perception held by the billions of people that inhabit the planet. There is no depth that is without perception.
So how are you perceived? Do people look at you and say
"he's a nice guy, great sense of humour, great with the ladies"/
"She's so hot and really nice too, I'm happy I know her"
or do they say;
"That guy thinks he's slick but he's just a knob, I hope I don't bump into him today"/
"she's caked in makeup and an airhead!"
Is it possible to know know how people really look at you?How people constantly judge you by your actions and reevaluate their thoughts about you? I don't think that it is ever possible to know, truthfully, what people think about you. The reason I think this, is what I will call the lattice of life (patented). It is a totally integrated framework consisting of multiple strands that are interwoven and folded over each other but all connected. People live each day 90% in their mind and 10% in the "real world" and I'm being generous there. If you consciously go through a day paying attention to what you are actually thinking somewhat subconsciously you are in for a series of revelations:
1. I constantly judge peoples actions
2.This causes me to reinforce my prior judgement of them or modify it.
3. Most of the things people say to me I disagree with in some form or another but I never say anything about it.
4. I dictate who I talk to and interact with 99% of the time and therefore I only expose myself to stimuli that I'm familiar with (perceived familiarity).
5. At the end of each day when I reflect on the content, what is it/who is it that I remember and how do I remember it/them?
I cite these five questions because they relate to our everyday interactions and I would be here all night if I were to write the worldly ones! So by my reasoning perception is not static but dynamic. Its ever changing and maybe, we are only truly content and happy with life when that dynamic is in equilibrium. Is this balance dependent on how we are perceived by others or vice versa? I would have to say it is the first of the two. If you feel that you have done something wrong, stupid or felt that somebody didn't like your actions you start to feel uncomfortable. Now, this happens most days as it is almost impossible to sail through a day without offending, annoying or antagonising somebody but it is how we perceive that somebody is the important thing! If we perceive that person as important or integral to a social network (e.g.dublin feudal system) then how they perceive us is quite important. On the other hand if we see that person as unimportant then it is easier to shrug it off and it can almost become humourous to antagonise this person. From this I think its fair to say that how we perceive others and how we are perceived are interwoven almost on a scale. But where does self perception come in then?
Self perception appears to be the rudimentary foundation upon which all other perceptions rest and I will tell you my reasons for this. I perceive myself to be a good guy who can have a laugh and a serious conversation, but I also know that I'm not everyones cup of tea. What I perceive to be funny others will find ignorant and obnoxious. What I perceive to be good and well intentioned others may see as irrelevant and vainglorious. This is just two examples of how I can be perceived by anybody. I choose to think of myself as the good guy with a sense of humour, therefore anybody who thinks otherwise, I don't value as highly and as a result I can be content or satisfied. It is only when somebody I see as important doesn't like something I do that I become uncomfortable and seek to resolve the issue. I'm not going to delve into personalities in this blog but I wish to recognise that they play a vital role in peoples self perception and thus their worldly perception (e.g. somebody who is confident vs somebody who is depressed). It is ultimately how we see ourselves that censors our outside stimuli i.e. everyday activities/ interactions.
Does how people perceive you matter to you?
This question could be hugely debated but, in my opinion, I think that it does matter. Whenever I hear somebody say "I don't care what people think of me" immediately I think that person cares too much about what people think and is completely out of equilibrium and thus discontented. For any who disagree I put this to you;
The fact that you think about an incident means its registered and as a result requires mental evaluation. So in your head you examine what went on, how did I deal with it, how do I feel about this and how did it come across? If you come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter either you have perceived the dilemma as unimportant/unvaluable or you are trying to persuade yourself to think this. Ultimately everything matters, even the unimportant things/ people.
So in conclusion, The world we live in is dominated by our depth perceptions and it is this lattice of life that needs to be at equilibrium for us to live happily ever after. Just something to chew over for you guys.
Furthermore,this leads me to ask is our whole life shaped in our depth perception? Is every decision we make based on our accumulated perception?
These are questions that will require a lot more thought and I'm tired so maybe in the future.
(now you could be thinking, has mark perceived this question to be beyond his thought range and just not admitted it? I didn't like this blog but I like the others so already I've reevaluated Mark and how I perceive him)
I apologise for the amount of times I used the word perception but it was largely unavoidable.
Blog Over
Does this matter to you?
Does self perception influence how you and others perceive one another?
These questions stalk us throughout our lives and I merely want to discuss the topic as opposed to drawing conclusions because it is not something I have thought adequately about. So, I ask those who read this to evaluate the topic with me, and to weigh in on the discussion via the comments section.
Life is based on perception, it is one of the solid foundations that never leaves us throughout our journey. Whether it be the perceiving of others, ourselves or the world around us (i.e. that bubble we live in) we constantly are evaluating the constituents of life. The differences in the world can all boil down to the different angles of perception held by the billions of people that inhabit the planet. There is no depth that is without perception.
So how are you perceived? Do people look at you and say
"he's a nice guy, great sense of humour, great with the ladies"/
"She's so hot and really nice too, I'm happy I know her"
or do they say;
"That guy thinks he's slick but he's just a knob, I hope I don't bump into him today"/
"she's caked in makeup and an airhead!"
Is it possible to know know how people really look at you?How people constantly judge you by your actions and reevaluate their thoughts about you? I don't think that it is ever possible to know, truthfully, what people think about you. The reason I think this, is what I will call the lattice of life (patented). It is a totally integrated framework consisting of multiple strands that are interwoven and folded over each other but all connected. People live each day 90% in their mind and 10% in the "real world" and I'm being generous there. If you consciously go through a day paying attention to what you are actually thinking somewhat subconsciously you are in for a series of revelations:
1. I constantly judge peoples actions
2.This causes me to reinforce my prior judgement of them or modify it.
3. Most of the things people say to me I disagree with in some form or another but I never say anything about it.
4. I dictate who I talk to and interact with 99% of the time and therefore I only expose myself to stimuli that I'm familiar with (perceived familiarity).
5. At the end of each day when I reflect on the content, what is it/who is it that I remember and how do I remember it/them?
I cite these five questions because they relate to our everyday interactions and I would be here all night if I were to write the worldly ones! So by my reasoning perception is not static but dynamic. Its ever changing and maybe, we are only truly content and happy with life when that dynamic is in equilibrium. Is this balance dependent on how we are perceived by others or vice versa? I would have to say it is the first of the two. If you feel that you have done something wrong, stupid or felt that somebody didn't like your actions you start to feel uncomfortable. Now, this happens most days as it is almost impossible to sail through a day without offending, annoying or antagonising somebody but it is how we perceive that somebody is the important thing! If we perceive that person as important or integral to a social network (e.g.dublin feudal system) then how they perceive us is quite important. On the other hand if we see that person as unimportant then it is easier to shrug it off and it can almost become humourous to antagonise this person. From this I think its fair to say that how we perceive others and how we are perceived are interwoven almost on a scale. But where does self perception come in then?
Self perception appears to be the rudimentary foundation upon which all other perceptions rest and I will tell you my reasons for this. I perceive myself to be a good guy who can have a laugh and a serious conversation, but I also know that I'm not everyones cup of tea. What I perceive to be funny others will find ignorant and obnoxious. What I perceive to be good and well intentioned others may see as irrelevant and vainglorious. This is just two examples of how I can be perceived by anybody. I choose to think of myself as the good guy with a sense of humour, therefore anybody who thinks otherwise, I don't value as highly and as a result I can be content or satisfied. It is only when somebody I see as important doesn't like something I do that I become uncomfortable and seek to resolve the issue. I'm not going to delve into personalities in this blog but I wish to recognise that they play a vital role in peoples self perception and thus their worldly perception (e.g. somebody who is confident vs somebody who is depressed). It is ultimately how we see ourselves that censors our outside stimuli i.e. everyday activities/ interactions.
Does how people perceive you matter to you?
This question could be hugely debated but, in my opinion, I think that it does matter. Whenever I hear somebody say "I don't care what people think of me" immediately I think that person cares too much about what people think and is completely out of equilibrium and thus discontented. For any who disagree I put this to you;
The fact that you think about an incident means its registered and as a result requires mental evaluation. So in your head you examine what went on, how did I deal with it, how do I feel about this and how did it come across? If you come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter either you have perceived the dilemma as unimportant/unvaluable or you are trying to persuade yourself to think this. Ultimately everything matters, even the unimportant things/ people.
So in conclusion, The world we live in is dominated by our depth perceptions and it is this lattice of life that needs to be at equilibrium for us to live happily ever after. Just something to chew over for you guys.
Furthermore,this leads me to ask is our whole life shaped in our depth perception? Is every decision we make based on our accumulated perception?
These are questions that will require a lot more thought and I'm tired so maybe in the future.
(now you could be thinking, has mark perceived this question to be beyond his thought range and just not admitted it? I didn't like this blog but I like the others so already I've reevaluated Mark and how I perceive him)
I apologise for the amount of times I used the word perception but it was largely unavoidable.
Blog Over
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Movember
In case you haven't heard, or seen, movember the month "formally known as November" is taking the world by storm!Or is it? In this edition I will review the merits of movember as well as the weaknesses.
I heard of movember last year when Andy Goode and a few other Leicester Tigers rugby players were sporting mo's ( which in case you are unaware are styled moustaches). In this instance I think the money raised was going to the Matt Hamill foundation instead of prostate cancer which is the direct charity of movember. I have 3 questions?
Does Movember raise awareness or is it just a stylish/hip thing to do?
What, if any, is the use of 'mo sistas'?
finally,
Just november?
Upon visiting the website it is clear to me that this charity is all about being upbeat and trendy, aimed at 'mo bros' who wanna raise awareness!!!Firstly, for this campaign to have any effect surely the advertising should span a greater age group than arguably 18 to 33? I say arguably because it really depends when a person is capable of growing facial hair and I say 33 because after that you just look ridiculous ( although this is the aim). Do men over 35 not get prostate cancer? I thought that was approaching the risk category but why would we want them to know!!! Its great to see the youth of today taking such an interest in the problems of tomorrow!! i mean realistically who in the aforementioned age target pop is really concerned about developing prostate cancer? Fair enough if it runs in the family but thats not a high percentage. People aren'y even setting up mortgages at this age never mind worrying about a disease that they probably won't get! This generation is worried about women, drink, nights out, college and work. This target age group feels like its invincible;
"that'll never happen to me" syndrome.
Which leads me to ask the motive behind participating in Movember. The main reason, in my opinion, being that it is one extra thing to talk about, something to draw attention to yourself. It is proposed that mo bro's are a 'a walking billboard' for prostate cancer.?When I see somebody in the street with a moustache I don't immediately think about prostate cancer and the detrimental effects that may be 20 years around the corner!!I think, this guy looks like an idiot!Most the time you never even know that they are involved in Movember because the 'mo' just looks like a moustache. In conclusion to my first question, Movember appears, to me, to be just another way to stand out in a society that gradually sucks you into conformity as you age.
My second question...mo sista's. This is a piece from the website www.movember.com ( I hope to raise awareness for prostate cancer as we speak)
Calling all Mo Sistas...
As you've probably noticed(Not really) Movember isn't just for the lads. Mo Sistas can get involved in Movember in numerous ways by:
- [ Registering ] as a team captain or part of a team, recruiting Mo Bros and raising some money
- Once registered enter the Mo Sista Competition - Pose with Mo's. All we need you to do is [ submit a photo ] of you and your Mo to be in the running to win an awesome Mo Sista pack! It's that easy!
- Organising events like [ Mo Town ] or [ Mo Office] parties
- Attending the highly anticipated [ Gala Partés ] and voting for your Man of Movember
- Making a [ donation ] to a Mo Bro
- Generally showing love for the Mo!(great, when do I start!)
I realise that I have been highly cynical here and I am aware that any donations are better than none but I just have an issue with the way movember presents itself. Why is there only one month for this cancer promo?What happens the other 11 months when prostate cancer isn't on the map? Surely this has to be seen as a flaw! What happens to these mo bro's and sista's, do they just hibernate and forget about their good cause?The build up to november must be agonising! There is surely a better method for raising year round awareness of prostate cancer.
In closing I would like to say that I blogged this not because I am jealous of those who can gro mo's but because movember appears to be a trendy style option for the month of november as opposed to a charity for prostate cancer. The movember creator needs to think of a way to branch out to the population that this actually concerns and is a real concern of. The website needs to be populated with prostate cancer material and not just a fun place to put mini mo's on a picture of your face ( whose face fits they're mo's I would like to know?). There is one page about prostate cancer and a referral link to a proper website.??strange that the creators couldn't take the time to relay the facts on their website.
Blog over
(I had no real drive to write the GAA conspiracy yet, nothing sparked the fire but soon my friends)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Dublin Feudal System
I was out last night and the discussion arose between myself and Lorcan over the system of recognition that occurs on Dublin nights out. Rio's was the cited example. Lorcan's point is that everybody knows everyone in some way essentially and as a result most of the night is spent talking to acquaintances. Having grown up in dublin and gone to a rugby playing school, this inevitably happens to me on a night out in dublin.I can see Lorcan's point completely that going out in Dublin can be shit because of the need to smooze around with everyone, thus how we are perceived on a night out is very important. Who saw what?Who was there?I didnt get to talk to such and such!
In dublin their is a hierachial system which divides itself into many levels. There are the rugby playing schools and then there are the top rugby playing schools players (leinster schools) who are at the top of the totem to whom everybody wants to be associated with. Then on the other side there is the top girls who are inevitably the prettiest and going out with the top guys. Everything else that occurs on a night out is centred around this fulcrum. This is the social comparison scale of how do you know such and such and this treacles down to the people on the bottom who know nobody and don't care about it. Even know in college this system is intact. What school was he/ she in? How would I know you? It is this system which dictates nights out such as rio's or dtwo and it is why the best nights out are always in places like coppers or flannerys to name a few. It is because the people that populate these places no nothing about the system in place in Dublin because they aren't from Dublin and frankly, like Lorcan, couldn't give too shits about it. Everybody who goes to coppers and is from Dublin loves it because they don't have to attend to the insecurities of who is looking at them or who they should be talking to. They can just exist amongst the people they went with and "let the hair down".
I'm not saying that these aquantainces should be ignored or pretend they don't exist, and in no way do I believe that the system will ever be broken because of the sanctuary that is schools rugby but I just think that the focus should change from hanging out in the right crowds or chatting to the right people to going out with your friends and just enjoying yourself, no matter what school you were in.
Everybody who exists in this system knows about it and deals with it on most nights out and mornings after so it is not a major secret. I'm just sick of going out in Dublin because its the same thing every week. I'm lucky in the sense that in DCU the system is much less existent then in Trinity or UCD. Although the fuckin Gaelic Conspiracy is ridiculous and I may address that in the next post. "The system is sick and we are the cure"
Bad Day in Blackrock, byKevin Power is a good read on this very topic if your interested.
In dublin their is a hierachial system which divides itself into many levels. There are the rugby playing schools and then there are the top rugby playing schools players (leinster schools) who are at the top of the totem to whom everybody wants to be associated with. Then on the other side there is the top girls who are inevitably the prettiest and going out with the top guys. Everything else that occurs on a night out is centred around this fulcrum. This is the social comparison scale of how do you know such and such and this treacles down to the people on the bottom who know nobody and don't care about it. Even know in college this system is intact. What school was he/ she in? How would I know you? It is this system which dictates nights out such as rio's or dtwo and it is why the best nights out are always in places like coppers or flannerys to name a few. It is because the people that populate these places no nothing about the system in place in Dublin because they aren't from Dublin and frankly, like Lorcan, couldn't give too shits about it. Everybody who goes to coppers and is from Dublin loves it because they don't have to attend to the insecurities of who is looking at them or who they should be talking to. They can just exist amongst the people they went with and "let the hair down".
I'm not saying that these aquantainces should be ignored or pretend they don't exist, and in no way do I believe that the system will ever be broken because of the sanctuary that is schools rugby but I just think that the focus should change from hanging out in the right crowds or chatting to the right people to going out with your friends and just enjoying yourself, no matter what school you were in.
Everybody who exists in this system knows about it and deals with it on most nights out and mornings after so it is not a major secret. I'm just sick of going out in Dublin because its the same thing every week. I'm lucky in the sense that in DCU the system is much less existent then in Trinity or UCD. Although the fuckin Gaelic Conspiracy is ridiculous and I may address that in the next post. "The system is sick and we are the cure"
Bad Day in Blackrock, byKevin Power is a good read on this very topic if your interested.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Start Beginning
My sudden inspiration to blog is from a certain William "The Heffer" Heffernan who has a very "informative" blog/ranting page at this address http://willheffernan.blogspot.com/. I feel that I would make a good blogger because my musings are expansive and mostly ridiculous, so much so that certain people (Lorcan Kavanagh and Paul O'Conor) are sick of listening to me.
The title for this first blog came from a song that I'm currently listening to-Nizlopi. This middle english folk band will be the subject matter for my first blog. Yes, yes I know the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Nizlopi...."that stupid JCB song". First thing to understand is I'm not really that big a fan of this song either so don't judge me yet. The first time I saw Nizlopi was at a Damien Dempsey in Vicar Street last December, I think. The thing that jumped right off the stage was the energy and pure enjoyment with which they played their music!!! Now if you've ever been at a Damo concert you'll know that it can be a tough and demanding crowd, which is why it was more astonishing that Luke ( the lead singer) got the crowd going brilliantly with a hook from one of their many unheard of songs. By the time the JCB song was played, the crowd were having a ball! One song jumped out at me and so after the gig I went to by their album and standing at the table was Luke so I had a chat with him and he signed my album. He's a really stand up guy, which is evident from the music he writes.
Anyway, to the point. If your willing to give Nizlopi a chance the rewards are tenfold. There music is uplifting and refreshingly different. With the current standard of music being produced in this century, " the McDonalds Music", there is little room for true artistry in an industry driven solely by money and not quality. Turning on the radio these days is like switching on a stream of processed rubbish with a handful of good songs mixed in. I'm not saying that I don't like some of the popular music out there, but its hard to fish out the good from the sea of crap! Its is solely because of the industry that brilliant bands like Nizlopi don't "make it" and the problem with this is that people are missing out not just the industry!
With John on the double bass and Luke on the guitar, it is honestly an inspiring experience to watch these two perform if you like music at all! The content of their songs is vast and is basically just a catalogue of Nizlopi's musings and experience's from there life. I will recommend 3 songs and if you give them a listen and are still not interested in more then Nizlopi is truly not for you! Luke's voice is really brilliant as well, with a great range and variation on some syllables. There style is very hard to explain so I will let there music do the talking.
1)Extraordinary
2)Drop Your Guard
3)I'm Alive Again
I have already converted two of my Friends towards the light and hope more will follow. Give them a listen and I promise you won't regret,just follow the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUms3ScecTM
Muse Over
The title for this first blog came from a song that I'm currently listening to-Nizlopi. This middle english folk band will be the subject matter for my first blog. Yes, yes I know the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Nizlopi...."that stupid JCB song". First thing to understand is I'm not really that big a fan of this song either so don't judge me yet. The first time I saw Nizlopi was at a Damien Dempsey in Vicar Street last December, I think. The thing that jumped right off the stage was the energy and pure enjoyment with which they played their music!!! Now if you've ever been at a Damo concert you'll know that it can be a tough and demanding crowd, which is why it was more astonishing that Luke ( the lead singer) got the crowd going brilliantly with a hook from one of their many unheard of songs. By the time the JCB song was played, the crowd were having a ball! One song jumped out at me and so after the gig I went to by their album and standing at the table was Luke so I had a chat with him and he signed my album. He's a really stand up guy, which is evident from the music he writes.
Anyway, to the point. If your willing to give Nizlopi a chance the rewards are tenfold. There music is uplifting and refreshingly different. With the current standard of music being produced in this century, " the McDonalds Music", there is little room for true artistry in an industry driven solely by money and not quality. Turning on the radio these days is like switching on a stream of processed rubbish with a handful of good songs mixed in. I'm not saying that I don't like some of the popular music out there, but its hard to fish out the good from the sea of crap! Its is solely because of the industry that brilliant bands like Nizlopi don't "make it" and the problem with this is that people are missing out not just the industry!
With John on the double bass and Luke on the guitar, it is honestly an inspiring experience to watch these two perform if you like music at all! The content of their songs is vast and is basically just a catalogue of Nizlopi's musings and experience's from there life. I will recommend 3 songs and if you give them a listen and are still not interested in more then Nizlopi is truly not for you! Luke's voice is really brilliant as well, with a great range and variation on some syllables. There style is very hard to explain so I will let there music do the talking.
1)Extraordinary
2)Drop Your Guard
3)I'm Alive Again
I have already converted two of my Friends towards the light and hope more will follow. Give them a listen and I promise you won't regret,just follow the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUms3ScecTM
Muse Over
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