|
| Bridges
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I remember on the first day of seventh grade the school hired some dreadlocked, rastafarian-esque inspirational speaker to come and talk to us. I recall thinking it was pretty lame, but sat through it anyway. In the past few years, though, some of what he said has been coming back to me.
The centerpiece of his speech was a metaphor he had concocted likening friendships to bridges. When you become friends with someone, a bridge is jointly created between the two of you to share you experiences. When friendships are broken, the bridges just don't collapse, they have to be torn down. But each party can only tear down their half. The other party can leave their part of the bridge up.
And the point he was trying to make was that even if one of your friends tears down their half of the bridge, leave yours up. Leave open the chance to reconect the bridge. Don't hold a grudge for that. Because why should you? What's the point? How does it benefit you to go out of your way to dislike someone? I always leave that bridge up, because there's no reason to tear mine down, too. Friendships can end for some pretty stupid things, but as long as one person is willing to leave their gate open and rebuild the friendship, they never really go away.
Which goes to an even deeper point: why do some people go out of their way to dislike other people? Honestly, what do you get out of that? I know a lot of people that always complain about certain individuals, and it really gets on my nerves. Why the hatred? Why so eager to be negative? As RI once pointed out:
"my standard is why shouldnt i like a person, not why should i like them."
I can only think of one person I honestly, truly dislike. Then there are a few people I'd just rather not be around, and then there's everyone else. Most people, I've found, are really nice! They're courteous, funny, interesting, and overall good people. You can jump to conclusions about someone you've talked to a few times, but you don't really know them at all, how can you honestly say you dislike them? You'll meet a lot of new people and make a lot of new friends if you're a bit more open.
So don't tear down bridges and don't try to dislike. All it does it hurt your relationships, and that's no fun. Just having a less negative outlook will do wonders for you, and you might even find yourself in a better mood!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whoo!
| | |
| How Important is Religion in a Relationship?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll get on those MSPaint things soon, but this idea hit me today, so I decided to not waste any time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How important do you think religion is in a relationship? I don't just
mean a girlfriend or boyfriend, I mean any sort of social relationship:
friendship, dating, marriage, siblings, kids, etc. To what level does
it affect the relationship, and does it make a difference, and if so,
how and for what kinds of relationships?
Also, I want to clarify the question in regards to offspring. I'm not
asking the question as in do you feel the need to raise your child the
same religion as you (although if you want to answer it that way,
that's fine). What I mean is, should your child decide to pursue a
different religious path than you, how does it affect your personal
relationship?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good discussion, maybe?
| | |
| MSPaint Time!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm bored because you guys are rather untalkative, although I guess rants aren't terribly conducive to discussion. Don't worry, I'll think of something good soon. Until then, though. I want everyone to give me suggestions on what to make in MSPaint, animated or otherwise. I haven't screwed around with it in a while and felt the need to dive back in, but I've been hindered by my relative uncreativity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggest!
| | |
| Voting Age Restrictions
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The other day I saw a guy wearing a shirt that said "Not My President" and had a picture of George W. Bush. He claimed the point of the shirt was that he resented the fact that George W. Bush could create policies that affected his life but he had no say in whether or not he was elected. Besides the fact that if he were *happy* with the results, he wouldn't be complaining despite the same injustice being present, I do understand the sentiment.
Here's the problem, though. How would you decide who gets to vote? Should every single living person in the US be able to vote? What about a 5 year old? He can't even understand why he should eat vegetables, much less understand complex political situations. Or what about babies, who physically can't vote, never mind the mental side? Surely there should be some restriction, and putting that restriction at 5 years old or 10 years old or 30 years old is just as arbitrary as putting it at 18 years old.
Okay, so now that we agree *some* restriction is required, maybe something other than age is needed. We all know age doesn't necessarily indicate intelligence or maturity. So maybe we should tailor the restriction to each person, right? I mean, if a 10 year old exhibits the same capacity for voting as a 30 year old, he should be allowed to vote, correct? I would think so.
So how are we going to gauge aptitude? A test is the only remotely plausible solution. But that poses a problem. Two, actually. First off, voting is viewed as a right, not a privilege (hence the 14th, 19th, and 26th amendments). So putting restrictions on whether or not you even *can* vote will be met with some opposition. Secondly is reality. In a perfect world, yes, a test could decide who was and was not fit to vote, and then only the truly informed would be deciding things (I guess everyone who failed the tests would just wear their own "Not My President Shirts"). But who gets to make the tests? Can you honestly trust them? The truth of the matter is, tests can be formatted to achieve any results the creator wants. If we had to take a test to vote, it would realistically do little more than lead our country into a new age of institutionalized racism, a neo-poll tax, if you will. Black people voting against you? Well, make that test so black people can't pass it and gain the "right" to vote.
Yeah, not exactly what we want. If the world weren't such a crappy place maybe we could figure out some way so everyone could vote and would know what they're voting about. But that's not the way things work. In a world of underhanded politics and thinly veiled racism, a seemingly arbitrary age restriction on voting is about the best we're gonna get. Maybe instead of idly complaining, you can go out and campaign for the candidate you *would* have voted for, perhaps convince some people who can vote to change their minds. Then when you're 18, educate yourself on all the issues (local and national) and go to the polls and vote. Make the best of the situation because that's how the world works. Sorry.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ugh
| | |
| Altruism
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was reading Aaron's xanga the other day and noticed a little blurb about altruism in his header and it got me thinking.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you think about altruism? Altruism is the concept of putting
others before yourself, as in respecting their needs and desires before
tending to your own.
Is it an innate human belief? Are we born believing in altruism as a
method of species preservation? Is altruism really beneficial? To both
parties or just one? At what point, if any, does altruism hurt your own
progress? Any thoughts?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nice little morality debate this week.
| | |
|
