There is a direct correlation between human motivation and human emotion. Even the psychopath operates on a need to fulfill some emotional drive, whether overt or deeply rooted in his psyche. Every decision we make in life is deeply influenced by emotion whether it be boredom, joy, anger, hunger, pain, fatigue, etc. The fact that we cover ourselves in the cold isn’t a response to the physical discomfort but instead due to what we feel emotionally regarding that discomfort. Most people dislike physical pain, some like it or get a rush from it.
We recognize our own motivations most of the time although there are things we do each day which we never give a moment’s thought to. Our likes and dislikes are so much a part of us that they influence our movements from the second we awaken at a preferred time until we fall asleep again in a preferred position. What we buy, where we work, and who we befriend are all dependent on emotional gratification.
Knowing ourselves, we can predict our own behavior. We’d feel certain of what our actions might be in any given situation and yet find, when faced with certain situations, that we act out of what we’d consider our normal character. Whether there are underlying emotions left over from past experiences which we’ve relegated to the recesses of our minds or emotions newly developed never having been felt before, through these silent influences we find that we aren’t always as predictable as we thought. Many a hero has been made of painfully timid individuals when forced to make a choice and rising to the challenge. Many a coward has been proven in similar situations. Even a battered spouse who’s endured for decades may one day strike back. We aren’t always as predictable as we’d like to think so we should never overestimate or underestimate ourselves. We aren’t defined by any moment but the one in which we exist.
In an effort to distract my mind and hopefully find a pathway to sleep, I was thinking of a book I finished the other day and it brought this subject to mind. Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult is about just such a situation. Having prosecuted countless child abusers through the years, a law-abiding assistant DA reacts out of character when it is her own child who suffers similar abuse. What would you do for those you love? To what extent would you go? Do you know?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 05, 2008
ASSumptions made
In the discordance of the work day, on a day when no-one should even have to entertain the thought of doing more than relaxing, I get the opportunity to walk into the sunshine for a moment and linger as long as the responsibilities will allow. Overhead, a small bird perches on a wire singing what I’m sure is a familiar tune to him though it’s new and enticing to me. As I raise my face to gaze at him, the bright sunlight becomes a red haze through eyelids which automatically close to filter and protect.
The warm air is a welcome relief from the artificially cooled interior of the office but it isn’t long before I escape into the shade of the building overhang. Now able to see without squinting, my gaze returns upward and I spend the rest of my stolen moments admiring the clouds against the sun-bleached blue of the sky. I don’t know if my cloud gazing is a lingering emotional connection with flying and what it represents, but I’ve found myself captivated by them since seeing their endless expanse from above for the first time.
As I look into the sky beyond the clouds, I think of how very far away that atmospheric ceiling is and how many people and places it covers beside me and my own singular spot on the earth. This thought recalls an article I saw in the Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122211987961064719.html?mod=googlenews_wsj , regarding geographic personalities and how a certain survey has inconclusively labeled the American states’ inhabitants as being of one personality type or another. I say ‘inconclusively’ for the survey failed to determine whether we are products of our areas or if we’re similar because like seeks like and we migrate accordingly. New York and Mississippi were found to be neurotic states because of the high anxiety levels though for different reasons. I find it ironic that these two particular states were cited as having anything in common until I look at the reasons behind the anxiety levels. Though extremely laid back in comparison to New York, Mississippians are forced to deal with being on the low end of income levels and poverty creates an underlying stress level regardless of how fun-loving we are.
ASSumptions are made by each of us regarding the people in different regions or nations based on what we’ve heard and read. Sometimes it’s a favorable impression, sometimes not. The problem comes in believing everything you “think” you know and avoiding a place instead of spending time there and finding out for yourself. New Yorkers have the reputation of being the most unwelcoming, brusque people there are. However, I’ve found that they’re as accommodating, if not more so, than others I’m acquainted with. The most obvious difference I’ve noticed is the pace at which they move through life going about their daily tasks. For someone from a more relaxed pace, it can be extremely invigorating or quite daunting. The fact that New York is the jumping off place to the rest of the world also lends its inhabitants a different life perspective and expectation for themselves, I think.
Still on that ASS-U-ME train of thought, a brief text conversation that I had with a friend comes to mind. While referring to our years in college, he made a statement which surprised me because of his impression of me at that time. I suppose we go through life never knowing what people truly think and feel about us a lot of the time. We assume in many areas of life, don’t we? We have an impression of ourselves that we think others share and it’s surprising and even sometimes disturbing to find their image of us deviates from our own. How advantageous would it be if people were totally open with one another? You’d know if there were traits you exhibited which were detrimental or beneficial to future first impressions, relationships, and even job interviews? I guess it’s a bit much to expect anyone to be that open for, if they’re that open with you, then it means they’ve left themselves wide open to you and most people aren’t that secure.
Ah well, duties call. Caio for now.
The warm air is a welcome relief from the artificially cooled interior of the office but it isn’t long before I escape into the shade of the building overhang. Now able to see without squinting, my gaze returns upward and I spend the rest of my stolen moments admiring the clouds against the sun-bleached blue of the sky. I don’t know if my cloud gazing is a lingering emotional connection with flying and what it represents, but I’ve found myself captivated by them since seeing their endless expanse from above for the first time.
As I look into the sky beyond the clouds, I think of how very far away that atmospheric ceiling is and how many people and places it covers beside me and my own singular spot on the earth. This thought recalls an article I saw in the Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122211987961064719.html?mod=googlenews_wsj , regarding geographic personalities and how a certain survey has inconclusively labeled the American states’ inhabitants as being of one personality type or another. I say ‘inconclusively’ for the survey failed to determine whether we are products of our areas or if we’re similar because like seeks like and we migrate accordingly. New York and Mississippi were found to be neurotic states because of the high anxiety levels though for different reasons. I find it ironic that these two particular states were cited as having anything in common until I look at the reasons behind the anxiety levels. Though extremely laid back in comparison to New York, Mississippians are forced to deal with being on the low end of income levels and poverty creates an underlying stress level regardless of how fun-loving we are.
ASSumptions are made by each of us regarding the people in different regions or nations based on what we’ve heard and read. Sometimes it’s a favorable impression, sometimes not. The problem comes in believing everything you “think” you know and avoiding a place instead of spending time there and finding out for yourself. New Yorkers have the reputation of being the most unwelcoming, brusque people there are. However, I’ve found that they’re as accommodating, if not more so, than others I’m acquainted with. The most obvious difference I’ve noticed is the pace at which they move through life going about their daily tasks. For someone from a more relaxed pace, it can be extremely invigorating or quite daunting. The fact that New York is the jumping off place to the rest of the world also lends its inhabitants a different life perspective and expectation for themselves, I think.
Still on that ASS-U-ME train of thought, a brief text conversation that I had with a friend comes to mind. While referring to our years in college, he made a statement which surprised me because of his impression of me at that time. I suppose we go through life never knowing what people truly think and feel about us a lot of the time. We assume in many areas of life, don’t we? We have an impression of ourselves that we think others share and it’s surprising and even sometimes disturbing to find their image of us deviates from our own. How advantageous would it be if people were totally open with one another? You’d know if there were traits you exhibited which were detrimental or beneficial to future first impressions, relationships, and even job interviews? I guess it’s a bit much to expect anyone to be that open for, if they’re that open with you, then it means they’ve left themselves wide open to you and most people aren’t that secure.
Ah well, duties call. Caio for now.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
I haven't verified but thought I'd pass it along in case
THIS IS TRUE & VERIFIED ON SNOPES.COM
Recently someone had to have their 5-year old German Shepherd dog put down due to liver failure.. The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago, so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was. The liver levels were unbelievable as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside and, when he's outside, someone's with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe.
My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got tothe Swiffer Wetjet, he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated "may be harmful to small children and animals." He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients (actually, he was told it's a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze). Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution then licking its own paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy its liver.
Soon after his dog's death, his housekeeper's two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren't done on the cats... so they couldn't file a lawsuit...but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don't lose their animals.
This is equally harmful to babies and small children that play on the floor a lot and put their fingers in their mouths.
Recently someone had to have their 5-year old German Shepherd dog put down due to liver failure.. The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago, so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was. The liver levels were unbelievable as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside and, when he's outside, someone's with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe.
My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got tothe Swiffer Wetjet, he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated "may be harmful to small children and animals." He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients (actually, he was told it's a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze). Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution then licking its own paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy its liver.
Soon after his dog's death, his housekeeper's two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren't done on the cats... so they couldn't file a lawsuit...but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don't lose their animals.
This is equally harmful to babies and small children that play on the floor a lot and put their fingers in their mouths.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Hold on, folks, it looks to be a bumpy ride ahead!
Doesn’t it totally suck that the financial institutions which encouraged us to bury ourselves in debt and rely on them now turn their backs on us when we still need that line of credit? It’s not as if we did anything to cause them to lower the credit limits on our cards or stop the line of credit with which we buy the supplies to operate our businesses and supply public demand which in turn requires us to buy more supplies to satisfy further demand.
They’ve enticed us with easy money and a belief that the financial support was secure. That’s like telling a young girl…”Marry me, honey. You stay at home and I’ll support your every need. Don’t worry that you’re dependent on me. I’ll always be here.”…this, of course being said before thirty years together and the introduction of a new love interest. Uh, well, the analogy may suck but you get my gist? Perhaps both enterprises are a bit hopeful in the first place. Co-dependence is a hopeful endeavor from the outset and if there’s an unequal balance of give and take from both sides or mismanagement from the one in control, one side will always come out ahead with the other wishing things were different.
The US consumer has enjoyed…too well…a decade or more of false prosperity. We’ve foolishly and optimistically bought, spent, leveraged on someone else’s money and now we’re floundering because that money is no longer available to us. Where once we borrowed on tomorrow, we’re now going to be forced to live with what we have today. Our incomes, which are meager compared to our wants and desires, will have to stretch to cover our daily necessities as well as those debts created which we now become master jugglers to manage. Dave Ramsey, save us from ourselves! Watch our adult strides become your baby steps to financial security.
Wall Street and Main Street, as they’re calling the general populace, are intertwined as are the world markets and Wall Street. Banks fail, lending institutions tighten their practices, schools lose funding, mortgages default, small businesses falter, etc., etc., etc. Not only are we on Main St. America watching to see what happens, other nations do as well. Not only has the US consumer enjoyed a prosperous period, the nation itself enjoyed a major standing in the world’s market in part by being the leading importer from these nations. Emerging nations who once were dependent on the US are now finding an equal market between themselves. What happens to a nation which has corrupted the idealistic view the world once had of it and further diminishes its credibility and control with a failing financial market? Let’s hope our next leader is capable of reestablishing some measure of standing for our nation within the international community.
If we mismanage our household budget, should someone step in to bail us out? If we run our businesses with poor management, should someone else be responsible for correcting our mistakes and supporting us while we get back on track? Do we think the bailout will bring us back to where we were prior to the housing crisis, bank failures, and mismanagement of funds? It won’t. Will there be a monitoring system set in place in Washington and, if so, who will monitor those who are doing the monitoring?
Perhaps one good thing which will come of this crisis is the financial responsibility individuals will be forced to learn. There seems to be a “the world owes me something” mentality and what life comes down to for all of us is reaping what we sow. By our own efforts, we shall fail or succeed and the world doesn’t owe any of us one blasted thing. We’ve had it relatively easy. There are definitely unfortunate individuals in this nation, which is ridiculous considering how prosperous the nation has been compared to some others, but, for the most part, we’ve had it easy. The majority of us haven’t lived through a depression and have never had to do without a welfare system in place to buffer us. It may be tough on us for a while. We may not like the ride, but we’ll survive it and be stronger and smarter because of it.
They’ve enticed us with easy money and a belief that the financial support was secure. That’s like telling a young girl…”Marry me, honey. You stay at home and I’ll support your every need. Don’t worry that you’re dependent on me. I’ll always be here.”…this, of course being said before thirty years together and the introduction of a new love interest. Uh, well, the analogy may suck but you get my gist? Perhaps both enterprises are a bit hopeful in the first place. Co-dependence is a hopeful endeavor from the outset and if there’s an unequal balance of give and take from both sides or mismanagement from the one in control, one side will always come out ahead with the other wishing things were different.
The US consumer has enjoyed…too well…a decade or more of false prosperity. We’ve foolishly and optimistically bought, spent, leveraged on someone else’s money and now we’re floundering because that money is no longer available to us. Where once we borrowed on tomorrow, we’re now going to be forced to live with what we have today. Our incomes, which are meager compared to our wants and desires, will have to stretch to cover our daily necessities as well as those debts created which we now become master jugglers to manage. Dave Ramsey, save us from ourselves! Watch our adult strides become your baby steps to financial security.
Wall Street and Main Street, as they’re calling the general populace, are intertwined as are the world markets and Wall Street. Banks fail, lending institutions tighten their practices, schools lose funding, mortgages default, small businesses falter, etc., etc., etc. Not only are we on Main St. America watching to see what happens, other nations do as well. Not only has the US consumer enjoyed a prosperous period, the nation itself enjoyed a major standing in the world’s market in part by being the leading importer from these nations. Emerging nations who once were dependent on the US are now finding an equal market between themselves. What happens to a nation which has corrupted the idealistic view the world once had of it and further diminishes its credibility and control with a failing financial market? Let’s hope our next leader is capable of reestablishing some measure of standing for our nation within the international community.
If we mismanage our household budget, should someone step in to bail us out? If we run our businesses with poor management, should someone else be responsible for correcting our mistakes and supporting us while we get back on track? Do we think the bailout will bring us back to where we were prior to the housing crisis, bank failures, and mismanagement of funds? It won’t. Will there be a monitoring system set in place in Washington and, if so, who will monitor those who are doing the monitoring?
Perhaps one good thing which will come of this crisis is the financial responsibility individuals will be forced to learn. There seems to be a “the world owes me something” mentality and what life comes down to for all of us is reaping what we sow. By our own efforts, we shall fail or succeed and the world doesn’t owe any of us one blasted thing. We’ve had it relatively easy. There are definitely unfortunate individuals in this nation, which is ridiculous considering how prosperous the nation has been compared to some others, but, for the most part, we’ve had it easy. The majority of us haven’t lived through a depression and have never had to do without a welfare system in place to buffer us. It may be tough on us for a while. We may not like the ride, but we’ll survive it and be stronger and smarter because of it.
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