The Facebook tease switched
from WHAT'S
ON YOUR MIND, to How are
You Doing, Sam.
Is that a difference that
makes a Difference?
I think so--though I will
ignore it & continue
to post what's on my mind,
which is not at all
the same as how I'm doing.
What's on my mind is the
amazing variety
of sacred and secular
experiences expressed
by fellow Facebookians. Hyde Park Soap Boxing,
minute descriptions of
Xmas dinners, photos of
family and places, always animals
in amusing
poses, cartoons expressing
the poster's sense
of humor and irony, famous
quotations, bromides,
platitudes, political
concerns, hope for the New
Year, self-photos of
flattering or funny disposition,
a former student
demonstrating expertise with
an automatic
weapon:--advertisements for our
selves, naturally: see me,
hear me, touch me,
feed me, like if not
love/hate me as never before
been possible now across
the universe-- all of us
"crazy egos,"
says Sherwood Anderson, "hungry
for love." And that's
mere description, not a
judgment. It's the denial
and cover-up that
generates the bozone layer.
Cut to the Quick: I’m declaring right now
whatever token posts I submit
that might
indicate how smart I am, cute, witty, spiritual,
sensible, funny, handsome,
practical, winsome,
politically savvy or at
least concerned, sensitive,
(empathetic, compassionate),
daring, well situated,
religious, academically versed
in books, paintings
and wines: really—the Real
Message is always
LIKE ME,
really Like me
whatever the media I
choose as display.
Steven Pinker claims every
utterance has 2 agenda:
1) taking care of business
and 2) negotiating
relationship. In my case,
he’s right. No more black
mail from undercover agents. I expose my self:
wounded, vulnerable, damaged
and damaging
no doubt...
What Mr. Pinker claims is simply an observation of human nature, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteYet it really got me thinking, because
1) When done unconsciously, i.e before I read your post, all my communication was simply me doing what I've learned to do through genetics, environmental influences, perhaps planetary influences and so on.
2) Now, when interacting with someone, I know, and can choose to:
a) Be ashamed and avoid a part of the conversation that was previously being done subconsciously,
b) accept the fact and assist 'my being' in doing a better job.
So, in the end, knowledge makes the difference between letting genetics etc run the show, or my brain accompanied by the prior.
Conscious-Unconscious, Knowledge-Ignorance, Discussion-Silence, why?
Why discuss, why this post, why do I care? Is it human nature to move from the right to the left in each of the analogies?
TO WHAT END?
Pinker is suggesting that negotiating relationship with others (status, strokes, fit-in, fit-out, like-me, fear-me etc() IS the ongoing "message" behind all our talk and talk tokens, conversation, presentation; like the couple arguing about who-took-ouet-the-trash, say, and one of them says; "this isn't about the trash: it's about the relationship." Profound? Mundane?
ReplyDelete