Relationships

And I vacillate between which I feel more strongly.

Two people very dear to me frequently describe themselves as a “bleeding heart liberal”. Noticing that yesterday set me off down another cognitive rabbit hole ...

I was introduced to a bit of the world of Gabor Maté yesterday, and am so impressed that I think all of you not already familiar with him would benefit from making his acquaintance as well.

... Gang aft agley.

But when I saw a cool collection of cards, I knew I’d be posting one of them here today. It was a tough decision, but here’s the winner:

This one, and many others, spotted at FireflyFans.Net.

I’ve been having a conversation with a dear friend about rights, and property rights in particular. It took me back to this discussion. Then, in the midst of pondering all that, I came across an observation regarding self ownership that got my li’l reptilian going again. Fastening seat belts and/or taking blood pressure meds before stepping in to the debate room is advised.

We've been talking about research, mostly medical/drug recently, and I thought this was a logical extension of that discussion - but so different it needed its own thread.

Catching up on some blog reading lately, I came across something that was so suffused with irony I can’t help but remark on it ... even though I have misgivings about doing so.

Alternatively titled as Making the World a Better Place, Part the Second. (And if anyone needs/wants a refresher on what “S.E.S.” stands for, here you go.)

This particular S.E.S. is pretty brutal. We’re required to be physically and mentally sharp; and if one of us isn’t, a frequent result is pushups for us all. There’s a lot of protocol one must adhere to as well; and bowing—a lot of bowing. Just in case my comments haven’t given it away to everyone, the S.E.S. of which I speak is karate; and what I’m doing in it can best be summarized as, “Loving it!”.

A good deal of my absence here—and the lightness of subject when I do post—can be attributed solely to fear.

Is just that: a story.

That would be me.

Surely it’s no surprise to the seven regulars hereabouts that I have long been an enthusiastic user and recommender of “positive” (humanist) psychology. I think the idea that one can be remade has appealed to me for a very long time; and of course the emphasis on individual uniqueness and personal fulfillment speaks deeply to me.

However, in reading the introduction to an older book of this sort, a dreadful thought struck me; and I don’t know how to resolve it.

I’m finding some interesting, er, artifacts as I sift through stuff I’ve been carrying around for years. One thing that caught my attention last night is a copy of Fifth Estate’s spring/summer 2005 issue. I believe it was an essay—the title of which I’ve used for this ramble—that sparked something within me.

One of my dearest dojo friends has launched a project that is simple and brilliant. One of the reasons I like it so much is that it’s based on her recognition that the marketplace is about relationships—and I for one am increasingly weary of how many of those relationships are with corporate entities that don’t seem to give a shit about much beyond profits and stockholder satisfaction.