recognition
03.27.05 (11:28 am) [edit]With all the Easter posts, I do not think I shall write one. I actually do not believe it is an important holiday and it especially cannot be identified as a Christian holiday seeing as how it is just one of many stolen holidays. I should not have posted on St. Pat's day either, but I found that leaving jokes for people to muse over was a good idea. Plus, it was my friend Lonnie's b-day - just a side note. St. Pat's does not have a very nice history behind it - seeing as how many innocent people were slain in the name of Catholicism. Anyway, I'm going to move on to something that I started thinking about after a phone conversation.
Recognition and humanity. How are these two innertwined and what do they mean? Not only had I started thinking about this after the phone call, but before hand as I had read a post from Lisa about it. People go through their lives searching to be recognized - whether they realize it or not. Maybe they don't search for it, but it is desired. Afterall, without the recognition, there could be no humanity. Life is about personality and the search for Self. Within this search we go through many personality alterations as we change day-to-day.
I remember when I was younger worrying about what other people thought of me, but I realized with growth that I could never find my Self if I were paying too much attention to what others thought of me. When I realized that people were too caught up in their own lives to have much of an opinion about me, I thought maybe I should be doing that as well. However, I also realized over time that it is not good to concentrate too much on ones Self because there are certain aspects of life that you will be unfamiliar with - such as individualism within humanity. This is something that everyone should recognize as it not only makes us who we are, it is the core of humanity. One can be recognized by merely existing, but then people would be left with the one-sided opinion of one and other such as 'hate' or 'like'.
Some people may not strive for recognition, but they still desire it as if too make sure they are not just another face in the crowd. When you look at it like that, we are all merely faces in the crowd, but we don't have to be. Stop and say hello to a stranger some time, you'll find out how easy it is and how happy you and them will be afterwards. Some people walk through the streets trying their hardest not to make any contact with strangers at all. This is mostly because of the issues of trust they find themselves struggling with. If we could only recognize how important it is to be recognized, I think we'd all be a lot happier. I'm not talking about doing things merely for the recognition, I'm talking about taking 'precious' time away from your personal life to develop a better personality.
I have been and always will be a strong believer in the practice of humanity. There can be no humanity if everyone always keeps to themselves. I'm not saying you should make it a point to remember this, I am only saying you should try to open up to someone you don't know. As I said before in a post a few months ago: take a chance on a passing glance.
I will probably add more about this as time goes on because it a subject I feel strongly about. Afterall, you can talk to strangers on the internet at great lengths, but what about the person you sit next to on the train?
posted by: lindy (reply)
post date: 03.27.05 (2:17 pm)
I hope you do not hear an attacking voice in your head when you read this. Try hearing a soft voice, one full of interest and one that listens as much as it speaks...
Isn't it true that no matter how social or withdrawn we are, we are still very much practicing humanity? By default, we have little choice in the matter. Humanity is simply being human. It isn't necessarily the act of being social or compassionate, talkative or accepting. Every nuance and aspect of our behavior is very much intwined with humanity, including that of a man likened to a hermit crab or Ebeneezer Scrooge, before he figured out the repercussions of his anti-social, miserly ways.
I guess I am a little confused by the reference to humanity. If I substitute the word 'compassion' would that say the same thing? Or perhaps this term 'recognition' could indeed be used to convey the 'reaching out' that you are describing as so important to the human spirit?
I suppose just as important as being recognized is recognizing. Maybe therein lies the heart of the matter. This post has me asking questions. I hope you do not see this as simply my challenging you or trying to 'fix you' - in fact, I would say my questions are an effort to make your ideas fit into my jargon, which is naturally different from yours, Lisa's and everyone else's.
I agree that many of us seek recognition. I think we do so because we do not understand why we are here, purpose of life, etc. We, most of us, seem to think we must have a reason to exist and perhaps that leads to striving for recognition. At the rudimentary level, we want to be worthy of love and so we paint ourselves the colors that make us loveable. I think these things are what it comes down to. Which explains why an enlightened individual does not look to achieve recognition and is content in being a part of the world. Such a person sees and understands how he fits in and does not question why or strive to answer the unanswerable questions (such as 'where do we go when we die? Why am I here? Why do I have to die? What or who made or came before God?')
Is life about personality and the search for self? Or is it that the search for personality keeps us trapped in self and therefore blind to how we fit in to and are a part of this existence? So many people have their own idea of what life is about. Some say it is about happiness. Some say sadness. Others say meaningful relationships. I'm thinking life is about living and living now, as opposed to at some other point in time when circumstances are supposed to align and create a happiness that will land on you like a boulder tossed from a tree. Again, this is my opinion as it makes sense to me.
And while we are going round and round here... what gives with the shunning of Saint Patrick's day? Perhaps I need to go back and read more, but my understanding of Saint Patrick's day is that a boy by the name of Patrick came to be a slave sitting atop a mountain herding sheep for a handful of years. He spent much time conversing with God, escaped and became a missionary loved and respected by the people of Ireland. I understand he helped lead the way in casting out the old philosophies and ideals long held by the Celts (an intelligent, yet truly vicious clan responsible for violence, murder, war, and the slavery under which Patrick found himself) and helped convert Ireland to Christianity. For some, Saint Patrick's day is a day to give thanks for a drastic improvment in their way of life and for others, and in more modern times, it has become a day of celebrating Irish culture. Choosing to disregard Saint Patrick's day because of the number of people slain in the name of Catholicism... would be like boycotting American products because of the death toll that we rached up in the Civil war. UNLESS you know something I don't regarding dear St. Pat. I would be surprised if he was involved in any untoward behavior that might lead to the slaying of non-Catholics.
What is a stolen holiday? Would that be like... Americans stealing Santa Clause from the Germans' very real St. Nikolaus? How can a holiday be stolen and from whom are they being stolen?
***Again, I am asking questions out of INTEREST, not to question the validity of your existence.
posted by: childish (reply)
post date: 03.27.05 (4:45 pm)
oh chris. once again you took a passing thought of mine and made it art.
such a great post.
posted by: cmaze (reply)
post date: 03.27.05 (10:13 pm)
Reply to: lindy
Lindy, you should know by now that I will never take anything you say in a harsh manor...unless it is specifically harsh which I doubt will ever happen.
When I speak of humanity, I am trying to convey the different things that make us human. It is true that is is very simply just to be human, but think about the other aspects involved with being such a creature. I do not believe I can calle every person in the world a human, but the only ones I cannot see as human are those such as Hitler...commiting crimes against humanity.
Yes, when I say 'recognition' I am talking about just that! It is 'reaching out' and taking a strong hold on your humanity.
I lost my desire to answer the life questions long ago as I found out that there is no sure fire answer. I believe we are both saying the same thing, just in very different words. Life is whatever you make it, I think we can all understand that. People constantly search outside of themselves for the recognition they so desire, but in actuality the only recognnition they seek is found inside of themselves. Personality is what comes with that and through it. Since people are constantly changing (which is why I believe that those 'life questions' will never be answered) so is their internal 'struggle.'
You do have a very good point with what you are saying about being trapped in Self, but at the same time, there is a way to exist within and without. I do not believe there is a 'search' for personality, we decide how something is going to effect us and we decide how to translate that within ourselves. I'll grant that there are still things that we cannot control, however, the feeling must go through the mind first.
And ok, fine, you are right about St. Pat's day. However, I was speaking about what happened to a lot of the Pagans after St. Pat brought Christianity over...as happened to Pagans all over the world. And what I was saying about 'stolen holiday' is that most of the Christian holiday's were first Pagan holidays. Easter: Ostara. Thats actualy how they got the name for Easter! Christmas? Yule. And as most things are, different people tell different stories about according mostly to what they believe.
I hope I have answered some of your questions. :-) If not, we'll talk more on it :-)
posted by: lindy (reply)
post date: 03.28.05 (10:14 am)
Reply to: cmaze
ah hah! I dig it. I like that you stand up to me. :)
Apparently, I am intimidating?
I guess we are saying the same thing. Maybe I just need a few more lessons in 'Chrisalaysian'... or is it 'Chrisese?'
The only thing I am grappling with is the concept of stolen holidays... for surely the Pagans had to have had gotten their beliefs and ideas from someone or something else too, no? Might be worth looking in to...I'll have a look see when I get home. :)
By the way, did I tell you I enjoyed this post?
posted by: zuki50 (reply)
post date: 03.28.05 (11:16 am)
Reply to: cmaze
There are simpler places on Earth, and even in the United States, where you wouldn't have the same problem with unfriendliness. If you desire human interaction and human contact, you gotta get the hell outta Cali. hehe.