Power and Human Interaction

Introducing people of all ages to mythology... in pre-college educational curricula, youth orgs, the media, etc. Share your knowledge, stories, unit and lesson plans, techniques, and more.

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JamesN.
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Post by JamesN. »

Carmela I am not saying do not engage in the struggle; ( just be careful not to become contaminated by that which you are trying to defeat ). If this is your calling then by all means follow it; just be sure you know what you want your path to be.

Cheers
:)
Last edited by JamesN. on Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

When I got to be a caregiver, I saw there was a need for my hard work. No one else was going to do it, and without my help, the patient was facing the possibility of greater suffering and worse.

It was not about "choosing". I had already internalized an ethic that compelled me to do what was necessary.

Do you know anyone else like me right now?

I'm looking around and it is just me. Sometimes that happens. There is some self-selection, but it is mostly the way life turns out.

~

Maybe it will go nowhere. I do not know. I just feel compelled to try. And, yes, it is exciting and fun, too. I hope it works out.

~

JamesN.
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Post by JamesN. »

Carmela please know that whatever you choose to follow you are certainly encouraged and supported. :) There is a great need for advocates in helping others; ( a noble calling to be sure ). I claim no ( guru-ship ) of knowledge of what is right for someone else for I am immersed within my own little journey of trying to " deal with alligators while draining the swamp ". :wink:
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

:wink:

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

~Sometimes it takes me a while to process.

~
Last edited by CarmelaBear on Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

More later.

~
Last edited by CarmelaBear on Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

The Wall Street bonus pool for last year is roughly double the total earnings of all Americans who work full time at the federal minimum wage, writes The New York Times.


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/14/upsho ... 0002&abg=1
Once in a while a door opens, and let's in the future. --- Graham Greene

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

Once in a while a door opens, and let's in the future. --- Graham Greene

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

American society lacks the written-in-stone social hierarchies of older societies. Although it gives us a great deal more personal freedom, it sets us up for an individualism that results in the development of another sort of pecking order.

American society gives attention to people who have status and power, and it requires others to provide the powerful with self-effacing attention, to the point of punishing people for not being invisible enough and over-rewarding people for being born rich or otherwise important in some way. Individualistic societies actually require a certain amount of narcissistic egoism from everyone in the basic determination on the distribution of resources.

There is a book called, "The Pursuit of Attention" by Charles Derber, that can help one understand how we allocate attention:

http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Attention ... +attention

~
Once in a while a door opens, and let's in the future. --- Graham Greene

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

A number of years ago, I had a website that was devoted to the idea of my being a write-in candidate for president. I actually got a short period of recognition in the national media, except that those who mentioned me did not use my name. It was a kind of discreet "fame", but it was exciting while it lasted, because some folks really did show respect and take me seriously. Everyone around me recognized me in the comments and jokes. We were blown away by the attention.

It was fun, because I not only struck the funny bone of comics like Ellen, Letterman, Ferguson and Maher, but some pundits and reporters were buzzing about me, too. The local gossip mill was amazingly active for a short time and marvelously accurate. The jokes and snarky comments were neither untrue nor hurtful. It was wonderful.

I enjoyed it so much that I'm thinking of having another website to be a write-in for president again. I just want to have fun and give the other dynasties a run for their money. It's the Clintons, the Bushes and the Chavezes, with me starting out at less than 0% of the vote and being ready to get out of the race to avoid becoming a spoiler for the Democrats. I don't want to split Hillary's hard-won majority just to boost my self esteem. That would be evil. On the other hand, if I can defeat both rich contenders, then you all get to see me take office as the first Campellina in the White House. [* Clemsy, you and your plus-guests get an invite to dinner, but you gotta wear a tux.]

My emphasis will be on enjoying the experience, compassion for humanity, focus on the planet and promoting the well-being of individuals (rich or poor, nice or mean, etc.). Ideology is too complicated and dangerous, but I like people a lot. That's the best I can do.

This will be fun. The power of myth can be expressed in the idea of personal freedom to say what I want to say and go for the brass ring. I've got nothing to lose, and the most democratic, diplomatic and internationally known institution is the internet, my home away from home, where dreams come true.

~
Once in a while a door opens, and let's in the future. --- Graham Greene

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

There was a downside to the experience. It was scary. Right now, I feel quite safe. I'm just going to have some fun.

8)
Once in a while a door opens, and let's in the future. --- Graham Greene

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

Bill Moyers on equality in America:

http://billmoyers.com/2014/05/22/these- ... n-america/
Once in a while a door opens, and let's in the future. --- Graham Greene

JamesN.
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Post by JamesN. »

I came across this particularly inspiring example of reaching across one's own boundaries or limitations and changing the world of all around them. Truly a special example of the (power) of "hero's journey" and all it can become. 8)

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/daughte ... 69792.html
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

JamesN.
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Post by JamesN. »

Here is a great example of the power of human kindness. :idea:

https://gma.yahoo.com/california-strang ... style.html
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

CarmelaBear
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Post by CarmelaBear »

Simple little interactions are like flowers in a field. Their fragile presence is uplifting.

Larger forces affect everything, across the planet. One big volcano can send a cloud over the entire expanse of the world, destroying so many flowers that we have to turn our attention to protecting what is left. The volcanic eruption in today's world comes from the destructive power of a trend toward an oligarchy of American white men who own and control the labor, the resources and the capital of the entire world.

The top 1% of the 6 billion people on Earth is 60 million individuals who consist of 29 million Americans. The next biggest number from another country are 4 million Germans, followed by 3 million rom France, Italy and the U.K. Americans rule, but the American system captured by these 29 million Americans makes it possible that the inequality will increase faster and faster until unfairness and distrust become the norm.

Pragmatic politics is a form of collective human interaction that uses whatever mechanisms actually work to affect the results that are sought. Right now, the political process affects many aspects of the lives of the vast majority of people in the world, without significantly improving the condition of life for anyone outside the enchanted circle of wealth and power.

The level of global inequality, according to the popular Pikkety, is at 19th century levels of extreme oligarchical control and it is getting much worse, faster than ever.

Folks like Pikkety call for global action through worldwide taxation and other measures. It requires something that President Wilson attempted through the United Nations, except that the organization would have to somehow acquire a monopoly on legitimate forms of violence and coercion. The United States armed forces could be the backbone of a world military force, and a world constitution would have to acknowledge the democratic nature of two great sources of power: worldwide internet communication and the global commercial market.

Without appreciation of the individual, a world government will become simply the government of an oligarchical few who run institutions, dominate financial markets and keep most of the world in a state of frustration and reliance on soft, short-term resources that are close at hand. Suddenly a short life is accepted as the norm, and the harshness of existence is too common to be worth noting.

Pikkety is a Parisian economist who is in a position to point out the dire nature of our world predicament. He stands in stark contrast to Campbell, who simply points to the human condition and says, "Lions and tigers and bears. Oh, my."

What is the mythology of worsening inequality of opportunity?
Once in a while a door opens, and let's in the future. --- Graham Greene

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