Conspiracies, Obama, Much of ATS, Found In Three Words. Come On, Help Me Explore This.

reply to post by charles1952

Spiramirablis, "uncertainty" is a good idea, but I need a little more understanding. That, in itself, doesn't seem to be a strong enough emotion to cause some of the craziness we see, but I might be missing it.

Uncertainty isn't an emotion - it's a state

You've chosen to go with emotions as examples of why we can't seem to get along - but the conditions that drive emotion are more obvious and I think examining them makes it a little easier to understand our emotions

Here in America - everywhere, but also here at ATS of course - the uncertainty about which way the election would go was driving us all up the wall

It's not hard to see the difference in the conversations leading up to the election - and how they've changed after

The stock market is driven by uncertainty and certainty - people hire, fire, buy and sell based on uncertainty

Uncertainty for a human being is stressful - we want to be certain

We will manufacture certainty out of nothing - just for how much better it makes us feel

Even if it's based on nothing but consensus

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


We hate ambiguity! It threatens our sense of substance! That is why so often our battles form along the line of either black or white. We want what we believe to clearly define us. We want our drink to be either hot or cold. You are either with me or against me. We want a recipe that will always give us a perfect cake! The same way when it comes to our sense of salvation. We want a perfect recipe to guarantee our eternal lives.

I am most familiar with the Christian faith as I was a pastor for many years. Even though scripture states that we are saved by faith, not by works, so much of church effort revolves around following a perceived recipe of spiritual ingredients. Tithes, offering, baptism, speaking in tongues, bible study, visiting the sick, wearing the right clothes, not wearing jewelry or make up, not utilizing musical instruments, and so on and on.

We stubbornly hold onto rigid beliefs because we are often afraid of the alternative. Ambiguity doesn't appear to offer hope. So we place our faith in what is black or white. Faith is the greatest equalizer. It gives no advantage to the greater intellect nor to the richer man.

reply to post by grayeagle


That was one of the most interesting posts I've read in a very long time

It deserves a thread of it's own

I'm just sayin'

:-)

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


Thank you! My retirement has given me a lot of time to think and rethink what I really believe. My evolving goal is to become more congruent. That what I project to the world is what I am in my core. To do that I must face my greatest fear! The fear of rejection!

My sense of substance (who I believe I am) is so often dependent on what I perceive is your opinion of me. The temptation then is to project myself to you in a way that protects and strengthens my longings for respect and relationship.

I believe there is no greater fear than that of rejection, by man or by God.

Originally posted by grayeagle
reply to post by Spiramirabilis

 

We stubbornly hold onto rigid beliefs because we are often afraid of the alternative. Ambiguity doesn't appear to offer hope.

I don't know about that. I have never been one to be afraid of uncertainty. I don't mind it. A little chaos is good for you sometimes. I've always just flowed, but then again I've never had a real role to play (except when I'm singing). I'm a middle child, grew up that way. I'm a mother now, so I guess that's one. There is a lot of generalization about human nature going on here. All people are different, we all have our reason for believing what we do.

When you forget the other person on the other side is a human being that's when you've screwed up. When you start to believe you and others like you are somehow better, smarter or somehow more authentic than others then you've got a problem. I avoid certain people here because of that cliquish mentality that pervades their interaction here.

As for the OP, well I think it would be a given emotions are what drive most of these problems. Humans aren't rational creatures no matter how much we like to pretend. I don't like the very one-sided examples but you addressed that yourself so I have nothing further to say about that.

reply to post by antonia

A favorite of mine:

I tell you: one must still have chaos within oneself, to give birth to a dancing star.

Friedrich Nietzsche

I love the mess too antonia

:-)

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


Indeed, I like that quote a lot. When you are set it your ways you stagnate. When you you aren't changing you are dying. That's the way I see it. I'm a world-class weirdo though and I might be bipolar too who knows. People get comfortable and they don't want to move. While I respect certain people need that to stay sane, I tend to just get restless if I am in the same place too long.

Some of ya'll might try my approach: If you haven't danced on a table at least once while perfectly sober you just aren't living right.

reply to post by antonia

I am sorry I am getting back to you so late but I wanted to clear up a few things. First off I do not like cliques either and make great effort to not be in them. I in no way consider myself better or having attained some higher status. I am a struggling, imperfect person who also likes to take risks. Personally I approach uncertainly and ambiguity differently.

Uncertainty can be the playground for adrenalin and adrenalin can be an incredible high! If you go whitewater rafting each set of rapids provides a degree of uncertainty and that is what is so exciting. However, if you ask your river guide if this section of river has a 30 foot waterfall and he responds by shrugging his shoulder and tells you he's not sure, maybe, maybe not, is an ambiguity that would be troubling for most of us.

The ambiguity I am talking about is in direct relationship to the human longings that I mentioned earlier. Having been a counselor, I am very aware of the complexity and diversity of people and I don't want to paint this issue with generalities. However, in my personal opinion, there are certain common themes that MOST of us share. We do not like pain but we do like pleasure. I know there is always the exception such as a masochist who experiences pleasure from pain and the sadist who enjoys pleasure giving pain.

I offered my perspective for consideration of these longings that impact human thinking, emotion and behavior. Not as an end all but part of the reason we see so much anger and hatred. I hope this explains my position better and I agree with you. BTW this old country boy has danced on a bar top.I am not sure why I didn't fall off!