ISM, In other words....shit happens? I'll buy that! (Can you take a post-dated check? The holidays have tapped me out.) ;P -Kyle -----Original Message----- From: I. Stephen Margolis [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Saturday, December 11, 1999 8:24 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Reality; What a Concept Thing about reality is that it isn't a concept, "reality" is a concept. Said another way: what we say or think about reality uses concepts--given that we also "experience" and "feel" reality. Whatever is reality seems a bit larger than either yours or my mind together (if you and I ever have our minds together)--which may be why your having so much trouble wrapping your mind around so big a shtick. Sorry, I didn't read Trisha's post. Recall I'm on a leave of absence--of course, not much different than my usual state of mind, being, or reality. Really! What the Hell am I doing HERE! What I think we're talking about verges on solipsism (nearly group onanism)--maybe fascism--New Ageism--and the World as Seen from the Eyes of the Almighty Megacorp Consumer/Sales Mindset--said simply eat and be eaten: consume and be consumed. We're being set up to be put down. This is individualism and responsibility at a near new level of miniaturization and minimalism. People who think attitude and outlook are the basis for what ails or aids us don't see very deeply or clearly. Too much grin and bear it when somebody's smashing you over the head with a two-by-four. Seems my idea-ology contains something of class consciousness, economics, politics, and a glimmer of what I don't or ever will know when given a moment I may decide to snarl or smile (assuming I have a moment to decide). I think people basically rationalize and look for reasons where maybe no justification or explanation is necessary or suffices. We do what we do. Maybe what's really scary is that none of this or anything we say or do means anything. Now, Denise, you're very smart and logical and sober. You couldn't mistake an egg for a stone. Why seek logic in the illogical? Hugs and love, Steve M. >From: "Denise D. Goodman" <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: "St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List" <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Reality; What a Concept >Date: Sat, 11 Dec 1999 10:46:42 EST > >I'm having a bit of trouble following this "reality is dependent on our >attitudes and thought," ideaology. My mother subscribed to something >similar. Visualizations, treasure maps, positive thinking, etc bound in >Christian based teachings. What Trisha describes sounds very familair, but >here's where I get lost: > >Trisha said, "We tend to forget we creat our realities dependent on our >attitudes and what we think." .... "Good customer service should not be >dependant on selling >something but on providing good service - the end." ... "What I have found is >- life reflects back my attitude. I frown - they frown - I smile - they >smile. We tend to forget we creat our realities dependent on our attitudes >and what we think." > >While detailing the exploits of retail Trisha goes on to say, "The nice thing >about sales work is after a while - you can size up people from across the >room." Then in relation to the difficult shopper she says, "And I am >thinking - Oh no I am going get to her - so I did drag my sale out a bit..." > >That is where I get lost. Following the original idealogy if life reflects >back your attitude, then by prejuding the woman who walked up to the counter, >by sizing her up from across the room and having the negative thought, "Oh no >I am going to get her," did this create the negative reality of her rude >behavior? OR did it work in reverse? Did the woman walking up to the >counter "size-up" the sales people, prejudge and ready herself for poor >service, thereby making her the creator of the realitity of this negative >experience? > >Now, following along this logic, what if the shopper did originally walk in >with a predisposed "bad attitude." When Trisha saw her, instead of thinking >"Oh no...", what if she thought, "Yes! This sweet polite woman is going to >be a breeze. She will make a good purchase, and will be happy with the item >and my service." Now, would Trisha's attitude reflect onto the woman, or >would the shoppers negative attitude reflect onto Trisha? I get this image >of a Western shoot out. Whose reflection will dominate, win out and create >the reality? > >Does "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" also include rude people? > You see why I'm having so much trouble. It's the old conundrum I face when >watching the Five Planet of the Apes Movies. Who created the reality? Was >it the birth of the talking ape in the future, or his travel back into the >past? > >Honestly I'm not trying to poke fun at anyones idealogy, I just wondered how >you distinguish which person is creating the reality? - Denise who just >can't seem to wrap her own twisted logic around this complicated subject :D