Namaste. I'm Albereez. Well, I have other names too, but as you know names are mere labels, so for now, how about we call me the blogger 'See'? Of course, the question is rhetorical, so let us move on :-) See now, once again, or for the first time, that on average we use a mere miniscule helping of our grey goop. But let us just imagine for one moment that we were able to stretch its use a great deal further. Doing so would expand the brain's capacity to meet our seemingly-limitless potential. Let's go even further and build, creatively, an understanding of our current limitations and ponder over ways to overcome them. Here, I start off with a personal example: There have been times when I have had difficulty in verbalizing my thoughts. I thought to myself: How to overcome and transform myself into a living fountain of clarity ? Well, you might say, "See, improving your short-term memory is the key."
Ok, I will dare to assume that it is clear what is meant by that conjecture. This begs the question: how can we make this process more efficient, i.e., how can my brain become a more proficient translator of thought into crystal clear vocalization? Some may think, like me, that this is a fundamental question. Why? The answer is that we can extend this inquiry for maximizing proficiency of communication to all sorts of creative and useful domains. If the above example does not connect with you yet, my amused reader, please continue reading. Here are some examples that deal with our visceral senses: touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell.
The best point to start with is the lateralization of our brain. One salient aspect of this pertains to our 'handedness' (left handed, right handed, or ambidextrous). If handedness is indicative of lateralization of brain hemispheres, that is we tend to be more dominant with one hand or the other when going about, what does it mean if we train our bodies to be more balanced? Sure, it may not be entirely correct to categorize oneself as being either an analytical person or a creative person solely (i.e., left brain, right brain dominant, respectively), but there is truth behind it. However, we can change our brain hemisphere dominance. Therefore, if you agree with the aforementioned, you should rest assured that we can indeed train ourselves to use our entire brain, both sides in synchrony.
What does it mean to be able to do so? If we could...(let's be a little silly here to start):
1) use our feet as hands
2) become ambidexterous
3) be able to multi-task more effectively, e.g., sketch a picture with one hand and write a haiku with the other,
4) improve balance: simultaneously walk across a balance beam with our eyes closed (standing still on one leg with our eyes closed is difficult enough! Give it a try)
4) increase the capacity of our hearing, sight, etc, beyond what we thought possible
5) be able to read peoples emotions better
6) relax more deeply, love longer, or breath less.
7) repeat a silent mantra and balance our federal tax forms
8) consolidate, process, and recall our thoughts better.
9) heal all currently labeled mental disorders
10) ameliorate collective anxiety
or,
11) somehow convince the 'rich' that they would be happier with less and to give more to those less fortunate.
What would this all mean to the way culture and society function? I believe that these are more than mere possibilities. These are realities somewhere and they may be already on someone's self-improvement list.
So why have I mentioned all this? I write because the nearly 6% of me is asking what the other 94% is up to. But the response returned is that I write what I see.
Questions, comments, I'd love to hear them!
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Disagreement --> Introspection = Better Understanding
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When opinions are put forth forcefully, the views of the opposing side are often unwittingly disregarded. As a result, the mentality of the opposition becomes an impermeable and slippery realm where seemingly sturdy footfalls of credibility invariably falter.
So the questions that protrude from such barriers of reason are what and why this comes about? And to these I now stipulate an answer: The lives we lead and all behaviours mundane (or not), undergo a largely automatic and unconscious catalysis from our own amygdale-driven outflow of emotions. Consequently, the emotional underpinnings to our actions pose the risk of distorting even those messages derived from the very foundations of eloquent reasoning. Aside from this, the integrity and/or the respectability of the individual leading the argument will be at stake.
While being correct does have its merit, relying on ones accuracies alone, can render making a personal point (specifically), or improving on the functionality of society (more broadly-speaking) a handicapped venture. To really make a difference, and to bring about actualization of one's will (i.e., beyond the products of personal conduct) one must make efforts to understand the other side before persuasion is possible. Furthermore, appealing to our own emotions ultimately will not do, if doing the 'right' thing is to be an enduring solution.
Thus, (returning to the earlier metaphor) only through the conscientious practice of empathy will one gain the traction to effectively traverse over the frozen ground. After all is said and done, the goal of arguing should be to see eye-to-eye with an audience who may arrive to the discussion with tangential points of view from ones own.
That being said, I, of course, know how difficult it can be to relate to either someone who rubs you the wrong way, or to someone possessing a radically different view from your own. Yes, I too, have fallen victim to my own emotions now and again (maybe I am under-stating here :-). Anyhow, there are few exceptions to the way we behave; generally speaking, we are a society of histrionics! :o ??? ::) :P
But just think about how useful such a perfected skill a refined sense of empathy would be if applied to the inexorable barrage of crises we face throughout our lifetime! You can then apply the aforementioned to politics, religion, and other forms of interpersonal relationship.
More importantly, we can apply this knowledge to better understand those more-complicated-to-grasp views held by others, and why for some, this method of thought-processing has proven to be the only true way to see eye to eye in benevolence and empathy.
