I have another ruminations blogspot "out there"--JohnOastler.blogspot.com. For technical reasons, I have resorted to this current, i.e., new blogspot as a continuance of the topic: ruminations.
The theme of these two blogspots in the ruminations series is a reflection upon current affairs and events in the past that come to my mind upon which I wish to comment.
There is yet another current blog I'm maintaining dealing with the analysis of the social impact of certain readily identifiable relationships among human beings in some social setting. The current blogspot in this series takes up the concept of Social Love. See http://renooastler.blogspot.com: Social-X, where x is some concept combined to indicate the study of the phenomenon's social impact.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Chatter vs. Rational Discourse
Should we human beings with a mind of our own settle for chatter, forsaking aiming for rationality?
Lately, I've been traveling across country on a Greyhound bus: back and forth, then forth and back. The time on the bus provided an especial opportunity to listen in to the conversations, howbeit one-sided, taking place over cellular phones. The usual gist of such repartee took the form: "Hello, I'm just arriving in your town. I'll be there in ten minutes; no eight minutes..." ending with the anticipated plea, "Can you pick me up?...How soon?" And, so it went--the usual thing.
However, some conversations lasted for hours. Each traveler of this classification was apparently lonely. He or she didn't want to be on the bus among so many strangers, so the individual sought some friend to vicariously and selfishly accompany him or her on the trip. On and on the conversation droned. There was I, listening to multiple conversations usually conducted in hushed tones but loud enough for my ears to pick up.
This was a profound experience for me, for it dawned on me that each party to the lengthy conversation via a phone cell was evincing an emotional reaction to the sounds of the other. The chatter served to bring each participant together in a lingering personal experience, much like when birds chirp to one another in a locality, evoking a togetherness with others of their species.
However, such experiences are emotional reactions to what is said and how it is said. It is not rational discourse. It's an identifying togetherness, a visceral reaction. For rational discourse to occur, each party would have to think over what is important to communicate to the listener: how might the communication add to the knowledge and well-being of the other? I am reminded of J. L. Moreno's phrase, "the warm up." It's a period of preparation of thinking over what to say that the hearer will benefit as a result of the communication. There needs to be forethought to say something intelligent and meaningful.
It looks, however, that rational discourse is on the wane, rapidly being replaced by chatter--like two animals emoting! People are no longer prepared to take the time to make use of their minds in communicating. They're becoming content to make significant noise--like grunting during their eating dinner!
Lately, I've been traveling across country on a Greyhound bus: back and forth, then forth and back. The time on the bus provided an especial opportunity to listen in to the conversations, howbeit one-sided, taking place over cellular phones. The usual gist of such repartee took the form: "Hello, I'm just arriving in your town. I'll be there in ten minutes; no eight minutes..." ending with the anticipated plea, "Can you pick me up?...How soon?" And, so it went--the usual thing.
However, some conversations lasted for hours. Each traveler of this classification was apparently lonely. He or she didn't want to be on the bus among so many strangers, so the individual sought some friend to vicariously and selfishly accompany him or her on the trip. On and on the conversation droned. There was I, listening to multiple conversations usually conducted in hushed tones but loud enough for my ears to pick up.
This was a profound experience for me, for it dawned on me that each party to the lengthy conversation via a phone cell was evincing an emotional reaction to the sounds of the other. The chatter served to bring each participant together in a lingering personal experience, much like when birds chirp to one another in a locality, evoking a togetherness with others of their species.
However, such experiences are emotional reactions to what is said and how it is said. It is not rational discourse. It's an identifying togetherness, a visceral reaction. For rational discourse to occur, each party would have to think over what is important to communicate to the listener: how might the communication add to the knowledge and well-being of the other? I am reminded of J. L. Moreno's phrase, "the warm up." It's a period of preparation of thinking over what to say that the hearer will benefit as a result of the communication. There needs to be forethought to say something intelligent and meaningful.
It looks, however, that rational discourse is on the wane, rapidly being replaced by chatter--like two animals emoting! People are no longer prepared to take the time to make use of their minds in communicating. They're becoming content to make significant noise--like grunting during their eating dinner!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Racial Strife in Washington, DC
I could see it coming. For the past several years, I tried to relocate to Washington, DC. They've got a wonderful senior program there, not to mention the attractions at the Kennedy Center, the several museums of the Smithsonian Institution (all free!) and the excitement of being on the East Coast.
Slowly, however, I could detect the city is changing for the worse. The only housing I could afford, since I'm retired is shared housing--rent a room in someone's house, use the bathroom and kitchen facilities. What I soon found was that most shared housing locations were in black neighborhoods; and I wasn't welcome for long--once word got around the neighborhood that a "white" was living in a predominantly black neighborhood. I tried the Southeast area--which actually was less predjudiced, but mostly I found housing around Georgia Avenue. Raw hatred was coming from black teenagers and guys in their twenties. So, I finally gave up on living in black neighborhoods--too many cat calls!
Then, I came up with the idea, how about living close to DC. I went to Raleigh, NC and lived there awhile, but found there wasn't any possibility of commuting to DC--just too far away. I found really nice housing there, however.
Finally, I alighted upon the thought, what if I just came to DC occasionally and got to see and do what I liked. Well, I tried the homeless shelters--some required coming into the shelter at 2 PM--would you believe? One was great--the Franklin School, but the city closed it, alas; and back to Los Angeles, I hurried. The advantage to living in a shelter for a time is the shelters have a staff wallking about and a security group, which sometimes is effective.
I've just returned from DC. This last trip of a few months was awful. I stayed at the New York Avenue Shelter, run by Catholic Charities. The residents were almost all blacks, and to my amazement, I noticed a profound change among the black youths this time. They were really HOSTILE to whites, especially old whites like me. I think part of the reason is that the downtown has become transformed by re-development into swanky apartments and lofts. And, there's the recession which is hitting black youths and their elders really hard. Another factor is that DC doesn't have a welfare assistance program--just food stamps. I tell you, I was harrassed and terrified for my life; and the staff and security could care less! I will never go back there, unless it's to a motel-6 for a night or two! Good riddance to that town. It's being torn apart by racial strife.
Slowly, however, I could detect the city is changing for the worse. The only housing I could afford, since I'm retired is shared housing--rent a room in someone's house, use the bathroom and kitchen facilities. What I soon found was that most shared housing locations were in black neighborhoods; and I wasn't welcome for long--once word got around the neighborhood that a "white" was living in a predominantly black neighborhood. I tried the Southeast area--which actually was less predjudiced, but mostly I found housing around Georgia Avenue. Raw hatred was coming from black teenagers and guys in their twenties. So, I finally gave up on living in black neighborhoods--too many cat calls!
Then, I came up with the idea, how about living close to DC. I went to Raleigh, NC and lived there awhile, but found there wasn't any possibility of commuting to DC--just too far away. I found really nice housing there, however.
Finally, I alighted upon the thought, what if I just came to DC occasionally and got to see and do what I liked. Well, I tried the homeless shelters--some required coming into the shelter at 2 PM--would you believe? One was great--the Franklin School, but the city closed it, alas; and back to Los Angeles, I hurried. The advantage to living in a shelter for a time is the shelters have a staff wallking about and a security group, which sometimes is effective.
I've just returned from DC. This last trip of a few months was awful. I stayed at the New York Avenue Shelter, run by Catholic Charities. The residents were almost all blacks, and to my amazement, I noticed a profound change among the black youths this time. They were really HOSTILE to whites, especially old whites like me. I think part of the reason is that the downtown has become transformed by re-development into swanky apartments and lofts. And, there's the recession which is hitting black youths and their elders really hard. Another factor is that DC doesn't have a welfare assistance program--just food stamps. I tell you, I was harrassed and terrified for my life; and the staff and security could care less! I will never go back there, unless it's to a motel-6 for a night or two! Good riddance to that town. It's being torn apart by racial strife.
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