Why Not the Best Ideas?
The unfortunate teaching of “liberal studies,” is this notion that all ideas are equally valid and good as every other, when even for individuals, some ideas are better than others -- and are to be preferred over others, than left to random chance to dictate the course of humankind -- which is decidedly, not the story of evolution, progress and enlightenment -- even though such proponents think that is the ultimate vision of enlightenment and its objective. For such people, every idea is as good and valid as every other -- and not being able to discriminate any differences, anymore, is the objective and fulfillment of their lives -- rather than the reason for the disasters, misfortune and ill-will in the world.
This was largely the teaching and propagation (propaganda) of the institutions of mass (media) culture -- in which nobody anymore need do their own thinking -- because there are “objective” experts (practically like gods) who will do everybody else’s thinking for them -- just like in the good old days before these preposterous notions of self-determination, fraternity and liberty convinced many they could do their own thinking.
The old “mainstream” mass media would still like to convince everybody that we should consider them as modern icons (gods), rather than these delusions “common people” have that they are just as capable of determining the truth for themselves -- and should, if that is entirely possible -- because all manner of other knowledge is not as reliable, if one is familiarized with the basics of making those discoveries for oneself. Most are not taught that basic skill in school or their entire lives -- but conditioned merely to obey and defer to those most assertive and insistent that they are the “authorities.” We have to believe what they say, because they say “so.”
It’s actually not much different in the schools and universities anymore -- or for that matter, politics, in which those who have been there the longest, should never be questioned or challenged. But that is not science, the truth, or any other validity but assuring the perpetuation of things as they are -- which is the exclusive control by those who own the information pipelines. In a former day, those were a self-designated few; today, nobody has that exclusivity of control -- which is very troubling to those who think they should. A short time ago in history, there seemed to be very few alternatives to those choices -- until they exploded out of control, and those who are inclined to do so, can see many other perspectives except the one the local authority figure wishes to be so.
There are also the many struggles along the way -- by those who would like eventually (envision) to be that king of the hill. They think the meaning and purpose of every life is to dominate and prove their superiority to every other -- as though that was an intelligent thing to do, or at least that's what they were taught in school by many “teachers” who had no real idea of the meaning, purpose of significance of education, because they were never allowed to discover such a thing themselves.
But without that discussion first, everything else one does is arbitrary and rote. One learns what the “teacher” demands, because they are “bigger” than us -- or wants everybody to else to think so. That is their only skill and talent in life.
posted by Mike Hu @ 1:30 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
The "best" ideas, or the best of anything is not simply what is the most heavily promoted -- which is the criteria used by mainstream publications as their benchmark of best, in that they wait around until those promoters come knocking on their heads -- and then regard the hype as the success rather than the content and substance, of which they do not expect.
More often than not, the best is a rarity recognized and treasured by a few. That's what we want to know of -- and not simply the lowest common recognition in that category of generalization.
Appreciation is more than just the knowledge of the fact. One has to know how to value information rightly -- or it is wasted. More often than not, the state of the art of information is discarded by the mass media -- because it is not what is already commonly believed.
They will even publish polls of erroneous thinking as "proof" of the validity of whatever it is they want everybody to believe. In the field of conditioning and exercise, it is that such activity is so unproductive and unpleasant that any sane person is right in avoiding the imbecilic regimens and notions they are reporting as the generalized experience -- rather than their own worst experiences.
These people expect that the geniuses of the world are going to come knocking on their doors to pitch their latest gimmicks -- rather than that they are a magnet for the con-artists of the world and are so vulnerable to flattery, deception and manipulation, that they couldn't tell the truth if it slapped them in the face.
That "slap on the face" is what many regard as the essential lesson of their physical education -- and why they have swore it off for life.
The lesson learned was that anything "physical" was brutish, cruel, and violated every sensibility they own body was telling them. Fortunately, that kind of teaching method is starting to die with future generations -- but the defenders of the status quo still regard fondly as the good old days of abuse by everybody who could -- and one simply hoped to find someone weaker than themselves to do it unto them.
For many intellectuals, that day never came and so they learned to use their wits to abuse others mentally, culturally, intellectually -- in the socially accepted and approved manner.
Abuse is not the conditioning one wants to learn -- towards oneself or others. It damages both the abuser and the abused. Yet many learned to condition themselves in that way -- somehow convinced that tolerating abuse, made one fit -- through some miraculous transformation.
What makes even more sense is optimal functioning as the conditioning one wants to actualize. A key to this attainment is the understanding that one does not want to create any resistance to the fullest articulation of movement -- because it is the fullest articulation of the range, which is the best measure of functioning and capability.
For virtually everyone, that is most easily and best measured at the axes of movement at the extremities of the body. That range of movement, is the most reliable indicator of general body capability. In many of the old and infirm, that is their only indices by which movement can be measured meaningfully anymore.
Yet I've seen physical therapists and exercise instructors ask people to do the physically impossible with the naive notion that if they could do a chinup or tough their toes, they'd be in remarkable condition. It is not even well-established if they have motor control throughout the body -- except as evidenced by the extent of control at the extremities.
It's really kind of a simple indicator of body capability that best implies all the rest -- and attaining and increasing its maximum articulation, is beneficial to anyone at all levels of proficiency with only one's unique genetic limits the expanding frontier of exploration.
Exercising primarily to lose weight, is exacerbating a bad idea. The body is not infinite in its use and recovery ability. Life has to be used intelligently and prudently throughout. This becomes a pressing urgency the worse condition one is in -- and not an indication that more use and abuse is the solution.
The understanding must evolve to a higher level before any effort is not more damaging, reinforcing the problem and its futility.
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