When I was hanging out with my dad, he told me something that I have decided is a really interesting thing to think about:
The things that annoy you most about other people are reflections of what you know and dislike about yourself.
(not exact words, but definitely exact concept)
Now... when he first said that, I tried to think about all the stuff that annoys me and all of the things that don't particularly annoy me... and I have to say it's probably a great practice for when you're annoyed. Am I annoyed because I have a personal problem with avoiding this activity? And I'll tell you what else... it makes me much less annoyed and much more self-reflective!
Sometimes, when I'm trying to think about things that I want to change, I put my thoughts in the form of what I am going to want to tell my children. Like... "is my thought so generally true that I want to instill this idea in the thoughts of my children?"... this is knowing that when children learn things... it's MUCH closer to permanent than if you tell an older person things.
So I've been reading this book for my class about how we're all of the commercials and ads that kids get bombarded with that not only teach them to be huge consumers of things that are not necessarily good for them ... but also teach them values with regard ONLY to profit. It's a very horrifying book. And while I agree with most of what the book says, I have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind sometimes. For instance, when they said that kids play with traditional toys for less time because of the video games.
Now I can't even KIND OF say whether this is good or bad. What worries me is WHY we think that training our children (and I'm refering to the generation before us... as we don't have children) exactly like we are... with the same TRADITIONAL toys and ... more importantly, VALUES. I just think that ... I don't particularly WANT another generation like that one... like... those values, which weren't AWEFUL for sure... aren't the TRUTH... because... there isn't a TRUTH. But people always try to make their children like them. And the children are responsible for rebelling against them enough to make sure that we're changing and improving along with our environment. Because no matter how much we try, our environment will NOT be stagnant. We have immigration. New rights for new minorities. New technology/medicines/scientific discoveries.
Whether or not early stimulating things like video games cause ADD or any other issues in children... I can also tell you that some of the people who I know who played a LOT of videogames, while often times "nerdy"... they usually end up being extremely creative, EXTREMELY smart, VERY outside-the-box thinking, and they understand a LOT of technology. I mean... you know all of those valueable hackers were video game people.
Of course, I don't want kids to become consumer machines. I just HAPPENED to think about it because of that book...
Anyway, as of now, I think I want to tell my children to QUESTION EVERYTHING!! Even everything IIII tell them. And anything I can't support... they shouldn't believe. So there!
(also, I have enough forsight to understand that there is about a 50% chance that I'll be like every single parent right now... and maybe my kids will read this and be like "what the fuck, mom! When you were 20 you wanted your kids to question everything you say! What the fuck happened to that?" And I'll be like "IF YOU SAY 'FUCK' ONE MORE FUCKING TIME, I'LL KICK YOUR ASS TO CANCUN!! NOW CLEAN YOUR FUCKING ROOM!!"
JK... except not...)
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That is very interesting because a professor of mine gave the class an essay last week, and it was from the point of view of a teacher. And at the end of every semester the teacher would ask, "What book did you dislike the most this semester?" And after you answered that question he asked, "And what intellectual or characterological flaws in you does that dislike point to?" It is kind of a meaner way of saying what your dad said, haha.
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