world of social media

“Living in a world of social media, where passion is considered on a par with information and where surrounding oneself with a coterie of sycophants passes for critical thinking and cherry picking sources is as close as most people get to being ‘well informed’.” - Rory Miller, Chiron Blog ‘Dripping Integrity’

Comment: Being well-informed takes a lot more, as one can realize from reading this short quote, work and effort than most will endure. This falls into that category of over-coming the freeze. What I mean is where ever we see some terse definition or expression of being “well-informed” actually takes a lot of study and understanding through questions and applications for and by experiences in the subject matter. It depends heavily on how you tackle the issue, i.e., as with the freeze recognize that you are using limited information and that you are being influenced by group emotional effects and that what you are hearing is only part of the story. Acknowledge that you are falling for the sound-bite and “cherry picking” effect and make yourself immediately and without hesitation seek out more in regard to the “Rest of the story.” 

A bit like “Framing Cell Phone Video’s” to suit the particular agenda of the recording person or the person presenting the video with attached information presupposing some seemingly hidden agenda. Recognize that an agenda is attached, recognize that the material is framed to represent and presuppose that agenda and then without hesitation make yourself seek out the “Rest of the Story.”

concept of rank

“In truth, the concept of rank has never been a good indication of progress; it diverts the mind away from the purpose of training, it introduces a false sense of achievement, and it provides currency to those who would us it for their own unscrupulous reasons.” - Michael Clarke, Shinseidokan Dojo

Comment: Humans when confronting those things that make us uncomfortable or difficult tend to use other more palatable things to fool ourselves. Trophies, rank, belts, and a sense of security and safety even if based on false things tends to make us feel comfortable. Our comfort often removes us from reality to the point where we incur more danger, more conflict and more violence. We allow ourselves to create tribal type groups called the dojo, the style and the system so we can create obstacles of comfort and false security while socializing enough to present a sense of unity and unity of tribe means survival except when it is based on falseness. We assume achievements of such trappings as indicative of success in a false world of perceived combatives, false fighting ability and false defense against violent acts/attacks. We end up disconnecting the thread that puts martial discipline in tandem with violent, violent conflict and defense using violent tactics, strategies and goals. Something seems out of synch, don’t you think?

society increasingly abhors

“Violence is also something that our society increasingly abhors – and we forget how rare this attitude is, geographically and historically.” - God’s Bastard

Comment: Only in the highest of societies hierarchal make up do we find a disconnect from our societal need for violence. It is at this level that the attitude is that violence and conflict are bad and at this level when it is needed to get them what they want they are more than willing to allow it as long as someone else’s commits the violence.  We tend to using “Others” to do our bidding so we don’t soil our hands and our minds with conflict and violence. We create distance between us and that world yet we employ those who can commit violence to achieve our security. Violence makes our sense of self feel disgust yet we can easily and readily accept our decisions to have “Others” commit atrocities in the name of safeguarding our way of life. Something seems out of synch, don’t you think?

shout as loudly

“In large−scale strategy, at the start of battle we shout as loudly as possible. During the fight, the voice is low−pitched, shouting out as we attack. After the contest, we shout in the wake of our victory. These are the three shouts. … In single combat, we make as if to cut and shout ‘Ei!’ at the same time to disturb the enemy, then in the wake of our shout we cut with the long sword. We shout after we have cut down the enemy this is to announce victory. This is called ‘sen go no koe’ (before and after voice). We do not shout simultaneously with flourishing the long sword. We shout during the fight to get into rhythm. Research this deeply.” - Miyamoto Musashi, Go Rin no Sho [五輪書, 1643]

Comment: When avoidance and deescalation and in some cases a more political means of avoidance fails we sometimes have to utilize skills that result in violence, bodily harm and death. As a violent species that has not as yet evolved and as far as I can see will never truly remove conflict and violence from human nature we have tried hard to disconnect ourselves from that nature. All of what nature provided has its purposes and to discard them as not useful merely opens the door to greater conflict, greater violence and greater violent conflict.  Take a look at our history, both distant and recent, and you will find that conflict and violence are not gone. It is to our detriment and existence that we go if we fail to accept our true nature. 

surmise that humans

“In conclusion, we can surmise that humans [genus Homo] were predators or scavengers, that were also likely prey of opportunity.  Using this relationship as an explanation of human social behavior, language, and brain size is quite a stretch.  Since predator/prey relationships have existed as long as there has been life on this planet and there are no other creatures that exhibit such human traits, then whatever the impetus was for us acquiring these abilities, it extended beyond a simplistic predator/prey explanation.” - Science20.com Gerhard Adam, April 10th, 2013

Comment: We humans have disconnected ourselves from our true nature from ignorance and misinformation that has been ingrained through social conditioning. Look at fear, fear of being hurt, fear of damage and fear of loss of life all contribute to our natural instincts to flee that which causes us harm or to flee from that which we fail to understand especially about what makes us humans. To be human is to be in conflict, conflict with ourselves and conflict with interaction of other humans. We cannot avoid either one because our base instinct for survival as humans is to band together into groups. Humans tend to gravitate toward those of like mind, like customs and like beliefs. The closer we come in those traits the better we get along and the better our chances for survival. Even in modern times where a threat from natural wildlife, such as lions and tigers and bears, is pretty much gone we still have to survive conflict between nations, societies, tribes, groups and families. Yes, even in the family we have to contend with both conflict and violence. The sooner we accept our true nature the sooner we can re-learn how that works as a communications and deliberation skill. Conflict and violence comes in many flavors and many levels. Focusing on the one level because it scares us while assuming the other levels will, “Work themselves out,” is stupid, ludicrous and simplistically ignorant. If mother nature has not seen fit to remove the need for conflict and violence communications and deliberations then why would we force ourselves into a state of resentment and frustration in the name of fear, fear of pain, hurt and damage? 

simple truth is

“The simple truth is that humans became better predators because they were predators to begin with.  The fact that there were larger predators doesn't change that.  The fact that humans could also serve as prey doesn't change that. … Humans have long held the capacity to kill, just as most primates have and that they were not the peaceful, passive creatures that Sussman would have you believe.  In fact, what should come as no surprise, is that they were and continue to be just like every creature that has ever lived, being both predator or prey depending on the circumstances.” - Science20.com Gerhard Adam, April 10th, 2013

Comment: Predator, prey or predator and prey; all dependent on the individual and their status within the hierarchy of the group dynamic. What our functions are in that group setting and all of it geared toward survival. Survival that has devolved into a contest rather than actual life and death. Seldom do we encounter such things except in rare situations but the social oriented ego pride driven status quo setting of the tribe still effects us all but resolutions tend to be the posturing we do to establish ourselves within the tribe or social group. Seldom does it end in asocial violence with death or great bodily harm on the table. 

almost complete disconnect

“Todays martial arts schools have an almost complete disconnect between the training and the reality of actual hand-to-hand fighting as it occurs today.” - Peyton Quinn, Musashi’s Book of Five Rings: Explained in Plain English

Comment: The modern martial arts stresses the art as something like a self-help program to balance out the individual so they may find peace, tranquility and harmony with natures chaotic and stressful existence. It is also about social club like gathering for the connection and enjoyment of a gathering, like a party. It is also about our competitive spirit as coupled toward our more violent side that exists interconnected with our nature to not truly harm one another - all part of the survival instinct of humans and so on.