Guns and alcohol

A new law has been passed to allow people in Arizona to bring their guns into bars and restaurants. The new law is supported, as you would expect, by the NRA.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33074414/ns/us_news-life/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31683427/ns/us_news-life/

While people carrying guns are not allowed to drink alcohol in these bars, there is surely something wrong here?

The American attitude to guns is what it is - people demand the right to carry / own a gun to protect themselves. This is a cultural thing, most prominent in certain areas - and whether you agree or disagree, it's a fact - much like the English like to play cricket and lose and the French like to write philosophy and be depressed. American politicians will naturally support the right to carry guns because they, as American citizens, will also share the desire. OK - agree or disagree it's a fact. But surely allowing guns to be carried in places where the social facilitator leads, in excess, to bad judgement, emotional inconsistency and physical impairment, this new law is surely insane.

I believe in the right to choose but politicians are there to help ensure our choices fall within a responsible framework. Do these politicians know nothing? Have these politicians not seen Bowling for Columbine?

Be like water

Here is a quote from the Daodejing (Edmund Ryden translation). In the spirit of this wonderful philosophy, I will make no comment and leave that to your interpretation...



Chapter 8

The highest goodness is like water:
Water benefits the myriad things and rests in the places everybody detests.

Therefore,
It is close to the Way.

Dwelling aims to be earth-bound;
Thinking aims to be profound;
Giving aims to be like heaven;
Speaking aims to be trustworthy;
Governing aims to be correct;
Accomplishing aims to be capable;
Undertaking aims to be timely.

Only through not competing will there be no disaster.

Can we have too much choice?

A few years old now and we still haven't learned anything... In this video psychologist Barry Schwartz says we have all become so anxious due to the amount of choice we have now. In the old days, there was coffee or tea... Now, well, there's no such thing... Because of this, we have no idea what we want anymore so we become disoriented, frustrated, unsettled, perplexed and, most importantly, anxious. We have a responsibility to make things simple for people. Simplicity leads to understanding whereas complexity leads to confusion.

Our responsibility: Obama

Barack Obama talks about responsibility. After a decade of personalisation, the need for instant gratification and the falsely instilled belief that our actions are always right, it was refreshing when Obama raised these thoughts on responsibility. A little bit of introspection can go a long way. Slow down, think, ask what you can do to make your immediate world a better place. How can you change your ways? This is your responsibility. By making changes to your life, you can help change the world.

Brick walls

"Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things."

This is a quote from Randy Pausch. While diagnosed with terminal cancer, he gave a thoughtful and uplifting talk on chasing your childhood dreams. Here is the link:



There are so many inspiring insights in this talk. But I really like the Brick Wall quote. I use the brick wall as a filter for everything I want. If it fails the 'Randy' test then I don't mind if I'm blocked. If it passes the 'Randy' test then I do what it takes (patiently, and sometimes passively waiting for the planets to align) to climb over the wall.

Currency of favours

This is fantastic - if you commit 4 hours of your time to a community project, you are given a ticket to a specially organised concert.

http://www.orangerockcorps.co.uk/

Young people taking action to improve their community and gaining rewards for doing so.

It is a transaction which means the benefits are quantifiable and involvement is unemotional towards the cause. There are clear benefits to any associated corporate brand. That said, it raises the importance of community involvement and is a talking point for kids.

All credit to the founders. By providing the opportunity, kids have an experience. With the experience, kids can start to think about how they need to engage with each other, their family and their community.

Science of happiness

In this video, Nancy Etcoff talks about the scientific basis of happiness.

She covers the hormonal basis for addiction, reward, attachment; me vs. we; intragenerational value shifts; facial expressions etc. Whether it is social 'soft' or neurological / biological 'hard' science, this video is facinating.

By understanding the science and being aware of the physical changes in our bodies, we are in a better position to understand why we feel as we do. By understanding the basis for our emotions, we can control and change our emotional state. We can understand the stimuli that cause us to feel as we do. That way we can take action to ensure that we maintain a positive emotional experience and uninvolve ourselves in activities that don't make us feel happy.

Actions or intent?

Should we judge people based on their actions or their intent?

Should we judge ourselves based on our actions or our intent?

First time, this time

'We think first' - what does this mean to you?

To me, it means that we must thoroughly consider the ramifications of our actions before we do anything. Politicians are consistently faced with 'impossible' decisions but their actions are sometimes reactive or lean towards an agenda. So by thinking first and understanding the implications of our actions, we can 'do the right thing' more conistently.

It is our responsibility - every person's - to make informed decisions that enhance the welfare of Earth's inhabitants and safeguard the future of our planet. By taking responsibility for thinking first, we will make informed and considered actions.

Of course this all depends on the moral code that underpins our own decision making...