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Its allajoke

I was watching basketball on TV the other night and had to marvel at the physical grace and skill the human body is capable of. Only a small percentage of humans engage such potential but it certainly exists.

Occasionally I wonder around within my PC and I always find various capacities that are awesome. I am aware of software that will allow me to do creative things with pictures and video and audio and God only knows what else. I suspect there is software that will allow me to do anything I might imagine. Few of us engage one small element of the potential of the PC but it certainly exists.

McLuhan, the man with the marvelous insight, enlightens us with the knowledge that our technology is an extension of our self; the bomb extends the fist, the Internet extends the nervous system, our discussion forums lay bare the vacuous chaos and foolishness of our brain. TV allows us to observe famines, tsunamis, hurricanes, beheadings, bombings, the grace of Olympic skiers, etc. We can barely touch or feel these events in any human way but we ‘see’ that they certainly exist.

Within the human body there exists such marvelous potential that is never tapped. How did we acquire such potential? How is it possible that such capability can evolve within a creature never even conscious of such ability let alone use it for any good purpose? I see that other animals seem to have what they need and they utilize all that they have. Humans seem to have more than we realize and far more than we ever explore and use, but we can ‘see’ that it exists.

We have this marvelous ability to reason but we have distorted and warped this rationality to produce an Arnold like powerful and muscular upper torso mounted on long, spindle, weak, and varicose-veined legs. The upper torso represents our instrumental rationality and the lower torso our communicative action rationality. Our instrumental rationality made the bomb a reality and our communicative action rationality makes our annihilation by that bomb likely.

We use our critical capacity only to be negative. I suspect that the gods, Zeus, Allah, Jesus, Holy Ghost, etc. sit around the table in heaven havin a beer and a big laugh at all of the human antics. I suspect they have given us all this possibility just for their pleasure. I suspect its allajoke.

Oh, I don't think it is all a joke.

(and my thoughts on Arnold are well know.....:-4 )

What is the ratio of animals using the full brain capacity to that of humans?

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjec ... mals.shtml

But do animals use all of their brain capacity?

Chonsi

I suspect there is no way to prove my assumption that humans have their brains in a neutral mode almost always whereas I suspect other animals are using their mental abilities to the fullest. I find it to be obvious but I have no way of proving such a thing. It is like many assumptions every person has their own.

Coberst, I know you are refering to higher level thinking, because a great portion of the brain is used for metabolism and everyday functions.

I just wondered if there had been a study on this, even for the lower level functions.

Are most humans using their mental abilities to full capacity the majority of the day?

No, I do not think so. You choice of the word "neutral" is a good example, when a person is not going forward or backwards, but not grinding the gears either.

But many are. You enjoyed the grace of Shaq and all the players viewing the game. (dumb LA for loosing him! ) You can perceive things that need to be comprehended, and wish for others to extend themselves that way. There are many different ways to engage people in this-but they must come willingly. As a teacher, I must be the Pied Piper to providing this learning, and the higher levels. It works sometimes, and many times it does not. But I think you want to know how to engage others more at the higher levels, to solve primarily physical conditions here on Planet Earth, then on to greater and higher things.

How would you engage them? There is not one definite system of thought that would engage all.

Chonsi

I think that our schooling has not provided us with the experience of concentrated intellectual focus. We often hear a sports announcer say that “she has lost her concentration” when a player plays her game below par.

It seems to me that our schooling has never provided us with the experience of how intellectual concentration is as necessary in efficient comprehension as concentration is necessary for efficient sports performance. I get the feeling that few people comprehend that concentration is a necessary condition for any efficient intellectual enterprise.

We are sleep-readers, sleep-listeners and sleep-thinkers. It is obvious to me that few people comprehend an OP before they respond.

I am not qualified to advise a teacher of children. However, this has never stopped me before.

I think that the teacher must find some game that will interest the child and allow that child to experience the importance of a focused intellect. The sports coach constantly demands focused concentration and perhaps could help the teacher in devising games that will interest the child while demanding the development of good concentration habits. The child must learn what habits to develop for good reading, listening, and thinking.

A good teacher will naturally do those things-what are the numerous ways to demonstrate the main idea, and teach it. Then take them up to the higher levels after the concept is learned. Only then can the teacher know they really know it, and can extrapolate on this point.

Do they all do that? No. But they should-and I think systems that train teachers should diversify the teaching techniques that they should use.

I know my school district is training math teachers this summer in a "new math" system. Since I have been reassigned for a math class this year, I have to attend and I previewed what we were being taught. Everyone was very estactic about it-when I looked at it I said "Finally, we always taught this way over a decade ago in such and such a state." It did not endear me to the rest.....:wah: Sad, many systems are only finally looking at multiple modes of teaching a subject matter for student comprehension.

Now, what do you think the mainstream of the population needs to do to reach these higher levels? From an adult perspective, it cannot be always blamed on the instruction they had as young students, they should have gained some on their own. How would you take them up to higher levels of thinking, outside of the box?

Chonsi

I have just finished this with the plan to post it tomorrow.

Party Bridge versus Duplicate Bridge

We have often heard a sports announcer say of an athlete “she has lost her concentration”.

Anyone who has played both party bridge and duplicate bridge will recognize the great chasm separating the two forms of bridge playing.Duplicate bridge is for serious players and party bridge is what the phrase implies. Party bridge is fun and games and discussions and eating cake and drinking coffee or wine.

The individual who has struggled to improve her golf swing or tennis serve can comprehend that the duplicate bridge player is like the person who is determined to improve her game.

It appears to me that few of us have learned in our schooling how to improve our intellectual game of reading, listening, and thinking. Our schools have seldom provided any of us with the experience of reading, listening, and thinking with determination and concentration. Our schooling has aided us in becoming sleep-readers, sleep-listeners, and sleep-thinkers.

If we adults are ever to correct this deficiency we must do it on our own. The major barrier to correcting this deficiency is our ego. No vigorous self-respecting ego is going to stand idly by while its brain accepts this as being true.

How can adults correct this deficiency? Like a good golf swing; if we have never experienced it, can we recognize it without a coach? I think we can but it is a pain in the brain.