"Common sense is not so common." When Voltaire penned these words some 250 years ago I wonder what was going through his mind? Was he merely making a satirical comment of his time? Or was he thinking, as I am today, that it always has been true and forever will be?
So what is Common Sense? It is defined as sound practical sense. I take this to be basic stuff, that everyone should know, no matter how old you are or from whatever part of the world you live in. It's the stuff that is in our genes. It's our inherent knowledge, like we know if you drop something it will fall to the ground.
Next, let's define the other two words:
Ignorance - one who lacks knowledge.
Stupidity - one who is foolish.
One may, at first, assume they are both mean the same thing, but if you think about it they are really quite different. My view is that ignorance can be "fixed" through teaching and learning. While stupity, can afflict even the most brilliant of persons and is neither taught or learned, it simply is.
Before we look at people let's look at the plight of the hapless Dodo Bird. It's name is from the Portuguese word doudo, which means simpleton, halfwit or stupid person. So does this mean the Dodo was a stupid bird. Hardly, it had managed to survive for thousands of years on it's tiny island. But it's isolation in an environment free from natural predators caused it to loose it's most basic of common sense survival skills; to flee when faced with something unknown. The result was devasting. Had it been given sufficient time it may have learned this skill once more and been able to survive. But time was not on the Dodo's side so it became extinct in a few short years. It died from evolutionary ignorance. It didn't know that other things could and would kill it.
So now let us examine what usually happens to people who lack common sense. In todays world, not much. Maybe a lawsuit, a divorce, time in jail or a hospital, a demotion or being fired, but rarely does it end in death. A far cry from a million or so years ago. Then a lack of common sense would have likely meant you were something else's dinner. A fate not unlike that of the Dodo. A lack of common sense was a quick way to insure your genes were removed from the genome pool. We now give these individuals an award, a Darwin Award. Awarded each year, posthumously, to honor those who improve the species by accidently removing themselves from it.
Those who learned from others mistakes survived, at least long enough to pass their common sense genes along, or more aptly put, the genes that allow their offspring to learn to have common sense too. So in prehistoric times, common sense was one of our competitive advantages over the rest of the animal kingdom. It allowed us to move our way to the top of the food chain. So what happened? Why is it that we have seemingly lost this ability and yet remain atop the natural order of things?
We have become intelligent enough to allow us to become stupid. It didn't happen overnight. Like most things that involve evolution it has taken an awfully long time and has happened almost invisibly to most. Then along comes Voltaire, who states it like it's an obvious observation, and all people say is, he's being nothing but satirical. Yet, sadly, it is still the truth.
I don't dispute there are ignorant people out there, but almost everyone on the planet knows that if they jump from the roof of a two storey building, roughly 3 meters, they are likely going to get hurt or possibly even die. So why do people do it? Are these people who lack common sense ignorant or stupid?
I would have to say they are simply stupid. The truly stupid person ignores the danger and continues on their path of self destruction to whatever end that may take them. What is usually the last thing a stupid person says before they die?
"Betcha never seen anyone do this before!"
Sadly, they never live long enough to know if they won that bet. And hopefully, for the sake of all of humanity, they have not had the chance to procreate either.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
The Writing Process
In the writing process there's always at least one magical moment. That moment is usually when you first get an idea about what to write about. Then begins the torturous task of trying to convert that cerebal spark into something that people will understand and appreciate.
Sometimes you can struggle for what seems to be an eternity on this conversion. What's worse is that sometimes you have to come to the horrible conclusion that it just isn't going to happen.
As a fellow writer once put it as the opening line in a novellete, "Sometimes, things are better left unsaid." And this is one of those times.
Sometimes you can struggle for what seems to be an eternity on this conversion. What's worse is that sometimes you have to come to the horrible conclusion that it just isn't going to happen.
As a fellow writer once put it as the opening line in a novellete, "Sometimes, things are better left unsaid." And this is one of those times.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Political Correctness
The topic of Political Correctness versus Politcal Incorrectness, formerly known as the language I grew up speaking, is a topic that has been done to death. From comedians to politicians everyone has had their say on this issue. So, that being said, I'm going to give you my opinion on the subject. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or stopped reading at the end of this sentence.
No one can say that the transisition to PC from PI (yes, for those who can find me you can slap me upside the head for using short forms, but in this case I'm just being lazy) has not been a good idea in principle. My feelings are that people should respect one another and one way of doing this is to not call each other derogatory names. It has been a long time coming that we can now say it is socially irresponsible for anyone to call anybody the "N" word no matter what race you are. I have, in the past, been called whitey, honky, pinky (by one of those guys in the Blue Man Group, which by the way, should look at changing their name to Blue Person Group or Blue Group to get in line with the rest of the politically correct world) and I know it doesn't feel very good.
We have all heard and seen many examples of people who have slipped up and used Politically Incorrect language. From politicians, to talk show hosts and even the occasional actor it seems there's usually three possible explanations for inappropriate behaviour: alcohol, old age, and the inability to know when the microphone is on. Unfortunately, it's these sensationalized events of momentary stupidity that grab the headlines, while most of us live in a completely different world where we are simply trying to get through the day without saying something that'll get us brought up on some human rights or sexual harassment charges.
But in our effort to be so Politically Correct have we gone too far? Have we moved in a direction where we are turning all the names of our professions into enigmatic eunuchs? I'm sorry but I fail to see the connection between Political Correctness and gender neutral occupational names. Has this reach such heights that we are now worried about offending an entire sex? Someone will likely tell me this is the logical outcome of the feminist movement at the end of the last century. Call me old fashion (or something worse), but this looks more like the castration of men and the complete loss of feminity in women for the sake of trying to erase the historical inequities of the workplace. So, has it helped? Last time I checked women were still getting paid a good deal less than their male co-workers for doing the same work, even if they have the same job title.
The title of the job should be simply a description of what the person does. Take for example, the police. When I was growing up they were policemen unless it was a woman then she was a policewoman. That made sense to me and I thought a perfectly acceptable description of their profession. What I didn't like were people who called them cops, pigs, smokies, and I'm sure there are countless more that I am not familiar with, but all of which are not flattering. So can someone explain to me why we then had to further change the name to the gender neutral police officer?
Let's look at another example, the Chair. In the beginning there was the Chairman, as most were men, but as women climbed the corporate ladder there emerged the Chairwoman. These ladies of the feminist revolution soon demanded that the name be changed to Chairperson, but the men demanded it be prefixed with Madam or Mister. Both found this to be a cumbersome title and it was eventually shorten to simply the Chair. To me it seems strickingly ironic that a position of extreme power has been relegated to the lowliest type of furniture one can have. I mean really, a chair. People running billion dollar corporations being referred to as a simple piece of furniture that one places one's ass on. Talk about not being very flattering. Even judges get a bench.
So, if not a chair what would be a more appropriate piece of furniture to reflect a position of such grand stature? Perhaps a sofa or chesterfield? At least these are larger places to plant one's ass. Or maybe we should move away from that concept into other types of furniture. Maybe a Chest of Drawers, or Dresser, although that does sound a little too masculine. Maybe an Armoire would be a better choice, foriegn words always carry a mystique about them. Now there's a piece of furniture with some stature to it!
Okay, I guess that isn't going to work. I supposed if we have to be stuck with a Chair then might I suggest a Chair with some style and class. I can see it now at the introduction to the Board the latest successful candidate who will lead their billion dollar, multi-national company through the first half of this new century.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of Board please allow me to introduce to you, your new Wingback ...."
No one can say that the transisition to PC from PI (yes, for those who can find me you can slap me upside the head for using short forms, but in this case I'm just being lazy) has not been a good idea in principle. My feelings are that people should respect one another and one way of doing this is to not call each other derogatory names. It has been a long time coming that we can now say it is socially irresponsible for anyone to call anybody the "N" word no matter what race you are. I have, in the past, been called whitey, honky, pinky (by one of those guys in the Blue Man Group, which by the way, should look at changing their name to Blue Person Group or Blue Group to get in line with the rest of the politically correct world) and I know it doesn't feel very good.
We have all heard and seen many examples of people who have slipped up and used Politically Incorrect language. From politicians, to talk show hosts and even the occasional actor it seems there's usually three possible explanations for inappropriate behaviour: alcohol, old age, and the inability to know when the microphone is on. Unfortunately, it's these sensationalized events of momentary stupidity that grab the headlines, while most of us live in a completely different world where we are simply trying to get through the day without saying something that'll get us brought up on some human rights or sexual harassment charges.
But in our effort to be so Politically Correct have we gone too far? Have we moved in a direction where we are turning all the names of our professions into enigmatic eunuchs? I'm sorry but I fail to see the connection between Political Correctness and gender neutral occupational names. Has this reach such heights that we are now worried about offending an entire sex? Someone will likely tell me this is the logical outcome of the feminist movement at the end of the last century. Call me old fashion (or something worse), but this looks more like the castration of men and the complete loss of feminity in women for the sake of trying to erase the historical inequities of the workplace. So, has it helped? Last time I checked women were still getting paid a good deal less than their male co-workers for doing the same work, even if they have the same job title.
The title of the job should be simply a description of what the person does. Take for example, the police. When I was growing up they were policemen unless it was a woman then she was a policewoman. That made sense to me and I thought a perfectly acceptable description of their profession. What I didn't like were people who called them cops, pigs, smokies, and I'm sure there are countless more that I am not familiar with, but all of which are not flattering. So can someone explain to me why we then had to further change the name to the gender neutral police officer?
Let's look at another example, the Chair. In the beginning there was the Chairman, as most were men, but as women climbed the corporate ladder there emerged the Chairwoman. These ladies of the feminist revolution soon demanded that the name be changed to Chairperson, but the men demanded it be prefixed with Madam or Mister. Both found this to be a cumbersome title and it was eventually shorten to simply the Chair. To me it seems strickingly ironic that a position of extreme power has been relegated to the lowliest type of furniture one can have. I mean really, a chair. People running billion dollar corporations being referred to as a simple piece of furniture that one places one's ass on. Talk about not being very flattering. Even judges get a bench.
So, if not a chair what would be a more appropriate piece of furniture to reflect a position of such grand stature? Perhaps a sofa or chesterfield? At least these are larger places to plant one's ass. Or maybe we should move away from that concept into other types of furniture. Maybe a Chest of Drawers, or Dresser, although that does sound a little too masculine. Maybe an Armoire would be a better choice, foriegn words always carry a mystique about them. Now there's a piece of furniture with some stature to it!
Okay, I guess that isn't going to work. I supposed if we have to be stuck with a Chair then might I suggest a Chair with some style and class. I can see it now at the introduction to the Board the latest successful candidate who will lead their billion dollar, multi-national company through the first half of this new century.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of Board please allow me to introduce to you, your new Wingback ...."
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Short Forms
Can someone please explain to me what is the purpose of chat room short forms like BTW, LOL, LM(F)AO, ROTFLM(F)AO, LSHIPM, etc.?
In todays world where most people can type on average about 70 words a minute how much time do you really save using these riduculous short forms. In the the case of BTW which is short for "By The Way" if you've been living under a rock somewhere for the last dozen years or so. Do you really save all that much time? Seven keystrokes, one word versus three equates to a savings of about 1.7 seconds. Good Lord, are we that pressed for time these days that we have to try and save every second we can. Cancel my trip to Europe, as I obviously won't have any time for it since I prefer not to use short forms. If I ever do you have my permission to slap me upside the head.
As for LOL or "Laugh Out Loud", do you really do that or are you just saying that? So, you sitting there in the Internet Cafe, sipping your low-fat grande latte while you read your e-mails and mind enlightening blogs (like this one), actually laugh out loud when you come across something funny? Do you make others around the cafe look at you and wonder, "Gee, what are they reading? I wish I was reading something that funny." Or are you laughing on the inside (LOTI), so as to not embarrass yourself in public. Or perhaps you're at home, all alone, and you can laugh out loud, but since there's no one else around to show what it is you are laughing at you simply stifle your laughter and sink deeper into the lonely existence you call your "life".
Then there's LM(F)AO or "Laughing My (F'ing) Ass Off. I've been around many years and, believe it or not, have spent a great deal of time laughing during that time. I can honestly say that I have never laughed my ass off even once. Perhaps I've been doing it wrong. What is the secret type of laughing one must do in order to lose one's ass simply by laughing? I know several book companies who would pay big money to publish a diet book about how to lose one's ass simply by laughing. I'll share the royalties. Honest. After all I'm Monkish in nature.
Then there's ROTFLM(F)AO or "Rolling On The Floor Laughing My (F'ing) Ass Off". Okay anybody who really does this I want to see proof. Send me your YouTube link so I can actually watch you do this and then maybe, and I mean maybe, I'll believe you.
Last one, for now, LSHIPM or "Laughing So Hard I Peed Myself". Okay, well I think we've all done this at least once in our lives. Mind you I haven't seen this one used that frequently. I guess incontinence isn't that funny a subject with our aging population and all. Advertisers should really make those Depends commercials more funny. Just think of all the sales they could make if they got the public LSHIPM.
So, whatever happened to the art of writing? Of actually saying something that means something. Have we really become a world with so little to say that we've taken it to the next level where we end up even abbreviating the few pitiful words we do have to say? I'm not saying every note or letter has to be an equivalent to Tolstoy's War and Peace, but we need to start putting some effort back into writing before we become a world of idiomatically illiterate Bohemians.
For those of you who haven't a clue what I just said, what are your thoughts on short forms? Let me know your favorites and what they mean as I hate trying to figure those damn things out.
In todays world where most people can type on average about 70 words a minute how much time do you really save using these riduculous short forms. In the the case of BTW which is short for "By The Way" if you've been living under a rock somewhere for the last dozen years or so. Do you really save all that much time? Seven keystrokes, one word versus three equates to a savings of about 1.7 seconds. Good Lord, are we that pressed for time these days that we have to try and save every second we can. Cancel my trip to Europe, as I obviously won't have any time for it since I prefer not to use short forms. If I ever do you have my permission to slap me upside the head.
As for LOL or "Laugh Out Loud", do you really do that or are you just saying that? So, you sitting there in the Internet Cafe, sipping your low-fat grande latte while you read your e-mails and mind enlightening blogs (like this one), actually laugh out loud when you come across something funny? Do you make others around the cafe look at you and wonder, "Gee, what are they reading? I wish I was reading something that funny." Or are you laughing on the inside (LOTI), so as to not embarrass yourself in public. Or perhaps you're at home, all alone, and you can laugh out loud, but since there's no one else around to show what it is you are laughing at you simply stifle your laughter and sink deeper into the lonely existence you call your "life".
Then there's LM(F)AO or "Laughing My (F'ing) Ass Off. I've been around many years and, believe it or not, have spent a great deal of time laughing during that time. I can honestly say that I have never laughed my ass off even once. Perhaps I've been doing it wrong. What is the secret type of laughing one must do in order to lose one's ass simply by laughing? I know several book companies who would pay big money to publish a diet book about how to lose one's ass simply by laughing. I'll share the royalties. Honest. After all I'm Monkish in nature.
Then there's ROTFLM(F)AO or "Rolling On The Floor Laughing My (F'ing) Ass Off". Okay anybody who really does this I want to see proof. Send me your YouTube link so I can actually watch you do this and then maybe, and I mean maybe, I'll believe you.
Last one, for now, LSHIPM or "Laughing So Hard I Peed Myself". Okay, well I think we've all done this at least once in our lives. Mind you I haven't seen this one used that frequently. I guess incontinence isn't that funny a subject with our aging population and all. Advertisers should really make those Depends commercials more funny. Just think of all the sales they could make if they got the public LSHIPM.
So, whatever happened to the art of writing? Of actually saying something that means something. Have we really become a world with so little to say that we've taken it to the next level where we end up even abbreviating the few pitiful words we do have to say? I'm not saying every note or letter has to be an equivalent to Tolstoy's War and Peace, but we need to start putting some effort back into writing before we become a world of idiomatically illiterate Bohemians.
For those of you who haven't a clue what I just said, what are your thoughts on short forms? Let me know your favorites and what they mean as I hate trying to figure those damn things out.
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