Goodbye!

Well, it certainly has been quite a journey in this class. In this last blog entry I would just like to thank you all for your contribution to the course, because between blogging and class discussion I truly have expanded my understanding of philosophy and human nature as a whole (and I am not just saying this to please Professor Johnson, I truly have ;) ) I hope you all have a wonderful summer break!

I am not an artist.

"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do." ~Edgar Degas

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." ~Pablo Picasso

     Upon looking up quotes about art, these two definitely stuck out to me, and this is most likely because I in no way consider myself an artist. Only on occation have I been able to produce some nice sketches or creations. My best friend on the other hand has a natural ability to draw fantastically and I think this is part of the reason I always wished I could. It has always seemed that everyone around me has some sort of natural talent, where as I have nothing. Nevertheless, this friend of mine decided last winter than she would try to teach me how to draw some basic things. First of all, she was not a very good teacher because she had a natural ability to correctly place the lines of the drawing and was consequently bad at attempting to explain how she knew what to do. Second of all, the more she said the more confused and frustrated I got. I was pretty much ready to give up entirely until last summer. I found an old sketch book in a pile of my things and decided to print a few interesting pictures offline and attempt to draw them. After sitting in my dimly lit room late into the night, I actually produced some acceptable looking drawings. They did not look identical to what I was trying to copy, but they were still good. Then it hit me that I simply have a different drawing style than she does. Therefore, when she was trying to teach me I was not able to produce things in the same manner that she could.
     I believe that if I actually took an artclass I might actually be able to learn how to be a better artist. I would never be as good as someone with a natural ability, but nonetheless. This leads me to wonder, can anyone learn how to be an artist or do people need to have a natural tendency or ability to be able to create art? As humans, I also wonder how much we are capable of actually learning. There is a show on MTV called MADE in which a teenager gets a coach and is made into anything they want to be: a break dancer, surfer, a beauty queen. But, could someone ever truly transform themselves into anything they want?

The Oddities of Museums

     All of this contemplation about art has really led me to realize how odd museums, especially art museums, really are. As humans, we give money to walk into a building and look at pictures we could easily see online or in books. Not all of these works were even intended to have an audience. Some pieces were created for others to enjoy, but I suspect that most of them were created when the artist felt they needed an outlet for emotional release. In this sense, I feel that if I were an artist, having my painting hung in a museum would be somewhat embarrassing. Imagine that you are upset and paint a magnificent piece. While most people will not understand its meaning because it is so abstract, you still know that you bared your soul on the canvas and are letting the eyes of the public tear it apart. Nevertheless, why do humans find art museums, or any museums for that matter, so fascinating? After all, people of ancient times would most likely laugh if they knew their shoe or toilet was on display. I suppose people enjoy museums partially because of reputation society has created for museums and galleries. People are made to think that they are intelligent and sophisticated places, and that is most likely why people force themselves to go to a museum, even if they know they will be bored. Humans are curious creatures, and they often go to art museums while on vacation so they can brag that they went. They would not want to hear friends tell about their museum visits and not have any stories or experiences to share themselves. Likewise, humans like to look at artifacts because their curiosity drives them to know about the past. People understand that they can never know what the distant past was like, but they are so intrigued by the mysterious goings-on of another time that they will pay twenty dollars to go see the artifacts from the period. What type of museums do you enjoy more, those that display only art or those that display artifacts?

Art Museums!

In response to Jenny Beers's question, "Do you like going to art museums? A lot of people think it is utterly boring, how about you?"...

     I honestly have mixed feelings about art museums. Since I am so interested in archeology I enjoy museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, for it contains a wealth of artifacts as well as a decent sized collection of art as well. In the eighth grade however I did go to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. This museum was truly impressive and even at that age I was able to appreciate the museum's collection. But, I only spent a few hours there and I am unsure if I would be able to stay longer. Unlike many people who visit these museums, I do not spend twenty minutes looking at one painting. I stop and gaze at one that catches my eye for a minute, then move onto the next one. I do not get bored per say, but I definitely have to be in the mood to visit an art museum. Additionally, I believe that half of the draw of such a museum is the amazing architecture, with the sweeping galleries with their high ceilings. As for modern art at museums such as Mass MoCA, well, I have already blogged about my dislike and misunderstanding of them before.
     I tend to find small art galleries more interesting than huge museums of art, and perhaps this is because it is simply enjoying art in smaller doses. This past summer on the way back from Plum Island Beach my two friends and I stopped to browse through downtown Newburyport, Massachusetts. It is a gorgeous little area, and we walked into a couple of small art galleries there. The art was truly magnificent in this one gallery that sticks out in my memory, and I wish I actually had enough money to buy some of the works there. So, I will say that I sometimes enjoy going to art museums, and while I do not find them immediately boring, after a few hours, I do begin to feel that they are. Have you ever seen a famous painting such as the Mona Lisa in person? What did you think of it? Did it live up to your expectations?

Reflections...

     As this semester comes to a close, I find myself at a loss as to what I should blog about. That being said, it is probably best for me to make this post broad and somewhat of a conclusion about my now refined view of human nature. Stepping into the classroom in January, I am sure that most students did not really know what they were in for. After all, "The Nature of Human Nature" sounds pretty vague. But, as the class progressed, I found it increasingly interesting through its discussion of a range of philosophical topics from altruism to the supernatural. Through blogging I have been able to think about these topics fully by applying them to the world around me and drawing examples from my own life in order to understand them. I now realize that human nature is simply those pre-programmed tendencies in our brains that are relatively universal across all humans, no matter what their culture is. As humans, we all act in certain ways and do certain things that we wish we could change. In other words, we discriminate against each other, wage war, and when it comes down to it, we always put our own interests above those of others around us. For thousands of years people have been trying to change these things, but if history can tell us anything, it is that we are most likely not going to change. In general, the broad themes of the future will most likely be extremely similar to those of the past, despite advances in such areas as technology. To quote a Kesha song, "we are who we are" and that is not going to change. Perhaps the best way to improve our future would be to recognize our weaknesses and attempt to modify our behavior so as perhaps it will one day evolve to be different. Do you believe that the human race will ever have the capacity to truly change? Do you believe that our race will ever become extinct?

Is It Possible to Treat Others How You Would Like to Be Treated?

In response to Shannon Ciuk's question, "Do you always treat others in a way that you would want to be treated?"...

     To be honest, no. In all actuality, I do not think anyone treats others how they would like to be treated. Situationally, there might be a few instances in which you refrain from acting in some way or stop yourself from saying something, for you realize you should be considerate. But, normally people act very rash, even if they try not to. For instance, imagine you are not on the best terms with your roommate. They have been waking you up in the middle of the night talking loudly on the phone, stealing your cereal, and snoring loudly at night. Essentially, little things are slowly adding up and making you angrier by the day. So, one day you come back from class and they start apologizing to you because they spilt nail polish on your rug. You loose it and scream at them. This is the natural reaction for many people given the circumstances, but imagine you are in the other person's shoes. They have been going through a very rough patch with their boyfriend and when he calls in the night, they get so worked up and forget that you are sleeping. They have no food left, and you had said at the beginning of the year that you would share, so they take a couple bowls of cereal. They have a really bad cold and that is why they have been snoring. As for the nail polish, that truly was an unfortunate accident. But, most people do not immediately think of all of these things. They only would think about how their roommate's actions are impacting them directly, not why the person is doing any of it.
     Basically, as much as people might try, it is very difficult to treat people how you want to be treated. In my above example, if you were the roommate, you would want the other to understand why you were doing what you were. Unfortunately, humans fight all the time because though they might deny it, they are all very self-centered. People care for one another, yet they always subconsciously have their own interests in mind. So no, I do not always treat people how I would like to be treated, but this is an unfortunate part of our nature. Do you think it is ever possible for someone to truly live selflessly, always putting others before their own, or will their own interests always take priority over that of others?

Should We...?

In response to Griffin Thayer's question, "Is it alright to celebrate the death of an enemy?"...

     For thousands of years people have had enemies, engaged in war, and fought with each other. As a consequence, billions of people have died because humans are so diverse in their opinions that they cannot get along together. Recently, the U.S. has succeeded in killing Osama Bin Laden. Within minutes that the news broke, my Facebook news feed had dozens of posts celebrating his death. There were a few posts though that condemned people for celebrating. The other day in class it was said that torture and murder are all based off of viewpoint. In other words, while we killed a mortal enemy, we also killed someone's husband. When soldiers are killed in the Middle East, their families are loosing a beloved member. It is all based off of perspective. I believe it is good that he is deceased and no longer a threat, but it does seem strange to celebrate someone's passing. Instead of having riots of celebration, such as there was at UMASS Amherst, perhaps we should just give a satisfied nod and move onto the others we perceive as threats. What bothers me is the fact that people are very quick to identify those they see as their enemies. In reality, we all are humans, and because of that, we should at least try to make an effort to live in peace. It seems like so many do not even want to attempt to do so. Do you think it will ever possible to have universal peace?

Creation of Art

     Why is it that humans, unlike other species, feel that they need to create art? I really do not know the answer to this question, but it most likely has to do with the size of our brains. Due to our anatomy, it is true that humans have the capacity to accurately understand time. Dogs do not though. When you leave your dog for three days at a time or just for one hour, they believe the same amount of time has past. Humans are able to understand the difference between days, months, and weeks. Also, humans might have the unique ability to create art because of their natural tendency to want to create things: machines, technology, and tools. I remember back on the first day of class people were debating whether or not air conditioning in our homes is "natural." I said that it is, for it is within human nature to want to create things. Consequently, when we have an issue like it being too hot outside we create air conditioners to make ourselves feel more comfortable. When we have an emotional issue that we need to deal with, we create art, using it as a medium of expression.
     However, do you think anyone can create "good" art? Additionally, why is it that certain humans seem to be blessed with the ability to create art "better" than others? For that matter, why are people naturally gifted in some fields and not others? I will say that I wish I was good at art. I do play about four instruments and have been in my school band from fifth grade through twelve grade. But, in regards to visual art, while I do have a good eye for some things, overall I am not too good. I took an art class for a couple of months my freshman year of high school, and I was actually praised at being relatively good at all the projects by my teacher. But, I believe my artwork was good more because I was determined and hard working, not that I had any sort of natural ability. I feel like this with a great deal of things in life. I work extremely hard in school, and therefore get all A's. Although, I have never been like some of my friends who will work on a paper an hour before class and receive and A on it. I write my papers at least a week in advance and edit them on average three times. I get an A on them, yet I cannot help but to wish I had the capacity to do less work and still get the same grade.

More on Torture...

While browsing my Yahoo homepage on my computer I found this article that is quite interesting given our discussions on torture and the recent death of Osama Bin Laden:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110504/ts_yblog_thelookout/bin-laden-killing-wont-settle-debate-over-enhanced-interrogations

Uncomfortable Art

In response to Jenny Beers's question, "How do you react to art that makes you uncomfortable? Do you like how it evokes that emotion in you or do you find yourself wanting to get away from it and not consider it art at all?"... 

     I will admit it, I do not like art that makes me uncomfortable. In other words, Mass MoCA is not my favorite place to be, for I do not understand how most of what is inside is categorized as art. I suppose I just have a problem with modern art that looks as if I could have made it myself. So, slapping a few ordinary objects onto a canvas and attaching it to a wall is something that is rather unimpressive to me. I took Art and Philosophy last semester, but this still did nothing to aid in my appreciation for modern art. I still hate the uncomfortable feelings art gives us and do not consider all such things art. This might make me sound close-minded, but it seems that over the years art has come to include such a broad range of things, and it is questionable as if it should. This is part of my definition of art:

     "Through my eyes, art can be defined as an artifact that is the product of an act of creativity. When someone creates such an artifact with the intention of it being an art piece, or identifies an ordinary functioning object as having aesthetic pleasure, they then place it in a museum and/or assure that it is presented to viewers. This object then becomes art because society accepts it as such."
    
     However, I now question whether this definition was too radically inclusive. I did say at the end of my piece that the definition of art does need to be relative inclusive for some things are not meant to be definied or understood in this world. Basically, some art may make me feel uncomfortable, but that is its intention, no matter whether or not anyone agrees with it. The world is the way it is, and unless modern art or other art that makes us uneasy decreases dramatically in popularity, it will be around for many years to come, whether we like it or not. Do you like modern art? If you do, what do you like about it? 

Meditation, Mind, and Matter

     All of this talk about torture has reminded me of the common phrase, "mind over matter," and I simply wonder if it is even possible to do such a thing. People usually say this quote when someone is attempting to endure great amounts of pain. It is a way to stress that it is only physical pain, and one can overcome it if they have enough concentration. Evidently, some people claim to be able to do this, and say that they can get past torture or extreme pain by getting into some sort of trance-like state. In my anthropology class this week, one girl gave a presentation about the Native American sundance. In the sundance, men from the community get pierced through the chest by bits of bone, and this bone is tied to wire. The wire is then slung over some sort of structure, and on the other side men pull so much that it lifts the man in the air, hanging by his chest. They would leave the man in the air until the force became so great that his muscle would rip out of his chest and he would fall to the ground. The men who did this thought they were taking pain away from their tribe by doing it, and therefore did it willingly. These Native American men and Westerners who now practice body suspension claim that they go into a trace during the whole ceremony and do not even feel pain. This is pretty unbelievable that someone would not feel the immediate pain of their chest muscle being yanked out. But, perhaps it is not so unbelievable for those who support the whole "mind over matter" notion.
     We are after all, souls that inhabit a physical body. By being able to block out the physical world and explore our minds, we can escape the world around us. Consequently, we do this at night while we are sleeping, for we live out our dreams in our heads. The sundance also reminded me of the yoga class I took last semester. At the end of every class, we would meditate for ten to fifteen minutes. During this time, if I was not too engulfed in my stressful thoughts, I was able to truly meditate. It really is an odd feeling to describe, for I would lay there with no thoughts in my head, and simply exist. Once I broke out of the meditation it was odd, for I could feel myself coming back into my body, which at first felt like a foreign object. This relates to the fact that while trying to create a conscious robot, scientists have been able to figure out everything except for how to give it a soul. It is one huge mystery that no one has been able to solve. So, while many reject notions of the supernatural and gods, perhaps they can exist if we are somehow this living, nonreplicable force inside of a physical shell. Have you ever been able to meditate? If so, how do you think it works? How are we able to disconnect our mental body from our physical body?

Gettin' Lucky

In response to Katie Russell's question,"Do you believe that there is such a thing as luck? Why or why not?"...

     In short, no, for I believe that everything in the universe is truly up to chance. Some argue that there is a god who determines what happens in our lives, but it commonly believed that there is not enough evidence to prove his existence. Honestly, I just believe what happens to you, happens to you, and whether it is good or bad has nothing to do with "luck." What is luck anyways, some mysterious force people claim exists? I simply believe it does not exist because some of the greatest people in the world get the "worst luck." There is a woman I have known for a long time who attends my church. She is an incredibly person, but within the last year her family has gone through some of the worst events imaginable. Her father suddenly passed away, and both her husband and son have been in the hospital for an extended amount of time. While I have been here at college, I learned that she herself has gotten two types of cancer simultaneously. Basically, my conclusion is that luck is yet another concept people have constructed to make themselves feel better when they loose or win a game, for instance. While there are many things in this world we do not understand, it seems people construct many fantastical notions to justify things to themselves and others.

Torture on Television

     All of this talk about torture has reminded me of my favorite television show which ended a couple of years ago: Prisonbreak. I love action movies and shows, and that is probably why I enjoyed it so much, for watching someone break out of three different prisons was incredibly fascinating and a thrill. But, this show also involved a huge amount of violence, and when the show first came out, I was in seventh grade. That year, I ended up watching Prisonbreak and Lost and loving both shows tremendously. My parents on the other hand strongly disapproved of me watching Prisonbreak. They did not understand as to why me, a seventh-grade girl, would want to watch a violent prison drama. Truth be told, it is odd that I enjoyed watching a show where people were constantly being shot, stabbed, or getting beaten. However, the show was not just violence. It was also a love story between the main character and the doctor at the prison. It was a story of brotherly love between a wrongly accused inmate and his brother who actually committed a crime so he would be sent to prison where he could break his brother out. It was a story of innocent people who were targeted by a secret organization and a corrupt government. This, was what I loved.
     This has got me thinking though, why is it that people enjoy watching people be tortured on television shows? I know for myself I would sometimes look away if the torture got too graphic, but I did not turn off the television and walk away. Why was this? I think it may be because people realize that television and movies are truly fiction. They forget the fact that the actors are portraying real-life scenarios and get lost in the fantasy world. It is obvious that if they were to watch someone actually be tortured, they probably would not be able to handle it. This also reminds me of the saying, "It was so bad I just couldn't look away." Often people say this when talking about a "train-wreck," or one scenario that is playing out in front of them in which one person is suffering, usually from extreme embarassment. That then reminded me of when my sociology professor last semester told my class that people truly are obsessed with death. This is true, for if someone dies in public, there is often a large crowd of people who surround them. People slow down on the highway to get a better glimpse at the fatal car crash on the side of the road. If someone in public is having an emergency, most people stop and stare at them instead of trying to get help. This is called the bystander effect, in which everyone in a crowd will assume that someone else will get help so they do not need to. Obviously, this can lead to deadly results if everyone is assuming someone else will get help and therefore no one does. Why do you think that this happens? Why are humans more prone to stand back and watch than actually help in an emergency? Relating this back to what I discussed earlier, why do humans voluntarily watch extremely violent shows and movies in which people are being tortured?

An Interesting Dilemma...

In response to Cameron Hamlet's question, "If the person you were taking torture from was better at being tortured would you still take it for them?"...

     I hope that I never, in my entire life, have to go through torture. Obviously most people would agree with this statement, but I feel like it would seem even truer for those like myself who have a low pain tolerance. For years I always thought my pain tolerance was the same as most, but I have come to realize recently that I do have a lower pain tolerance than most of my friends. However, I hate that this is the case and when I am in pain, I try to appear as if I am not feeling it to the severity that I am. Essentially, I have conditioned myself not to tolerate it, but to act like I am. Though I am not afraid of needles or anything of the like, my pain tolerance is why I have never given blood or gotten a tattoo. If I needed to I would, but I choose to not subject myself to the temporary pain.
     So, it is evident as to why this question Cameron posed is such a difficult one for me to answer. I do not know if I would take torture from someone I knew could handle it better. It probably would depend on who the person was. If it were my mother or my best friend for instance, I would certainly take the torture instead of having them suffer. But, if it were someone who I felt less of a connection to, unfortunately I would let them take the pain if I knew they could handle it better than myself. I know this sounds horrible, but the reality of the matter is, humans do anything they can to avoid pain. If it is unnecessary for us to feel it, we make sure that we do not. Nevertheless, it is miraculous that we can be so devoted to another member of our species that we would endure agony to keep them safe. Some people perpetuate their own mental or physical pain, though it is sometimes unintentional. Such people sometimes claim that they actually like the pain. Do you think it is possible for anyone to ever truly "enjoy" pain, or do they just trick themselves into believing it is so?

Torture...

     Which is form of torture is worse, being physically harmed or being mentally harmed? This question was posed today in class and I will admit that it is an intriguing one. It is also incredibly difficult to answer. This is because, quite frankly, no one would prefer being locked in a coffin when they are claustrophobic to being punched in the face. In reality, neither one is quite pleasant. So, perhaps it would be helpful to analyze them individually. First, we will start with mental forms of torture, which can include anything from making someone believe their child is being tortured, to having a person who is deathly afraid of rats be strapped down and covered in them. The type of agony that comes out of this torture is unique. It is the type that makes one hyperventilate, have a heavy ache in their chest, and sob in frustration and anguish. While it is not physical pain, it is pain nonetheless. Often, people say that mental, or emotional pain is "not as bad" as physical pain. It actually is, for as humans, our minds and bodies are connected. Therefore, the pain we feel physically can be just as unbearable as emotional anguish.
     Physical pain is pretty easy to imagine, for we all have experienced it to some degree. In extreme amounts, such as when someone is being tortured, this pain can be so severe that it can make someone wish for death. In fear of being tortured, most people will even confess any information that the torturer wants to hear. Some though, such as experienced terrorists, have the capacity to withstand this pain. They do the whole technique of "mind over matter" and somehow endure it. In some respects, it seems that physical pain could be worse than mental pain because physical violence often results in death. After mental torture, generally speaking, the person will come out of it alive.
     Basically, I believe that being physically harmed and being mentally harmed can be equally as bad. Our minds inhabit our bodies, so therefore any type of torture is horrible. So, I do not understand how people are able to strongly withstand either. If they can, they are clearly stronger people than myself. Would you ever let yourself be tortured to keep a relative or close friend safe? 

Parents, The Good and The Bad

In response to Jenny Beers's question, "Will you raise your children similar to how your parents did for you?Or is your goal to raise your children in a completely different way?"...

     I have to say, I love how my parents raised me. So many of my friends complain about their parents constantly, and while I occasionally do when they do something particularly annoying, for the most part I fully appreciate their years of hard work. As cliche as it might sound to say it, one of my role models truly is my mother, and every day I find out that I am more like her than I initially thought. While we obviously do have some differences in personality, how I socialize, my view on life, and my opinions on many things are exactly the same as hers. She is an incredible woman and I am proud that I have somehow subconsciously adopted some of her amazing traits. It may seem like I am gushing about her, but I have good reason to. My friends complain about their "helicopter parents" and say that they will never raise their children like their parents did. But, my parents truly did prepare me for the world. They taught me how to work hard, be independent, and have a complete sense of maturity about matters. Growing up, I have had so many teachers tell my parents how mature I was for my age, and even when I spend time with my friends I sometimes feel like I have grown up a great deal quicker than them. For instance, I know how to manage my finances, work hard, multitask, manage time extremely well, get to places on time, and handle situations professionally. My friends are not so lucky to have learned these skills, and I wonder if it is because of the age of their parents. My parents are in their late fifties while most of my friends' parents are in their late thirties or early forties. I know from personal experience that some of these younger parents do not know how to manage their money and handle a great deal of parenting situations in a fickle, childish way. On the other hand, the rare friends I do have who have parents the same age as me, are very similar to myself in many aspects. They automatically seem to have a different, more mature world view.
     So, if it is not clear thus far, I definitely will raise my children like my parents and I have thought this way for years. Obviously my family is not perfect, and I do believe I will make my husband or father of my children not be as rash and close-minded as my own father. Nevertheless, dealing with my father has made me have the capacity to deal with many short-tempered individuals. I truly do love my parents, and for that precise reason, I do not fear having children like many of my children do, but see it as a happy experience that is far in my future. Do you think that your parents' age had anything to do with how you were parented and how they handled certain situations? How have your parents shaped how you see the world?

The Young and The Old

In response to Shannon Ciuk's question, "What is your first impression when you see a young female with an elderly man or the opposite, a young male with an elderly woman? Thanks to the media and stereotypes I bet most people think the younger person in the relationship is in it for the money. Do you agree or disagree?"...

     As unfortunate as it is to admit it, when I see an elderly person in what seems to be a relationship with a young person, I think what many of us probably do, "What is he/she doing with him/her?" As Shannon mentioned, in our society our perceptions have been shaped so that we assume that the young should not be in relationships with the old. In some evolutionary sense, it makes sense as to why the pairing would seem so odd to us. First of all, when looked at from a eugenic viewpoint (and I am not saying that it is correct to think this way), the young ("fit") should mate with the young (also "fit") to produce the strongest children genetically. Additionally, if the young mate with the old, the old are likely to die sooner, which would leave the young to take care of the child by themselves. Not to mention, older women often cannot even produce children with a younger man. So, perhaps some of these perceptions are automatically built into our minds, causing us to feel such uneasiness when we see a young woman with an old man, for instance.
     However, I also believe that we see the relationship as odd because "looks" are such an overpowering force in a relationships, as much as we would like to deny it. After all, we do not think the relationship is odd because of the personalities of the individuals, but rather because of how they each look. In other words, we do not understand why a young, and in our view, and automatically more attractive person would want to be with an older person, who we automatically assume to look worse because of their age. Considering this, we do not see young paired with young as odd, for they are considered both relatively attractive. We do not see old paired with old as strange because they are on the same level of attractiveness in our minds. So, young and old is processed in our minds as an odd pairing.
     Personally, I do not agree with Shannon's statement that most people would assume the younger person in a young and old pairing to be in it for the money. I feel like primarily people feel subconsciously uneasy about the pairing for the reasons I have mentioned, and some, in an attempt to justify it in their minds, attribute the pairing to money for they cannot think of any other explanation for it. I know when I see a young man with an older woman I do not automatically assume that he wants her money, but instead I first register how different of a couple they are. However, with media promoting Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Bunny, it makes sense as to why people would assume this money connection. Imagine there were two suitors available to you and you had to pick one of them to marry. Would you choose the very attractive, poor individual or the very rich, but highly unattractive person?Do not take personality into account. 

Attraction versus Beauty, Love versus Lust

In response to Griffin Thayer's question, "Is there a difference between attraction and beauty?"...

     In short, yes there definitely is a distinction between attraction and beauty. Attraction essentially has to do with lust. Compiled from their genetic makeup and life experience, there are certain types of people some are attracted to, and others they are not. So, for instance, one of my friends is attracted to grungy, dirty-looking guys. Another friend is attracted to males who appear more androgynous. People have such varying views of what they consider attractive, for genetic makeup differs so much from person to person. Attraction also has a great deal to do with sexual preference. So, men may be attracted to certain parts of a woman or man that others may not find so appealing. People can also be attracted to someone, without actually "liking" them or wanting to spend time with them. Not all attraction is sexual though, for people are attracted to certain qualities in friends as well. So, there may be one person that you cannot stand, but yet there are many others who value them as a friend.

     Beauty is entirely different. People can fall in love with beauty, and people tend to conceive beauty as being long-lasting. What is meant by this, is that a person might try so hard to make themselves young and attractive, but looks do fade over time. It is commonly thought that those who are truly beautiful have such a quality about them that they stay beautiful even as they age. Of course, the conception of beauty in society most definitely changes over time, for what one generation might consider beautiful, another generation might not. Conceptions of beauty vary cross-culturally as well.

     So, beauty and attraction definitely are two completely different things, even though they may seem to slightly overlap. After all, people are attracted to beauty, but what is beautiful is not always attractive. Do you find people more attractive because of their looks or their personalities upon first impression? Most people make an initial impression of someone based on their looks. Do you agree or disagree with this? Why are looks, and not other qualities such as intelligence and compassion, most highly valued in our society? 

"Oh wait a minute, I'm just going to check my Facebook!"

In response to Shannon Ciuk's question," How drastically do you think our lives would change if Facebook was shut down? How 'lost' would we be without it?"...

     I will admit it, I am addicted to Facebook. I check it multiple times during the day, and when I am bored I can spend hours on it talking to friends, looking at pictures, and playing games. I even checked my Facebook while writing this blog post, to see if one of my friends had responded to a message I sent them. Facebook obviously does have some positive aspects though, for otherwise it would not be so popular. I use Facebook mostly to stayed in touch with my friends from high school, and it is wonderful that one is able to connect with so many that they would not have been able to otherwise. However, this addiction to technology, and especially to Facebook, is overall more negative than positive. For instance, I do not remember the last time that I was with a group of people my own age who did not text or check their Facebook while I was spending time with them. It does become rather disappointing, for it seems that they care much more about talking to others who are not there, than talking to those right in front of them. Then of course, there is the security issues with Facebook. Though it is rare, there have been instances of sex offenders "stalking their prey" on the site. Many individuals are ignorant of their privacy settings, and they often make a great deal of information public that they did not intend to.
      I definitely feel our lives would undergo a positive change if Facebook was shut down. Last summer I went on a vacation with my family to a cabin on a lake in New Hampshire. The cabin had a wireless Internet connection, but at the time I did not have a laptop. I could not access the Internet on the cell phone I had at the time, so I spent a week and a half without checking the Internet or Facebook. Honestly, it was refreshing, and though I did have a slight urge to check Facebook a few times during the trip, I soon forgot about it with everything that was going on around me. However, if Facebook was shut down, there might be a chance that some other social networking site would take its place. After all, MySpace was extremely successful until Facebook gained more popularity.
     Without the site, some extremely addicted people might feel "lost" at first, but as the case with myself, eventually people would feel better for not spending so much time on the site. Today my R.A. made a very good point as my roommate's parents picked her up. He said that unfortunately with technology, we might stay in touch with people too much. Many of my friends here call, email, and talk to their parents on Facebook frequently. While they do miss their parents still, when they do reunite, it will not feel as special as it would have if they had not made contact with their parents as frequently. So, while technology does keep us connected, it can drive us apart and make us take our relationships with those around us for granted. Sometimes we need a break from the people in our lives, and with the constant use of Facebook, it is extremely hard to truly get away from anyone. Have you ever spent a great length of time not using Facebook? During this time were you anxious to check the site, or were you content with your present activities?

Near-Death Experiences...Reality or Hallucination?

     Today in class we were discussing why individuals enjoy the feeling that accompanies near-death experiences. After all, many people are drawn to sky-diving or bungee-jumping just to get that thrill, that moment of clarity. Obviously in these situations people are experiencing this feeling without the danger of actually dying. But, what about those who claim that upon drowning or dying temporarily in surgery they had certain visions? I was curious about this and looked up "near-death experience" on Google. It brought me to a site that is run by the Near Death Experience Research Foundation, which is made up of doctors attempting to solve the mysteries of such experiences. In one part of the site individuals could share with others what their near-death experiences were. One person "recalled" stepping into a peaceful place and being greeted by a person in white when having almost drowned at age two. Another, when temporarily going unconscious from an illness, recalls being suddenly on a sunny beach, and having a woman with a child wave him to go back from where he came. Yet another person remembers while having almost drowned as a teenager, floating upwards above their body and feeling a force pull them into a light before meeting their deceased grandmother who bid them to go back.
     So, it is clear that many of these experiences have common themes. Often, people remember going to an extremely peaceful place and not wanting to leave. Then, usually some individual bids them to go back because it is "not their time." This is all so fascinating, and I wonder whether people are just hallucinating due to oxygen and blood flow being restricted to their brains, or if they really did experience these things. Obviously there are many unexplained things in this world, and just like religion, people's near-death experiences probably will never be proved to be true. As I have mentioned before in my discussions on religion though, stories do come from somewhere. They may be exaggerated over time, but they most likely have at least a slightest bit of truth to them. Is the same true of near-death experiences? Do they really happen or is a person just imagining it? The way I consider things, out of all the things scientists have been able to replicate in a robot or clone, they have not been able to recreate the human soul. I am not saying that all supernatural phenomena necessarily exists, but there definitely are things that humans are not able to understand. If it cannot be understood how a human gets a soul, it would therefore be logical to conclude that a soul could still exist outside of the body after the person is deceased. Unfortunately, none of us will find this out until we meet our own end. Have you or someone you know ever had a near-death experience? Did it change you/them?

This is the website I was referring to. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will see people's accounts of their own near-death experiences.

http://www.nderf.org/