Archive for July, 2007
July 30, 2007 at 9:19 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized
Joshua Zader, in Does Suffering Build Character? :: Mudita Journal asks: “Do you know friends or loved ones whose character has been improved somehow through the process of suffering?”
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I find it useful to say that Character is not built by what happens, but by how we respond to what happens. In that sense, suffering builds character, just like wealth builds character - the question is, is it the kind of character we want to live with? Those people with a beautiful character tend to become more beautiful in the face of suffering (or wealth). Unpleasant people tend to become even more annoying.
The advantage that suffering has over wealth is that it has far more potential to lead to another maligned concept: “humility.” I like to think of humility or being “humbled” as having an unrealistically positive self-image shown to be inaccurate in light of reality. In *that* sense (and not in the sense of jealous people getting to put you down so they feel better about themselves…), I think humility is a great thing, because reality is where all the really good stuff in life exists. Of course, humility isn’t the only road to increased contact with reality, but if it takes being humbled to get there, thank God for humility!
The art and artistry of life is to create beauty through the meaning we make and the actions we take.
That said, suffering can make us more humble, which makes our “character” (the consistent self that we act out in the world) more consistent with reality. It can lead us to remember that life is precious and short, and that we have the choice to focus on the good even in the face of challenges. In this case, suffering leads us to “suck it up,” and “carry on, carry on.” If that is the character it builds, then yes, lemons have been made into lemonade, and the character that did that is made more beautiful.
However, if suffering leads us to think that life itself is suffering, if it leads us away from an experience of a fundamentally benevolent universe towards a malevolent one…then the character it builds is one that you hide from at parties and sometimes even cross the street to avoid. A suffering person who does not suck it up, but suffers and complains…that character is ugly. In that case, suffering just sucks.
Mark Michael Lewis
http://aGameWeAllCanWin.com
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July 5, 2007 at 5:44 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized
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July 4, 2007 at 5:50 pm
· Filed under mission, tools, Technology, Internet, community
As the industrial age of machines shifts into the hyper-connected information age of the Internet, communities based on geography are giving way to those based on interest, making possible the power communities of the future: communities based on values.
It used to be that you could only hang out with people in your town or city, which 1) made building relationships relatively slow and cumbersome, and 2) made it unlikely that you would be able to find others who share your passion for 19th century Russian folk songs for example.
Through the Internet, 21st century global citizens can not only connect, but build interactive platforms on which to communicate around virtually anything that interests them. Do you love 57 Chevy’s, or vintage Napier costume jewelry, or differences in costumes between Star Trek generations? There is a group for that, or you can start one…often with members from around the globe. By collapsing the geographic space into a virtual one, the Internet is changing our understanding of “community” back to its etymological roots: Community is those we commune-icate with regularly.
However, although these interest communities allow us to connect with like-interested people around the world, sharing interests does not mean sharing values. While a Republican and a Democrat might share *interests* about the War In Iraq and be part of a community that “discusses” it online, they might understand themselves to be members of very different values communities.
Perhaps the real value of these platforms of common interest is their ability for people of like values to commune and cooperate. While our interest in a particular piece of software might last a week or two, we might meet people though that group who both become friends and introduce us to dozens of other interest groups.
Currently, companies and organizations focus on building interest groups around their products and projects. However, our hyper-connected Internet bazaar is making clear that which has always been true - people are not loyal to products, they are loyal to thier values. I believe the future will reward those organizations that attract communities of people who share their clearly articulated values, shifting the “brand” of a company from the functionality or attitude of a particular product to a way of life. At least, that is the world I want to create. SEE-Inc. A Beautiful Future Now! Creating A Game We All Can Win.
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