Fun Friday
" . . . sometimes it requires a certain bravery to stand up and say no, there are other ways than this."
I came across this quote while randomly linking through dozens of web pages in an attempt to pass the time until 5 pm. It was on a page promoting "The Slow Movement", which apparently got started in Italy in the 1980's and promotes sloooow living, as opposed to, well, how Americans do things.
This quote sums up a lot of what my mind has been on for the past few years. I am learning how to question the things I do just because American society or Orange county culture says I should. (Don't worry Aaron, I'm not going to stop shaving my armpits.) I would like to try to live a carefully decided life, not one that I receive by dictation and quietly copy.
Aaron and some others have been inspirational to me in this difficult journey of trying to live the ol' well-examined life. I have allowed the question of "why do we do things that way" to pass through my lips more often in the past few years, and that has been freeing. The conversations I've had with Aaron and some friends of mine have covered much ground - church, ministry, gender roles, friendship, marriage, religious holidays, art, etc.
Through this process, I've realized the fear I sometimes have of doing things against the norm and speaking up when I disagree with a more popular or powerful majority. This fear has sometimes hurt my ability to really be myself. Just another downfall of that stinkin' sanguine personality, I suppose. This is an area I want to continue to grow in - it's an adventure.
I came across this quote while randomly linking through dozens of web pages in an attempt to pass the time until 5 pm. It was on a page promoting "The Slow Movement", which apparently got started in Italy in the 1980's and promotes sloooow living, as opposed to, well, how Americans do things.
This quote sums up a lot of what my mind has been on for the past few years. I am learning how to question the things I do just because American society or Orange county culture says I should. (Don't worry Aaron, I'm not going to stop shaving my armpits.) I would like to try to live a carefully decided life, not one that I receive by dictation and quietly copy.
Aaron and some others have been inspirational to me in this difficult journey of trying to live the ol' well-examined life. I have allowed the question of "why do we do things that way" to pass through my lips more often in the past few years, and that has been freeing. The conversations I've had with Aaron and some friends of mine have covered much ground - church, ministry, gender roles, friendship, marriage, religious holidays, art, etc.
Through this process, I've realized the fear I sometimes have of doing things against the norm and speaking up when I disagree with a more popular or powerful majority. This fear has sometimes hurt my ability to really be myself. Just another downfall of that stinkin' sanguine personality, I suppose. This is an area I want to continue to grow in - it's an adventure.
posted by Amanda Lane at 4:00 PM
3 Comments:
I love this post... maybe my favorite of yours yet! While sanguines are probably prone to these feelings and behavior, I'll admit that I find myself doing things for the same reason (choleric melancholy). Often I just want to fit in, and realize later I'm doing things I don't even like just because culture says it's a good idea. The following story illustrates this point nicely:
Scientists place five monkeys in a cage. Suspended from the roof of the cage is a large bunch of ripe bananas. Inside the cage are many boxes. After several minutes of staring at the bananas, the monkeys begin to stack the boxes in order to reach them.
Each time any of the monkeys tries to stack the boxes, the researchers spray all of the monkeys with a high-pressure hose. This continues until all monkeys stop trying to reach the bananas. Once all five monkeys have been thoroughly conditioned, Phase Two begins.
The scientists replace one original monkey with a newcomer. Upon seeing the bananas, the sixth monkey begins to stack boxes and is immediately attacked by the remaining "trained" monkeys. No water is sprayed, but the remaining monkeys still won't let the newcomer try for the bananas.
Once the newcomer is trained, the scientists replace another monkey. Again, the newcomer is attacked each time it tries to reach the bananas. Even the sixth monkey takes part in the attack, even though it has never been sprayed.
This continues until all five original monkeys have been replaced. No replacement monkeys have ever been sprayed to keep them away from the bananas. Yet, even with 5 monkeys who have never been punished for stacking boxes now in the cage, none of them will try for the bananas. Why?
Because that' the way it's always been done around here!
So tell me- what are some of these thoughts or feelings which you haven't shared with me that you wish you would have been able to?
Haha! Dave, I love that story. Are you sure they did the experiment with monkeys, and not humans? Joking. That's helpful to know that other personality types can be prone to this worry as well. Sounds like it is a human struggle.
Stephanie, you do not scare me so I feel free to share my thoughts with you :) but I will try to think of any that I have not.
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