This is a topic Bethany and I have discussed a lot. I spend lots and lots of time thinking about this. I think it also ties into her constant assertion that I expect too much from everyday people I come across, as I have difficulty remembering that most folks don't do this.
In any case, I strongly believe there is value to be found in almost everything, every situation, and every person. All it takes is some paying attention and active consideration. While I dislike the 'god' language, I feel this is very similar to finding the world or god in a grain of sand vis-a-vis William Blake and Paulo Coehlo. Perhaps also Leibniz's Monadentheorie. I also think this ties in well with the concept of mindfulness from Buddhist and other philosophies.
Dustin Wax writes about intentional attention in his post on the Stepcase Lifehack blog. He discusses several cases where students, artists, photographers, and writers prepare themselves to accept new information and ideas.
As a general rule, if you don’t intend to find value, you’re more likely than not to miss it. While it’s no guarantee, if you intend to discover value, you’ll find it – or at least greatly up your chances.I think this is also important in creating the environment for authentic interactions with people.
-Dustin Wax, Stepcase Lifehack
I need to get back to work. I may expand or refine this later.
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2 comments:
This sort of has nothing to do with your post but I thought that you might be interested. I am currently reading Parenting Beyond Belief. It is a book that talks about raising your kids to be moral freethinkers (secular humanists). It is a recent concern of mine that the kids will flock to religion later in their adult life because of the lure of the community that it offers.
Interesting. I'll look it up. You had mentioned your concern before. Let me know what you think after you finish. Thanks. -e
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