Ideas versus Beliefs

The usual argument I hear or talk about is how we kill for beliefs.  We fight for them.  Whereas ideas are far more malleable. You can be wrong with an idea more often and more comfortably than you can with a belief. 

The thing that has me wondering now is why we feel the need to push beliefs on others.  It isn't enough to believe them.  Instead we force others to see as we do and believe as we do.  Is it gratifying?  Does it reassure you that you are right?

In a way it seems the need to convert others to your beliefs is a sign of a weak argument or belief.  Or just perhaps a sign of character.  It shouldn't matter what others believe.  The point remains, it is what you believe.  Inform others if you feel the need, but there is a difference between informing and stuffing your beliefs down someone's throat.

I'm ranting a bit today.  Apologies.

Being a loner.

I was once told if you were academically gifted or bright, chances were good you would be lonely most of your life.  You wouldn't be understood, you wouldn't fit in.  That being said, that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with you or the people who don't understand you.

If you are lucky there will be a handful of people in your life that will understand you.  A handful.  That is disturbingly few, but also a lot in a way.  That doesn't make much sense, but I am prone to ramble.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I'm okay with that.  The freedom that comes with knowing you will not be fully understood or accepted by almost everyone you ever meet really let me stop caring about pleasing everyone.  I am less prone to apologize to everyone.  Hide myself from everyone.   If I am really lucky 3-5 people will get me.  Then I have my monkeysphere.  Then every one else.

That knowledge, that I will be lonely for most of my life in one way or another was the most freeing thing I've heard in 23 years.

Surprise?

"Concentrate your attention on cultivating changes that feel exciting and life-enhancing."

I want to be unpredictable and innovative.  I feel like a better person when I do.  Little discoveries and surprises make my soul happy.  Learning something every day isn't enough.  I want to be surprised.  Life is a discovery and an adventure.

Suck it up and enjoy it.

Some days never cease to amaze.

Cultural Lag

There is an idea that technological change supersedes cultural change by easily a decade right now.  We can see huge advances in technology but cultural values happens years later.  This poses an interesting question as technology advances faster than ever.  Is the cultural lag fairly constant?  When values change in a culture it is, arguably, seldom taken well.  We don't like change and a change in cultural identity is usually met with resentment and nostalgia.

This whole idea just makes me pensive. Can we adapt to change happening that fast?  So much of our culture is built on things happening slowly.  If things happen slowly and in a way we can predict we know how to respond to that. Any quick changes, good or bad are seldom handled well.  We need to be more adaptive.  Especially culturally.

The next few decades are going to get very interesting I think.  I strongly believe the most adaptive will be the most successful.  I hope we stop being stubborn and nostalgic long enough to pull our heads out of the dirt and get with the program and embrace change.