by Chris Billowsin Spirit Speculations2 commentstags: Extrapolation
I understand that the dictator Joseph Stalin was quoted for saying this. Surprising since it really is a such a perceptive quote and he was such a mislead individual. The tyranny, death, and suffering he inflicted upon the people of the old U.S.S.R. is a testimony of the ruthlessness of ideological Communism. Still, it is a fantastic quote as it cuts through the Quality vs Quantity dichotomy. I have believed that Quality and Quantity are two different characteristics, that they were not related, and having more of one usually meant having less of the other. Yet when I think about it in relation to money it makes sense. A $1000 is a bigger quantity than $1. It is also a better quality in relation to what you can do with it. The quality is better because the quantity is more. The same could be said about other multiples such as food, houses, and soldiers (which I assume is what Stalin was referring to) . Quantity at some levels will change the perception of quality. We are starting to see this act itself out in the growing business segment of eCommerce which has taken this to new levels. Chris Anderson’s article […]
by Chris Billowsin Spirit Speculations0 commentstags: Change of Mind, Defining Life
“Hi my name is Chris and I am a recovering ideologue.” No, I am not intending on starting a self-help group like Alcoholics Anonymous for people who are turned off to political and religious ideology, but this blog post is a bit of a confession. Like many, attending University for me was a time of exposure to many new ideas and systems of thought. I came across a multitude of theories in psychology, sociology, history, science, and various other courses. I started looking for a system of thinking that was consistent and had an inherent integrity. I was influenced by socialism during my Social Work and Labor Studies courses. I was influenced by spiritualism during my Religion courses. While individual ideas came, evolved, and went I was convinced that that ideology in some form was the tool and method in which to solve the world’s problems. It was that conviction that inspired me to help form the Green Party. That is where I participated in and promoted the view that it was just a simple matter of convincing everyone to think Green, or ideally adopt a Green ideology, and then we could solve the environmental and social issues plaguing Canada. […]
by Chris Billowsin Spirit Speculations0 commentstags: Meaning of Life
It is generally known that life is not fair. There is starvation in Africa and amazing wealth in California. Some people have blessings of a great jobs, health, and loving family, while there are others who are dumb, sick, and unattractive. If life was fair those who commit crimes against the innocent would always be punished. If life was fair businesses who pollute would pay for their crime. If life was fair we would never be governed by leaders who are oppressive or incompetent. But the problem is our attitude and expectations, not that life is unfair. We expect fairness from life and are disappointed, dejected, and depressed when we don’t get our way. We are deluded because we expect the impossible. This delusion, based on socialist and humanist notions that life must be fair for everyone, is the height of absurdity. Life is not fair and its time to get used to it. Life may not be fair, but it still has immense meaning. We need to understand that we are all interconnected to each other and the reason why some do may be poor is so that others can have more. People are poor in Africa because ecological […]
by Chris Billowsin Spirit Speculations0 commentstags: New Types of Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Thank IQ written by Daniel Goleman helped save western psychology. It broke away from the myopic view that intelligence is information based and added a needed layer of understanding about what it means to be human. His concept of Emotional Intelligence helps define people in a new way and explains why some people are more successful than others. Daniel Goleman sets out to explain that we as humans are governed in large part by our emotional health. Because it is our brain that interprets our relationship with the physical and social environment, the state of our emotions are a big determinant in how well our brain does the interpreting. Goleman is not denying emotions or their usefulness, but does say that if emotions are allowed to run rampant, problems will follow. We all know that emotions can hi-jack one’s ability to think rationally. When one’s rationality is impacted upon, the ability to function optimally is compromised. Goleman explains that it is both possible and necessary to control these emotions through the practice of Emotional Intelligence. Not only is Goleman suggesting that both individuals and society would benefit to be Emotionally Intelligent but that […]
by Chris Billowsin Spirit Speculations0 commentstags: Human History, Meta History, Western Ascendance
Why does the West have a more materialistic wealth than the rest of the world? Why did the West influence every continent and people on this planet instead of the other way around? In Guns, Germs, and Steel Jared Diamond presents the biologist’s answer: Ecology, particularly geography, fauna, animal availability, and climate. Diamond almost seems to say that human choice and desire had little to contribute but he does explain its relative importance near the end of this 480 page book. Diamond reviews human history on every continent since the Ice Age in a style that emphasizes only the broadest movements of peoples and ideas. He does not talk about linear progression of human history but about the handful of critical factors that pivotly change the trajectory of history for certain societies. Diamond writes that “History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples’ environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves.” The people who domesticated plants and animals early got a head start on developing agriculture and an immunity to deadly germs. He demonstrates how this leads to the development of government, writing, and technology. Diamond further argues that human ingenuity is simply the result […]
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