Comments on: Maybe we’re feebleminded http://dangerousintersection.org/2007/03/19/maybe-were-feebleminded/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:27:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Tim Hogan http://dangerousintersection.org/2007/03/19/maybe-were-feebleminded/comment-page-1/#comment-10879 Tim Hogan Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:55:20 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=1157#comment-10879 One of my wise teachers told me that a complaint was just a veiled request. The challenge we face is to articulate the commitment which is to be focused upon, and seek aligment. One of my wise teachers told me that a complaint was just a veiled request. The challenge we face is to articulate the commitment which is to be focused upon, and seek aligment.

]]> By: Mary Warner http://dangerousintersection.org/2007/03/19/maybe-were-feebleminded/comment-page-1/#comment-10827 Mary Warner Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:43:17 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=1157#comment-10827 Excellent post, as usual. Nuanced thinking is simply too nuanced for most people. From your post: "Doesn’t that sound feebleminded, that we don’t like to talk about things that make us sad? Things that make us nervous?" These sentences really struck me after I attended a meeting that was ostensibly about improving our city last week. The energy was great in the room. People were contributing and really thinking about ways to improve the city when someone piped up and said he was tired of all the negative thinking. I said, "If we don't express our negative thoughts, we aren't going to be able to find any solutions." Why bother having a meeting if we're only interested in the status quo - the happy good stuff? I don't see an expression of problems as negative, I see it as a challenge. When a problem gets expressed, it can get solved. Insisting that everyone remain positive at all times is another way to control a group and make us feebleminded. Excellent post, as usual. Nuanced thinking is simply too nuanced for most people.

From your post: “Doesn’t that sound feebleminded, that we don’t like to talk about things that make us sad? Things that make us nervous?”

These sentences really struck me after I attended a meeting that was ostensibly about improving our city last week. The energy was great in the room. People were contributing and really thinking about ways to improve the city when someone piped up and said he was tired of all the negative thinking. I said, “If we don’t express our negative thoughts, we aren’t going to be able to find any solutions.” Why bother having a meeting if we’re only interested in the status quo - the happy good stuff? I don’t see an expression of problems as negative, I see it as a challenge. When a problem gets expressed, it can get solved. Insisting that everyone remain positive at all times is another way to control a group and make us feebleminded.

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