dinsdag 2 oktober 2018
We
never actually perceive what is there, only what is related back to us
through our senses.
The reality perceived by a fly, with its very
differently structured eye and antennae, is very different from the
reality we perceive, but it is equally valid from the fly's point of
view.
We don't see things better than the fly does, we just see our own
version.
Take this glass, for example. It's very
solid. If I were to hit somebody with it, he would feel it.
But modem
physics tells us that this glass is composed mostly of space, with just a
few electrons, protons, and neutrons zooming around in it. Yet we don't
perceive it that way.
And if I were an ant, or an elephant, or a
dolphin, I would perceive something else again.
Each of these
perceptions is valid.
Our version is no better than anyone else's.
– Tenzin Palmo -
If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Learn the skill of expressing your values and opinions with kindness, grace, and care.
We've become too comfortable in our society with attacking
others, putting them down, and using hurtful, negative language to
express ourselves.
This actually is not expressing thoughts, it's simply
being mean.
- Barb Schmidt -
I once saw a high school teacher lead a simple, powerful exercise to
teach his class about privilege and social mobility. He started by
giving each student a scrap piece of paper and asked them to crumple it
up.
Then he moved the recycling bin to the front of the room.
He said, “The game is simple — you all represent the country’s
population. And everyone in the country has a chance to become wealthy
and move into the upper class.”
“To move into the upper class, all you must do is throw your wadded-up paper into the bin while sitting in your seat.”
The students in the back of the room immediately piped up, “This is
unfair!” They could see the rows of students in front of them had a much
better chance.
Everyone took their shots, and — as expected — most of the students in the front made it (but not all) and only a few students in the back of the room made it.
He concluded by saying, “The closer you were to the recycling bin, the
better your odds. This is what privilege looks like. Did you notice how
the only ones who complained about fairness were in the back of the
room?”
“By contrast, people in the front of the room were less likely to be aware of the privilege they were born into. All they can see is 10 feet between them and their goal.”
“Your job — as students who are receiving an education — is to be aware
of your privilege. And use this particular privilege called “education”
to do your best to achieve great things, all the while advocating for
those in the rows behind you.“
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