Climbing Memama's Tower

Since we were born, we've been passing this old forestry tower to get to my Grandmother's house. Today, we climbed it.

 

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

Every year, hundreds of the greatest thinkers and changers on the planet, by invitation only, come together for no other reason than to exchange their great ideas. Scientists, philosophers, designers, artists, musicians, technologists--all kinds of people at the cuffs of their fields have been meeting together for years without me even knowing about it! Are you kidding me?! I just couldn't believe it. Learning about this was like someone finally telling me about Christmas.

The event I'm referring to is called TED. What used to be strictly for Technology, Entertainment, and Design has now branched out into countless other venues.

The attendees are given 18 minutes to give a presentation, or TED talk, and the results are always astounding. This event is letting people in a community of genius and action, who would never have otherwise gotten a chance to meet, hear cross-disciplinary ideas from one another and make real change and help others.

But I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Chase, this is nice and all, but I'm not one of the greatest thinkers and doers on the planet yet. What about me? Why can't I hear these talks? I still have great ideas and potential to change the world!" Well, if you're not thinking that, you definitely should be. And here's great news for you!

TED as an event might be invitation only, but the thoughts are for everyone. On TED.com, you can watch over 150 Ted Talks online, together covering almost every subject imaginable. God, poverty, technology, philosophy, design, globe warming, peace, love. It's all there!

Think about how great it would be to listen just for a little while to one of the guys who discovered the double helical structure of DNA, or sit down for a spell and chat with Richard Dawkins, famous atheist, or Paster Rick Warren, author of A Purpose Driven Life. Al Gore was there, too. He gave his PowerPoint to the TEDsters before we ever saw it as An Inconvenient Truth. Watch incredible performances! See the ways you always thought be shaken by a brilliant presentation!

I'm extremely excited about this concept and have been so for months! In the end, though, what makes these talks so important may not be that they are so brilliant, though many of them are. The important thing to me is what it represents. I hope that we as humans can learn to listen to new ideas from all kinds of sources and use them as the lumber for our own revolutions, innovations, and change. TED.com is a great source of intriguing ideas, but there are other's too. You're a source, for instance, and so am I. The way we make change is by acknowledging new ideas, pondering them, evaluating them, and finally--and most necessarily--acting upon them. This, I believe, is how the world really changes.

The man below sings a multi-lingual jig with many African languages worked in, and even a little English! It's one of my favorites:

There's no "I" in Statement

One of the most compelling impulses I seem to have is the tendency to use "I" statements. I'm good at this. I like to do that. When this happens, this is what I like to do. It like a very natural thing to do, but it occurs to me that every time I make an "I" statement, I almost always find the statement incomplete or incorrect, not because I enjoy lying, but because "I" statements are much more dynamic than I thought at first.When I make a statement about myself, what I am really doing is thinking about what I've done or how I've felt in the past, marking a tendency in my mind, adjust that tendency to create harmony with the way I already think of myself, and then making the statement. After all, it's very difficult to describe something that constantly changes, and it's much more comfortable to think of myself as predictable to my own psyche. But am I? Certainly not. As much as I'd like to think I know myself, I cannot always express my tendencies correctly or predict my reactions accurately, so statements I make about myself I find to be awkward at best.

Instead of making "I" statements, which are in essence just silly predictions--"I'm pretty laid back", "I don't cry at movies", "I do my best work under pressure"--maybe the most accurate and compelling way we have to describe ourselves is by simply living. Instead of locking myself into a certain prediction that I may feel so obligated to fulfill that I alter my actions just to fit it, maybe I should allow myself to live naturally and leave the tendency marking and prediction making to those who see me live. In this way, I have lived not up to a false and trivial standard set by an "I" statement, but simply lived and let others tell the stories. For some reason, perhaps because of their wider perspective, I find that others are much better at describing me than I am.

Nintendo Philosophy

I have admired Nintendo for a long time. I have admired them since the day my brother and I got our first video game system for Christmas, the SNES. But back then, admiration was mostly wide-eyed wonder at the magic of controlling colors on the screen. Now, ten years later, I admire this game company for very different reasons (in addition, of course, to those I had when I was a kid).

When it came time to make a new generation of systems, Sony and Microsoft, huge gaming companies, decided the best rout was to take what's been known to work and ramp it up to a technological platform it had never before reached. Sony especially embodies this approach. But what did Nintendo do? Did they make a GameCube 360? What about a Gameboy III? No, they didn't do that.

Instead of simply progressing forward with smoother graphics, Nintendo took a different approach. They asked: "How can we make as many people happy with our products as possible, thereby generating the most sales?" This kind of thinking is what developed the Wii and the Nintendo DS. They thought in a new way, and it worked much better than the obvious path. The DS is now the best-selling game system of all time, and the Wii has very nearly overtaken the 360, even though the Xbox had a year's head start.

This success story helped me remember the same thing seems to have always applied. It's the great ideas, not necessarily the great money or muscle, that makes the greatest and most beneficial change.

So how can I apply that to my own life? This idea of big, innovative change--the great idea that shapes the future--is one that I will be contemplating for quite a while.

Constructing My Daily Philosophies

I think everyone lives by certain priorities, whether they set them consciously or not. These priorities are the beginnings of philosophy: how we see the world. As they grow and mature, philosophies can develop into very complex and specific ideas that apply to every niche of life, and since they sometimes become so specialized, many can gather dust like old pocket watches. But there are some philosophies that are so important, they should be remembered and exercised every single day.

I've been thinking a lot about mine lately. For a long time, I've wanted to sit down and construct my Daily Philosophies and see what I come up with. What are my guiding lights? How do I strive to live? What things will I say to myself when things get tough and decisions get hard? As I was constructing them, I made several versions--lists that contained what I felt were ideas worth living by. Finally, I came to something I felt good about when I read. The list that changes ended up looking a little like this:

1. Love others as yourself
2. See things from others' perspective
3. Seek wisdom through experience, observation, and contemplation
4. Be reasonable
   
5. All conclusions are tentative
6. Being wrong may occur often--this is normal
7. Be brave
8. Serve others
9. Do not fear work
10. Health is important and worth striving for
11. One must do what one believes is right
    
12. No person is fundamentally above or below another

Funny. Though almost all of those philosophies changed dramatically from my first draft to my latest, the first one stayed pretty much the same.

Orisinal: Morning Sunshine

When I was a child, I had a certain feeling about me. I had a feeling of imagination and, though I didn't see it that way at the time, a certain purity.

That sort of childlike wonder isn't something that ever really goes away, but it may be more difficult to access as I get older and start to realize through greater amounts of living what the world is really like. But the magical images of my childhood imagination are precious to me, so when I find something that helps me relax and think about magical, adventurous, and beautiful ideas, I always cherish it.

This particular site, Orisonal: Morning Sunshine by Ferry Hallim, is absolutely spectacular for this. This flash website is full of games with breathtaking imagery and enveloping music. Gather flowers into a floating bottle and send it to a loved one in heaven; hop on a frozen lake and watch your reflection gather shooting stars; help a white rabbit jump up and upward on silver bells in a sky of falling snow. There are over 50 games, and they are all worth a try.

Here are some of my favorites:

Monkey Slide

Winterbells

Wake Up Calls

Bubble Bees

Philosophical Examples

It is not often in the world of radio and podcasts that something truly gripping to me comes along, but ever since iTunes introduced a new service called iTunes U, a way institutions of higher learning can present content in podcast form to students and interested parties around the world, I have become more and more interested.

There are many, many worthwhile sources of content on iTunes U sponsored by legitimate universities all around the world, and I may even write about some of them later, but for now, I would like to highlight a fascinating radio program sponsored by Stanford University, called Philosophy Talk.

"The program that questions everything... except your intelligence."

This program is exceptional for a lot of reasons, but firstly, it is supremely legitimate. It is hosted by Ken Taylor, Professor and Chair of Stanford University's Department of Philosophy, and John Perry, Henry Waldgrave Stuart Professor of Philosophy at Stanford University, and every week they are accompanied by an expert on the topic of discussion. The topics range in diverse philosophical issues including Aging, Global Poverty and International Aid, Intelligent Design, Friendship, and more. The program discusses current philosophical views on these subjects and how these issues may effect the way we live our lives, helping the listener form philosophies for themselves on issues they may not have previously thought about.

What is even more impressive to me is the faithful execution of the program's motto: "The program that questions everything... Except your intelligence." On this show, callers are allowed to contribute to the discussion, and some callers may not be quite as well educated as others or may submit shaky reasoning, but the hosts are always consistently respectful and focus in the the caller's best points and even clarify what they may be trying to say.

The reason this is so incredible to me is because I've been trying to find philosophical role models, people whose philosophy and human relations skills I can truly admire and hope to emulate, but these examples have come very scarce to me.

In the media and especially in other podcasts, hosts always seem to want to abolish or publicly defame something and/or forcefully convert the viewer to a certain way of thinking rather than discuss issues respectfully and look at things from other people's perspectives. These poor examples usually come across as fanatical and intolerant. I do not, nor do I think many reasonable people would, admire either characteristic.

I want very much to find someone able to question life, be open-minded, but not cynical. I want to admire someone who displays consistently admirable human relation skills. The guys on Philosophy Talk very closely fit this description, and so I love to listen to them, and I feel like the program has a lot to offer, not just in content, but also in spirit.

There are ten podcasts of Philosophy Talk available on iTunes U, and dozens and dozens more available on the Philosophy Talk website. Each show is a little less than an hour long. They are well worth the time.

Human Relations

I've been reading a book this summer called How to Win Friends and Influence People, written by Dale Carnegie back in the 1930's. It's been in hearty print since it was published, and it's been for me one of the most eye-opening pieces of literature I have ever read, and it started with a considerable disadvantage with me. I am typically not a huge fan of self-help books.

I may never have read this book at all, but this year, I've been placed in several leadership positions with a frightening degree of responsibility that I've never experienced before. President of a Club, RA in Kitchen dorm... just as a senior in College, I am automatically a leader and a role model to hundreds of people whether I like it or know it or not. As the thought of this became more and more real, it became embarrassingly obvious to me that my human relation skills are in dire need of a tune up. I needed help. So it was principally on Travis Hellstrom's advice that I began reading this book, and I have not stopped thanking him since. Now I can see why the praise surrounding this book is so overwhelming.

This book is very much common since, which, insistently, is not very common at all. I found the ideas very easy to grasp, very logical, and upon every chapter, I could not help reflecting on the many times, just off the top of my head, when this simple advice could have saved a situation or relationship. On rare occasions, I could even think of how I had accidentally followed the advice and how amazingly well it worked.

The book goes into great detail about the benefits of each point and possible applications. I haven't found anything in How to Win Friends and Influence People to be a waste of my time to consider. The chapters are short and very griping. I read each one twice before moving on.

Though I've learned a huge lot of lessons from reading this book, some of the best things it has taught me have been that everyone, like myself, has a desire to feel important and that sympathy without criticism, enthusiastic appreciation, true attempts at seeing things from the other person's point of view, and being, above all, sincere and authentic are the best and most effective ways to live at peace with other people and to receive mutually beneficial cooperation. I can't recommend this book enough.

I have also learned another vital lesson, one which I have been notorious in breaking, and that is: Don't get into arguments. The truth of that statement stings, because I have gone out of my way to wage arguments, not just with the people around me, but even with my own family, causing nothing but tension and hard feelings. It created a lot of tension, but it NEVER changed the other person's mind. That is truly something that can never be done by force. Have I ever changed my mind because someone argued at me that I should? Of course not. Never. So why should I expect someone else to? As the Carnegie puts it: "You Can't Win and Argument."

I use this book's advice every day now. The suggestions aren't hard--they are, in fact, very simple--and even though it has been in print since 1936, every chapter is not only relevant, but intelligent and thrilling.

Relating to other human beings is one of the most important things we do in our lives. Why don't we study it like we study other things like math and science? Why is this so neglected? After getting such benefit out of that knowlege personally, I am seriously running out of answers to that question.

Thinking Without Words

One Friday, the last day in a week-long break from classes, I returned to campus for some peace, quiet and access to the school's database (I also had a research paper due). It was an unexpectedly good decision. After spending the night, I got a chance to take a walk outside during the beautiful afternoon. I do not use the term "beautiful" lightly. The absents of students from Campbell this week has apparently done wonders for the campus's complexion. Things just seemed incredibly peaceful and full of life. I visited Saylor park, where new grass was growing in a fresh patches just old enough to walk on. This grass had been lucky enough to be seeded in a place not too many people cross, so it was even and intensely green. I took a seat in the gazebo, and the breeze was very sweet, almost explicitly suggesting that I rethink everything. In moments like that, when the weather is perfect and nobody's around, suddenly nice things and expensive clothes lose all their value. I saw a dark Maxima drive by, and all I could think was it must suck to be in that car, so separate from everything. Suddenly, a dirty jeep with removable canvas cab made perfect sense.

On the grass there was a group of black birds picking at seeds and bugs. I wondered how they, without the benefit of language, might approached thinking. All of my thoughts come to me as words, so without words, how does thinking work? It posed somewhat of a challenge to me. Could I think without using words? How long could I keep it up? What would the benefits be in such a way of thinking? Well, I tried it. It's a very difficult thing to do, but I found that once I got the hang of it, thinking without words was very peaceful and really quite refreshing. 

It's a very simple way, so complex thoughts are more tricky to conceive all at once, and therefore, I caught myself simply not thinking at all sometimes. I wonder if a similar issue crops up for those birds.

However, there are still some benefits too. Because my thoughts came in images and feelings more or less one at a time, my thinking tended to be clearer and less confusing, not to mention extremely colorful. I am not certain whether color is something one can apply in general to thoughts, but it seemed to me much like putting on glasses for the first time. 

Not thinking in paragraphs, wordless inclinations are usually the medium of choice, making thoughts more flexible, if a bit vague. Of course, it is necessary on occasion to talk to others, so the transition between inclining and responding in words can be a rather jarring one; however, I assume practice would work that out.

Though I will probably not take up this way of thinking as my main method, I do see it as a very refreshing vacation from thinking in text, and in some instances, it may be the path to understanding. It is hard to look from a different person's perspective or work out an abstruse concept by using words alone, so in many ways, imagination, which I take this wordless thinking to be, can be a vital means to wisdom.