Sometimes I think that since I am only here for less than 100 years, is it of any value to know how full of pain and misery the world is
I think yes it is of value because surely it helps you to recognize how lucky you are? And perhaps makes you want to help in some way or another? Personally I prefer to avoid politics but when it comes to things like you're talking about I think in general people should be more aware. It worries me how uneven the distribution of wealth is throughout the world and how many people suffer. But their suffering seems worse if those with some wealth are oblivious or uncaring. The more people know and care the better the chance of closing the gap. Eventually...
Reply to this ....it helps you to recognize how lucky you are?
It does. It also helps me talk with people in various situations. They tend to tell more, if they sense you have some understanding of their situation.
And perhaps makes you want to help in some way or another?
It does, but the more you find out the more your realise how little you can actually do. I think people often back away from situations, when they see that in the whole scheme of things they can do almost nothing. You just have to believe sometimes that just your non judgemental or understanding presence or a small gift will mean something to at least somebody.
Personally I prefer to avoid politics...
A lot of people do. Talking about politics brings up some heavy duty negative feelings in most people. Those conversations are difficult, because while dealing with those feelings, you have to try to put accross your point of view in a non emotional way and a way that might makes sense to others. Even if you manage this, others will blame you for the negative feelings that the discussion brings up in them, rather than blaming the real cause of the feelings.
Reply to this I'd never really considered the negative or positive feelings associated with politics. For me I think of politics (in my own country anyway) as boring, confusing and usually not terribly honest. I think generally there's something wrong with nearly every policy and I haven't the time or energy to try picking things apart. I find politics (even politics withing my work place for example) to usually be something which just causes a lot of bitchiness and bad feeling. Okay, maybe I HAVE thought about the negatives of it. Haha.
Reply to this ..... as boring, confusing and usually not terribly honest.
Before I took and interest in it, I thought it was just people talking too much. :D
confusing
Certainly! I used to think there is no way of understanding it. There seemed to be endless situations to examine and try to understand, and they all seemed different from each other, so I couldnt really have any opinion on them at all. Then eventually my political philosophies started emerging. After that it got easier to mull over what I read, heard and saw and come up with my own prespective on the situation and compare it to that of other peoples prespectives. My political philosophy is not stagnant because it changes slightly with seeing more information or points of view, but it does remain predominantly left leaning.
.....not terribly honest.
That depends a lot on who it talking.
even politics withing my work place for example
When I say the following, my boyfriend looks at me as if I am making no sense at all. :D
But here goes: I think the political situations that happen in work places are not unsimiliar to what happens politically on a larger scale. Same with what happens in families and between neighbours.......
.............a lot of bitchiness and bad feeling
I think it can turn like that with any group of people. When the environment is generally positive it can bring out the best in people. When it is not, it will bring out the worst in people.
Okay, maybe I HAVE thought about the negatives of it....
There is a lot of stress in work places these days. I dont really know what exactly causes it. It is quite possible to never have experienced a good working environment.
Reply to this You are a wise woman Mell! I should take more interest in politics. Perhaps I will become more interested as I explore the world more. (And I don't think you're crazy with that comment about neighbours and larger politics. It's true.)
Reply to this You are a wise woman Mell!
Thanks for the compliment!
I often wonder these days if there is such a thing as wise. When people used to say ''the more you learn the less you know'' I used to think they were spouting cliches, because of course you know more when you learn more. That makes mathematical sense afterall. But, the cliche is to a large extent true in my opinion. I am now reading a book about European history and am shocked by how little I know, and even more shocked by how much of the book I find difficult to understand. And even more shocking is that history as we know it may not in fact be based on actual fact. Also, even doccumented history is based on those who interpreted it, which is another thing that has to be taken into consideration. You dont just have to consider what is doccumented, but what may not be and why. That is another difficult aspect of poking around in politics. There is no such thing as the end when I can stop and know that I know what is happening in the world.
Perhaps I will become more interested as I explore the world more.
It might be a bit like getting interested in travel. You will maybe see something that gets you interested and want to know more, and then start getting curious about what else there is. If you do want to find out a bit about it, an entertaining way to start is to read biographies or to read novels set in history.
Reply to this Oh I totally get where you're coming from about the whole documented history thing. Seems everything has to be taken with a pinch of salt these days. Apparently in one of the Asian countries (Japan?) it's illegal to teach certain things about WW2 and their part in it.
Reply to this Seems everything has to be taken with a pinch of salt these days.
I think it has to be taken with the realisation that there might be more to it, but also with the consideration that some information sources are more reliable than others. There is blatant propaganda, and then there is actual news but given from a certain bias and then there is news reported with less bias and those with an effort to have no bias at all.
Apparently in one of the Asian countries (Japan?)
I grew up in Ireland. We studied geography of all EU countries except England, despite that so many Irish people were still immigrating to there. I suppose if teachers taught us more about England, they would then have to talk more about things such as why do we speak a language from a country which has treated ours so badly and despite Ireland being an independent country we are still dependent on England to give so many Irish people jobs etc etc. Areas that patriotic teachers may not have wanted to explore for themselves, let alone point out to teenagers.
Reply to this I think it's better create a new topic about it. Our discussion is changing the subjetc of this topic, don't you think? 😊
That is a good idea! 😊 I will branch this thread to make another for a discussion about 'Liberal Fascism', so this one can be kept for discussion of the topic stated in the title and subtitle.
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