Corby’s Corner:
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I, like many Mensans, believe that there is an objective reality out there that is based on the “true” nature of things.
Right is right and wrong is wrong. When someone does something wrong, I sometimes feel justified in making the judgment that a wrong was done. Yet as get older I realize more and more that our complex world is not always black and white and there are often many shades of gray. And other people may perceive a given controversial situation in different terms than I.
Our individual perceptions are filtered
through the lens of our own historical perspective and related associations
that we have built up over our lifetimes. Individuals perceive things differently.
Each one of us has our own frame of reference or points of view. These differences
can lead to disagreements and conflicts.
But our individual generalizations and
associations are also useful “rules of thumb” that help in everyday
life. They function as mental shortcuts that allow us to make real-time decisions
about what something means and what action we should take. In this “politically
correct” age it almost is considered a sin to make generalizations. But
I would argue that this is a function of all intelligent beings.
Hopefully as we grow older and accumulate more experiences and (hopefully) wisdom, we become more discerning about our own generalizations. Obsolete or incorrect generalizations are discarded and newer useful ones are added. Perhaps one useful measure of intelligence might be how rich a repertoire of generalizations and associations an individual has acquired.
GPM Needs Volunteers!
Speaking of personal associations, what feelings do you associate with the act of your being a volunteer? Do you associate volunteerism with negative feelings and thoughts like drudgery, hard work, boredom, or pain? Or do you associate positive emotions and thoughts to volunteerism like fun, fellowship, involvement, pride, and accomplishment? Can you deliberately choose to emphasize the positive and diminish the negative? With the AG2002 fast approaching, GPM needs all the volunteer support it can get. And the AG Committee is trying very hard to make volunteering the positive and fun experience that we all know it can be. Come on out and volunteer your personal efforts no matter how large or how small. And years from now you will be able to look back at the AG2002 and be proud of your contribution to its success.