My book is now published on Amazon for Kindle, and the price is only $5.99 USD. Other currency options for those outside the US is available and based on conversion rates for the US price. Get your copy now! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WYRP94E
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing. Show all posts
30 April, 2015
26 April, 2015
To Make A Better World - Excerpt #6
I will be publishing my book -- To Make A Better World -- on the 30th of April, 2015. That's later this week, Thursday to be precise! So here is the final teaser excerpt from my book, and it's a "two-for". You will be able to get your eBook copy through Amazon.com. Be sure to share this excerpt far and wide, enjoy, tell me your thoughts and, thanks.
 |
| Image Copyright, 2015, by Joshua Michail |
FROM: To Make A Better World; The handbook for good secular living in the modern era.
This excerpt -- #6 -- from two chapters: FROM: "Morality & Secularity" and FROM: "Honor in this Modern Age".
(NOTE: ellipses indicate skipped content.)
We are moral. At least as far as it being a part of being human goes.
Of course, there are some who are not. But, mostly we are moral. The
fundamental point is that since morality is the evolved trait that
helps our species work together for our mutual benefit, logically it
is not only the religious who are moral. That is a sort of birthright
of our species. Morality is a defining feature of us. This, alone,
would be good enough to say we can be good without god. But,
religions are actually, in and of themselves, corrosive to morality.
The first problem is that they demand one place the supposed deity
above everyone else. This is contradictory to what works for a
community.
I don't want to hear excuses about how someone else is behaving
badly. You are responsible for yourself. No other person is
responsible for what you say or do. Firstly, one should understand
that whether or not other people behave morally must in no way
influence whether one behaves morally him or her self. We are all
responsible for our own actions and words. No individual can
rationally justify his/her behavior on account of another. The
greater good is achieved by the accumulation of individual acts of
good deeds.
As Robert F. Kennedy had said: “Some people see things as they are and say, 'why?' I dream of things that never were and say, 'why not?'” But society can never be improved without the benevolent actions of individuals. The argument against behaving properly that so many others are not also behaving properly is flawed. Easily rebutted with something like “If everyone else were jumping off a cliff, should you as well?” If every person were to excuse him or her self from being ethical and moral on the imagined pretense that no one else is then no good change in the society can happen.
As Robert F. Kennedy had said: “Some people see things as they are and say, 'why?' I dream of things that never were and say, 'why not?'” But society can never be improved without the benevolent actions of individuals. The argument against behaving properly that so many others are not also behaving properly is flawed. Easily rebutted with something like “If everyone else were jumping off a cliff, should you as well?” If every person were to excuse him or her self from being ethical and moral on the imagined pretense that no one else is then no good change in the society can happen.
I'd say that without morals a person is just an animal
and dishonors himself/herself, one has no dignity without a strong
self discipline. This doesn't mean that we need religion or
spirituality. No moral code worthy of the human intellect could come
from religion, but rather from an honest respect for one's fellow
people. So that those who would think everything is permitted because
they've shed the chains of delusion, are in fact no better than those
who remain chained in slavery to the dogma of cult leaders. For,
however liberating it certainly is and however noble it is to see the
light and walk out of that cave of perverse corruption that
charlatans will push, we are not honorable nor dignified when we
mistreat others, when we make ourselves lawless brutes. When we fail
to discipline ourselves, to abandon ourselves the to the animal
within, we become unworthy of any respect. When we fail to maintain
inside ourselves a compass, not given from out of the archaic ethers
but rather from our fellowship of humanity and our empathy, we make
ourselves deserving of the receiving back the abuses that we give. .
. .
Ethics are a system of behavioral rules based on both empathy and
morality and is designed to address specific possible situations.
While morality is a set of general philosophical codes of right and
wrong, of justice and of social order. Thus murder is immoral, but
sometimes killing another person can be ethically acceptable, such as
in the case of self-defense against someone who is a clear and
immediate threat to one's life. Then, we can say that it must be our
natural ability to comprehend what another person experiences, to
grasp how we would feel in the same situation. That is the
foundation. We would not want someone kill us, so we can appreciate
that others would not want us to kill them. From this the moral code
is constructed, in large part due to all the other things we are
taught as we develop intellectually.
Essentially, a person must understand that there is a
greater and more personal advantage to being ethical and moral than
just improving society. When one chooses to behave in accordance with
his or her code of ethics and morality, a code that values peace,
respect and logical order, then one finds himself or herself avoiding
many problems and dangers. Being an ethical and moral person means
that one can enjoy a quality of life that would not be possible
otherwise. Even when no other person behaves as a human one who
refuses to degrade himself or herself, one who chooses to behave as a
human ought to, can take comfort in knowing that he/she is exercising
the true human potential. It is much better to be a good person and
so earn the trust and respect of others than to behave immorally and
earn the disdain and disrespect of others. When one behaves morally
one can hold his/her head upright and take pride in exercising
superiority over the primitive animal urges and tendencies, a
superiority afforded by the nature of being human.
From the chapter on honor:
There are essentially two kinds of honor any person holds. The first
is “interpersonal honor” in which a person's level of honor is
relevant to his or her interactions with others on a daily basis. A
person might consider you more honorable if you have been a good
friend to him or her. But it is important to note that one's honor is
not affected by insults. That is to say that your honor does not in
any way depend on a person calling you, for example, a “bitch” or
calling your friend or mate such a name. On the contrary, a person
who is attempting to antagonize a person by calling another names is
in fact damaging his or her own honor by doing so. The second kind of
honor is “social honor” in which a person is considered by the
society to be of a certain level of honor based on the individual's
value to the society. For example, an ordinary person is considered
to be of standard honor, while a scientist, doctor, politician or
judge is considered to be “honorable” (as an elevated status) and
thus is given that title.
While both types of honor are affected by a person's
actions, behaviors, achievements and contributions, the interpersonal
type will vary among the people one associates with. Whereas, the
social type is less movable and depends more on the person's position
and accomplishments as recognized by the society. The importance of
honor in the society is that one's treatment by others and the
society as a whole is dependent upon one's honor. A dishonorable
person receives less respect and is often shunned by others. A person
should therefore wish to avoid the loss of his or her honor.
Meanwhile, those who improve our society are rewarded with a higher
regard by the society and the people within.
©
2015, Joshua Michail
29 March, 2015
To Make A Better World - Excerpt #5
I hope that you will enjoy this and the other excerpts from my book -- To Make A Better World, and share this link with your friends. Leave your opinions in the comments, and if you like please share, thanks.
FROM: To Make A Better World; The handbook for good secular living in the modern era.
By Joshua Michail
Excerpt #5, from the chapter: "Happiness and Stillness".
(NOTE: ellipses indicate skipped content. This chapter is broken up into several sections.)
 | |
| Image is copyright, 2015 by Joshua Michail. |
By Joshua Michail
Excerpt #5, from the chapter: "Happiness and Stillness".
(NOTE: ellipses indicate skipped content. This chapter is broken up into several sections.)
2.2 - Love.
It should be well known that there are a few types of
love. But, there is also lust, which many people confuse for love.
This is the physical desire of another person. At the most basic
level love is really a chemical reaction, a process of
neurotransmitters firing. But then, that is true of other emotions as
well. Romantic love is the most over-rated but also the most enjoyed
and enjoyable kind of love. Familial love is the most useful and the
most long lasting kind. Familial being the kind of love brothers and
sisters feel for each other, or parents and their children feel for
each other. It's the love that one experiences in one's family.
Familial love is much like the love of friendship, though perhaps
stronger. Friendly love is also quite useful, though can for some
people in some cases be confused with romantic love, or even lust.
The fundamental thing about love is that it is in whatever form, a
bonding with another. This emotion, love, is natural and we evolved
the trait for the purpose of perpetuating our social nature. Love is
a beautiful thing, in and of itself. Though, like all other emotions,
it can be exploited by those who are manipulative, destructive, and
selfish.
…
The purpose of love is bonding. Fundamentally, familial love and
romantic love are evolved traits in our species. The love we feel
often can be quite potent. The love one feels for family is usually
strong, and for most as a parent the love for one's child is nearly
unbreakable. The bonding of family and friends together has allowed
us to survive. As a social species, if we did not feel a strong
emotional motivation to help others we would be more vulnerable. This
sort of love has allowed so many people to survive at least long
enough to breed, and so perpetuate the species. Romantic love is a
force to bond people together. Historically, it drives two people
together, and to remain together, which improves the chances of
survival for their children. In the case of familial love, families
and friends are bonded to support each other, which also helps in
each individual's survival.
The danger of not applying rational thought to one's
emotions cannot be understated. While most often fallacies of appeal
to emotion manipulate a person by exploiting one's fear, it's also
possible to exploit love. When one begins to feel romantic love for
another, that person may find it easier to do things he or she would
otherwise, normally, refuse. Some people willingly exploit that to
their own unfair advantage. One should always be as vigilant as
possible about scrutinizing one's emotions. Some other times a person
can become obsessive and behave unacceptably. Some might stalk their
victim, whom they believe they love, and someone who might otherwise
be a normal honorable person might become a danger and lose his or
her honor in the process. In some cases one might be blinded to the
abuse of one's love by the person whom he or she desires, and thus
suffer at the hands of that person. For most people, though, the main
issue lies in trying to determine whether the person he or she
desires is actually a good choice to commit to being with. In all of
these cases there is a distinct advantage to thinking critically
about how one feels and whom one desires. It's quite good advice to
take one's self out of the emotional fog long enough to evaluate the
case and to make a rational decision.
2.3 - Charisma.
Many people feel that they can't seem to make friends. Or may have
difficulties in appealing to people they find attractive. I can't
give an all-encompassing, detailed step-by-step instruction guide.
And, really there isn't such a thing. But, there are some basic
principles that can be very helpful. Charisma is the charm or
non-physical attractiveness, a certain appeal. The usefulness of
improving one's charisma in helping one attain happiness is that it
can help one to make and keep friends, and to be liked by people in
general. Having friends, and being liked in a basic sense, has a
psychological effect on us. And that effect is conducive toward our
general happiness.
There are many times in our lives when we need others to help us.
Sometimes we need someone to do something, and we must approach the
person about that. The point here is how ought you do that? There are
any number of ways someone will communicate their will, needs or
request. But, it is important to understand that how one communicates
is as vital as what one communicates. As with anything else, it helps
you to understand what others are thinking, or feeling, and how they
think, what their views are generally. In any event, one can say the
old adage “you can catch more flies with honey than with
vinegar” is true. Even if you have authority to back up a
demand, you're almost always better off asking nicely, or
respectfully instructing. Essentially, people are more likely to
help, or less resistant to helping, when you are a generally likable
person.
So how does one improve one's charisma? Well, first one
must understand that physical attractiveness does have an impact on
one's charisma. But, luckily, it's not the only thing. Being
attractive will naturally give one an advantage, however, sometimes
some people rely too much on their beauty and not enough of their
social and personal skills. When that is the case, even the most
beautiful can be disliked, even intensely. With charisma someone who
is typically considered by many to be not very attractive can be more
likable than even a typically very attractive person. There are
several areas one can work on to make one's self more charismatic.
Attitudes, helpfulness, confidence, intelligence, humor, integrity
and honor, as well as having good manners, can all be projects to
work on and thus improve one's charisma. There are also many people
with a natural charisma, but even they can find usefulness in working
on those areas of personality.
…
Manners are undeniably important to controlling whether
people think poorly or highly of you. Don't be too talkative. Follow
the conversation to avoid straying too much. Allow others to talk and
avoid interrupting people. Don't be rude or too ready to be
dismissive. Don't talk down at people. Don't presume people are dumb
and need every little detail explained. It's better to ask if they
know something than to treat them as if they couldn't or don't
understand. Don't be overbearing or try to dominate others. Don't try
to be intimidating. Rather work on being easily disarming. Address
men as “sir” and women as “ma'am”, when you need to show some
respect, but usually only early in conversation. Also don't forget to
say “please” when you ask for something, and always say “thank
you” when anyone does something for you, or gives you anything. I'm
sure most people already understand that it's best to say “please”
and “thank you”, but the point is that doing so will help improve
what people think of you.
…
Integrity means sticking to your promises, and being
consistent. Honor is your standing among most people who don't know
you closely. It's a part of your reputation, as much as integrity is
too. People naturally prefer to associate with people who have good
reputations. If you're generally considered to be honorable, and to
keep your promises, and to be consistent, then you're likely
considered trustworthy. And if you're trustworthy, people feel more
comfortable around you. Reputation is something that one should
consider extremely important. Honor is what people know about whether
you are moral or immoral person. At the base of the issue, one's
honor is a measure of if one is known to in some manner harm others,
or help them. Whether people like you can depend, in many cases, on
what someone who knows you can say about you. Of course, people can
lie, for whatever reason they may have, and to deal with that one
should avoid having anything to do with someone one knows to be a
liar, or a manipulative or disreputable person. This not only
insulates you against their fouled reports of you, but also by
distancing your relations with such a person you can better defend
your reputation. So, integrity is a valuable reputation, which
includes being dependable, being honest, being consistent, being
honorable and being principled and disciplined. When people know
where they stand with you, when people know what your values are, and
that you standards, they will view you more favorably than someone
with whom they never know these things. Often when meeting new people
their impressions can be shaped greatly by what others have to say
about you. So, it matters what the people you know think of you.
Reputation is a commodity, in a sense.
…
How you carry yourself, effects your charm. Make eye
contact, but avoid starring. The two-count rule helps, mentally,
count out one-one thousand, two-one thousand from when you start eye
contact to when you disengage eye contact. Don't stand, walk or sit
with a slouch or hunched over. It appears to others as if you're
lazy, or afraid. Posture is often interpreted as clues to one's
psychological state, even if it's not consciously considered. Our
species, as well as many others, naturally intuitively read others by
their body language. Obviously body odor puts many people off. It's
something that is generally considered unpleasant to encounter. So,
bathing regularly will, in this way, help people like you better.
Having groomed hair, and nails, present an appearance of caring about
yourself. It stands to reason that if one seems to not care about
one's self, others will likely not care either. One should remove the
excess wax from one's ears, because as it applies to what people
think of you it's generally considered somewhat gross. Cleaned out
ear wax also displays a sense of caring about one's self.
Additionally, brushing one's teeth and using mouthwash regularly
controls foul breath which is, again, quite unpleasant to most
people.
©
2015, Joshua Michail, all rights reserved.
Facebook.com/JoshuaMichail
joshuamichail.blogspot.com Twitter.com/JoshuaMichail
23 March, 2015
I'm Already Working On My Second Book.
I'm
still getting ready to publish "To Make A Better World", and I'm
already working on my next book. The second book is meant to compliment
the first, but also can stand alone. The working title for the next book
is "Mythos and Logos", and it will be a philosophical discussion which
will support what I've put in the first book.
https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaMichail/posts/895509380471883?notif_t=notify_me
https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaMichail/posts/895509380471883?notif_t=notify_me
17 March, 2015
To Make A Better World - Excerpt #4
Here is yet another sneak peek at my new book -- To Make A Better World, which will be published soon. I hope you enjoy this, the fourth excerpt teaser. This chapter, though brief, deals with the ideas and desires nearly everyone has in finding meaning in their lives. Because the chapter is short the excerpt is also short, after-all, I'm not giving my book away. Please feel free to share this link with your friends, and let me know any thoughts you have, thanks.
by Joshua Michail
Excerpt #4, from: the chapter "Living in a Meaningful Way".
We who refuse to accept an
imagined afterlife can actually find some comfort nonetheless. One
must accept that one's death is inevitable and so that fact should
not be allowed to be a source of anxiety. I have long said “there
is no reason to worry, if you can do something about it, then do it.
And if there's nothing you can do, then don't waste your time
worrying!” The fact
that we die is immutable, and so the only questions of worth
pertaining to our death are how, what, when, where and why. One's
life and how much use one made of it is all that really matters in
this regard. Did one take the time to enjoy being alive? What did one
do with his/her life? Did one make the most of being alive? Did one
enrich in some manner the lives of others?
Many religious people ask how does an atheist find meaning in life.
The answer is actually quite simple. It is in all the ways any human
finds meaning, except, of course, worship of and devotion to the
alleged supernatural. We find meaning in our relationships with our
families and friends. We find meaning in scientific and philosophical
pursuit of knowledge. We also find meaning in helping others, in
doing what we can for the greater good of society and humanity, or at
least in making a beneficent impact on some people. We may find some
comfort in understanding that our life, while of limited time, is an
extremely complex expression of the materials of the universe. We are
stardust, as it were. All of the organic compounds, in our bodies and
elsewhere, are based on carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and many other
chemical elements which were created in the stars in the course of
their lives. The stars are our creators in a sense, though not
intentionally. When the many stars that once existed had died out in
explosions the materials that we – and everything we know of –
are made of were expelled. This process seeded the universe with rich
complex elements. The very elements necessary for life to arise. We
are the product of a great universal recycling program.
Yet people still desire some form of ritual, it comforts them. This
is an aspect that religions have long offered. It has been one among
a few key principles that has really been the glue that has stuck
people to religion as believers. In this manner, I think that there
are similar secular opportunities. I've heard the tired arguments
about comfort in times of pain and loss and about the meaning of
one's life, or “purpose”, and on and on in this vein. It is my
opinion that these questions can be answered very well by philosophy
without the need to invoke supernaturalism. So in response to the
tired and sarcastic rhetoric about “Do atheists cry at
funerals?”, the answer
is yes, of course, after all we are human! But what would an atheist
funeral look like then? This is an honest, albeit a naive query. I
think that there is a powerful need that we naturally seek at such a
time. An atheist's funeral may well include listening to some of the
deceased person's favorite music, it would likely include eulogies
given by friends and family, a review of the person's life, perhaps
even the reading of some of the deceased person's favorite relevant
quotations or poetry. A wake is a good possibility, after all
wouldn't one want one's friends and family to celebrate, not one's
death but one's life? I quite like the thought of my friends and family
bonding over reminiscence of their memories of me, and in the process
they can help each other in their grief. Wakes are not an ordinary
party, they are a tribute to the one who is deceased. In what way
does this seem to be so strange compared to a religious funeral?
The point is that
all of those things often happen at funerals anyway, but they never
need to invoke the supernatural, myths or consolation prizes. All
that is needed is the fulfillment of the human need to say goodbye.
In that way the need for ritual, or better yet tradition, is
obviously fulfilled. Personally, when it comes time for my funeral I
would like those who will gather to listen to some of my favorite
music, to give an honest yet respectful account of my life and to
read some nice relevant quotes. Two of the particular quotes I will
share with you here. First, is from Mark Twain: “I
do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years
before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience
from it.” The second
is from Richard Dawkins: “We
are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are
never going to die because they're never going to be born. The
potential people who could have been here in my place, but who will,
in fact, never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of the
Sahara. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than
Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set
of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively outnumbers the set
of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and
I, in our ordinariness, that are here. We privileged few who won the
lottery of birth, against all odds, how dare we whine at our
inevitable return to that prior state from which the vast majority
have never stirred!”
©
2015, Joshua Michail, all rights reserved.
07 March, 2015
To Make A Better World - Excerpt #3
 |
| Image is copyright 2015 by Joshua Michail. All Rights Reserved. |
FROM: To Make A Better World; The handbook for good secular living in the modern era.
by Joshua Michail.
Excerpt #3, from: On Humanity.
(NOTE: ellipses indicates skipped content. A few samples
from the taxonomic list are included here, in the book the list is
full.)
…
Social and technological progress in the past, perhaps, forty
thousand years has been decreasingly of importance to the survival of
individuals physiologically, and to the species in general. Yet, this
constant progress has proven to be quite advantageous and finally to
the betterment our species. After we first made progress to improve
our chances of survival we then began to make progress to improve our
living conditions. Though there is some overlap in the different
forms of progress – and both forms of progress continue today –
the shift in emphasis has occurred. Today progress is mostly a matter
of creating more opportunities for people, more justice and equality,
as well as making things easier. We do still work toward better
medicines to make more people healthier and we improve life
expectancy and longevity. Unlike Homo Habilis, a species that lived
for a million years without ever creating new tools, we did improve
on our technology and still do. We practice invention and innovation.
We created better spears, then we created atlatls – a spear-thowing
tool. We created bows and arrows. Then we learned to control fire. We
were then able to hunt better and from farther away from our prey. We
were able to make sure we had contained fires so we kept warm at
night and kept predatory animals away while we slept. We progressed.
We then figured out how to tame plants and animals. We started to
become farmers, and we kept cows and sheep where we could take milk
and meat to eat, and leather and wool to wear. We started forming
villages, with homes and farms. This also gave us an advantage in
protecting ourselves against predatory animals. Then we turned
villages into towns, and then cities. We developed irrigation canals
to bring water to our farms and for us to drink and wash with. All of
this was progress that made our lives easier and that gave our
species the survival edge we needed. Then we made more progress by
inventing written language.
Because our towns grew into cities, rules of behavior
became more important than before. Behavior was important before, but
with more people living together it became more so. We then invented
codes of behavior, much of which can still be read in holy books.
This codification was possible because of the written word. Now more
people could learn the same rules. Morality became more and more
uniform over time because of this progress. This was a step forward
for justice, albeit the ancient rules now appear, quite obviously,
out of date and unjust. There exists a double-edge to the progress of
morality and writing. Unfortunately, people still believe in the
archaic cults of thousands of years ago, though it did help to make
for a more uniform system without as much ambiguity, for the most
part. Progress is moving beyond the Bibles and Qur'ans. An
illustration of how progress keeps moving forward and yet is gradual
is the fact that the percentage of religious people in our global
population is dwindling. This progress makes us different from other
animals in an important way. We are so much like other animals in
almost every other way, but that we make progress in our technology,
in our values, and our philosophies. This distinguishes us.
… Humans, specifically, are classified in the
following scientific taxonomy;
…
Kingdom:
Animalia
Defined as multicellular organisms, for which the body
plans become fixed as they develop. The Cambrian Explosion, 542
million years ago, saw the rapid diversification of animals. Prior to
580 million years ago virtually all life on Earth was single-cell,
possibly arranged into colonies, but then multicellular life began to
evolve. Organisms that seem more like us and other animals began to
appear. During the Cambrian Explosion the rate of evolution was an
order of magnitude faster than previously.
…
Super-class:
Tetrapoda
This super-class first appeared around 395 million years
ago. A tetrapod is an animal with four limbs used for movement, in
humans it's two legs and two arms. Sarcopterygii is a group of
gnathostome vertebrates, which appeared around 418 million years ago
and still exist. It was an ancient specie within this group that is
the ancestor of all tetrapods. Though the group sarcopterygii, are
also called lobe-finned fish. While the majority of tetrapods are
animals that live on land, including amphibians and birds, the living
species of sarcopterygii include lungfish. Lungfish extract oxygen
from water through their gills like other fish, but additionally they
are able to breathe air. The early ancestors of us and lungfish were
only able to very briefly move on land, but by being able to breathe
air could stay out of water for a long time. Over many generations
their fin lobes became stronger to support their weight on land
better. This was the beginning of the evolution of legs. It is the
lungfish ancestors that are also our ancestors, the first to start
coming on to land. Eventually the four lobed fins on the bottom would
evolve to become legs.
…
Family:
Hominidae
Around 15 to 20 million years ago, our family of
Hominidae separated from what became the Hylobatidae family, which
includes the Gibbons. Our group, the Hominidae, includes several
species alive today, which are: Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Orangutans.
The other family, Hylobatidae, are known as “lesser apes”, while
us Hominidae are commonly called the “great apes”. Hominidae are
able to use hands for gathering food and nesting materials, and at
least occasional tool use. The smallest of Hominidae are the bonobos,
at about 30 to 40 kilograms in weight, gorillas are the largest,
weighing up to 180 kilograms. Generally the great apes are large
compared to almost all other primates, and we're all without tails.
The average adult human is around 54 to 64 kilograms. Though the
degree to which sexual dimorphism is manifested in each species
varies, generally there is significant and noticeable differences
between the sexes. The males tend to be stronger and have more mass
than the females. The species of our family tend to able to walk on
two legs, however outside of humans, most species usually walk on all
fours, on arms and legs. Unlike most quadrupedal species however,
gorillas, bonobos, chimps and orangutans when walking on all fours
they have their knuckles down on the ground.
©
2015, Joshua Michail, all rights reserved.
27 February, 2015
To Make A Better World - Excerpt #2
Ten days ago I put out the first of several teaser excerpts from my book -- To Make A Better World. Today I'm releasing the second teaser excerpt. This one is from the chapter On Society and Socialization. These excerpts are leading up to publication of my book. I hope that you enjoy it and feel free to share the link to this page with your friends, and to share your thoughts with me. Thanks.
FROM: To Make A Better World; The handbook for good secular living in the modern era.
by Joshua Michail.
Excerpt #2, from: On Society & Socialization.
FROM: To Make A Better World; The handbook for good secular living in the modern era.
by Joshua Michail.
Excerpt #2, from: On Society & Socialization.
 |
| Copyright 2015, Joshua Michail, all rights reserved. |
Social conditioning, socialization, is a normal process and it is a natural consequence of living in a society. We are taught when we are young what is expected of us, our gender roles, our cultural traditions, our group values and our principles. All of this is then reinforced over time by our peers, our friends, family and other people we have contact with. The process, itself, is important. It helps to create and maintain the much needed social cohesiveness. It's a glue to keep a society together. And a society that stays together is functional. However, what a society considers important, as a rule, can sometimes be quite dysfunctional. Social attitudes can sometimes be good and sometimes bad. Each of us ought to be concerned with whether a normative is healthy for our society or detrimental. And we ought to be interested in correcting the path of our societies when we see such problems. Luckily, there are ways to do this. Though it may seem improbable, raising awareness and changing attitudes can be done by individuals.
The process of socialization begins for each person the moment we are
born and never stops until the moment we are dead. Every day, our
friends and family inform us in this manner. TV shows and
commercials, radio programs, movies, music, billboards, posters,
internet sites, magazines and even books all are forms by which the
the process informs all of us. None of us are immune to it. It's not
a bad thing in and of itself. What is bad is the content, the
message, what we are being taught. The kind of social participants we
are being molded into. We must always question this. We are right to
examine the societal norms we are being taught and that are being
reinforced in us. Sometimes the ideas that are commonly taught as
normative behavior are acceptable, or even beneficial. But, some
other times the idea is bad, useless or even harmful. And we have a
duty to humanity and our society to fix those problems.
We were socialized by the toys we played with as kids. We are
pressured by our peers to “be cool” as teenagers and young
adults. When we watch television shows and commercials often we
either relate to or idolize the content. Most obviously, our parents
socialize us while we are growing up by teaching us how to behave,
what is right and wrong, the way we talk and many other things.
Movies socialize us to love fast cars, big bright explosions and
fashion. Magazines instruct us on how to think of or relate to
members of the other sex, or how to dress to impress people, or what
to think on a particular point in politics and sports, etcetera. We
relate to music, often we will hear a melody or a tune and feel an
emotional response to it, but we also interpret the lyrics and
identify with them. The vehicles for our socialization, our training to meet societal
normatives, is a seemingly endless list with all varying in degrees
to which they teach or reinforce the society's normatives. Typically,
most of those things are also genuinely the things they appear to be,
while still being such a vehicle for social conditioning. For
instance, a car commercial on TV is actually meant to inform people
of the car being available for purchase, and such advertising is
actually intended to sell the car. And the car, itself, is really
just a device for transporting people and luggage. The point is that
the practical often serves as the carrier for the piggy-backing of
the social conditioning, such as in the advertisements. And even
then, the advertisers are usually not actively intending to reinforce
social normatives, rather they may knowingly be exploiting them for
the purpose of selling the product.
There may be said to be two forms of socializing material, one that
establishes or instills certain notions while the other exploits or
reinforces existing social notions and mores. “Mores” are a set
of moral norms or customs which have been derived from practices that
are generally accepted by a society, but not from written laws.
Though, some socializing material may be both reinforcing and
establishing at the same time, e.g.: GI Joe toys and Barbie dolls.
Such perpetuate existing gender-role stereotypes, while establishing
normal gender identity and teaching the young person how to fulfill
his/her expected gender role. Some others might exploit and reinforce
normal gender roles simultaneously, such as a TV commercial with a
man driving an expensive car past a line of beautiful women who all
turn their heads and stare at him lustfully. This sort is implying
that for men when they have that car women will be interested in
them. And for women it suggests that she should like a man with that
car, because most other women will. Such an advertisement exploits
the social norms because it targets adults, who can afford the car
and thus have been around long enough to already have been
conditioned. While it also reinforces the mores because it treats
such ideas as normal and expected. An example of the more common sort
that only establish such mores may be a parent's instruction to
his/her child to eat all of the vegetables before being allowed to
have dessert. Though it should be said, teaching children the idea of delaying
gratification – having the dessert after dinner – is good. Being
taught this may help the person to be better disciplined and so more
likely to achieve goals, put in the hard work, and then later in life
to be able to enjoy the rewards. In fact, those who can delay
gratification tend to be more successful. Successful in their
education, in their careers and in life over-all. This is,
nonetheless, an example of part of the process of socialization, the
parents teaching that in their culture dessert comes after dinner,
and that this is what is considered “normal”.
Some socializing material may actually be distracting or detrimental
to a healthy lifestyle. Though much is quite useful. In particular,
among the detrimental, are the archaic gender-roles. Though the old
standard idea of the woman submissive to, and dependent upon, the man
once served a useful purpose, it is now out-of-date and quite
harmful. Several thousand years ago, when to feed a family
necessarily meant hard labor in the fields all day, it makes sense
that women would stay in the home. They would usually do all sorts of
less labor intensive, though important, work. Such work would be
cleaning, cooking and raising the children, of course. But, it would
also include weaving fabric and making clothes, feeding the animals,
making pottery and preparing foods. While the men would be hunting
animals and tilling fields and felling trees and building the homes.
This was way back before there was much labor-saving technology. When
hunting was done with spears or by archery. When farming the fields
meant using thick sticks with stones attached to til the land and
walking along harvesting by hand. Certainly women often worked the
fields with the men. But, physiologically men tend to naturally be
stronger than women. And the work that needed doing was very tough.
Some work was demanding on muscle and some work demanded more
dexterity, but required less muscle strength. To succeed meant having
those who were better suited to the work doing that job, instead of
another. It simply made sense, in that case, that traditional
division of labor. But, that was then, this is now. The complete truth is that today there simply is no logically valid
argument to justify maintaining those now out-dated normatives. Just
as there never was a logically valid argument to support the selfish
thought that women are not equal to men. Even with labor division
being assigned according to the needs and capabilities of so very
long ago that would not mean one is inherently worth more than
another. Thankfully, many people have for a long time worked hard and
have been quite successful in reshaping our Western society's
normatives regarding equality.
The fact that those archaic gender-roles have persisted to this day
within our culture speaks to the nature of the socialization process.
Parents may teach their children many things. But, a child's primary
relationship is with his or her parents. Girls learn how to be women,
mostly, from their mothers and boys learn how to be a man, mostly,
from their fathers. Principally speaking that is, of-course there are
other significant influencing sources. Even more to the point,
though, is that usually people learn how to relate to others through
their relationships with their parents. One learns what to expect in
a romantic relationship by witnessing how one's mother and father
interacted. Indeed, our ideal of a relationship with a mate is mostly
built upon the model our parents provided. Whether it is good or bad,
this is the way most people have learned to relate with their mating
partners. As a matter of fact, this fundamental aspect – in the
worst cases – can cause a young woman to believe that if a man
loves a woman he shows it by beating her and degrading her. Clearly,
this is because she grew up in a home, in which, her father would
beat and degrade her mother and her mother constantly endured it.
This can also often explain why a young male might be so abusive
toward women. Sadly, this happens all too often. But that also speaks
to the nature of the process of socialization.
©
2015, Joshua Michail, all rights reserved.
25 February, 2015
My Book Cover - Possible Text Font, Style, & Layout OpinionsChoice
I'm asking for some opinions on these options for font, color, layout and style for the text on the cover of my book. Ignore the copyright watermarks, which will not appear when the book is published. I've already settled on a main image which will be where the watermarks are now. Thanks to everyone who participated on that round to help me determine the image design. This round is just for the text that I'll use. Please share your thoughts, thanks.
 | |
| Choice #1 |
 |
| Choice #2 |
 |
| Choice #3 |
 | ||||
| Choice #4 |
©
2015, Joshua Michail
Facebook.com/JoshuaMichail
joshuamichail.blogspot.com Twitter.com/JoshuaMichail
17 February, 2015
To Make A Better World -- Excerpt #1
 |
| Copyright 2015, Joshua Michail, all rights reserved. |
FROM: To Make A Better World; The handbook for good secular living in the modern era.
by Joshua Michail.
Excerpt #1, from: Introduction.
It is human nature to be together with our fellows, in
tribes or families at least. We yearn for community because we are
communal creatures. This is not something that can only be satisfied
by a church or temple or mosque though. Many of us feel this sense of
community with our neighbors and with people in other groups that we
belong to, including fan clubs, or with friends or meet-up groups.
The church is simply not necessary any longer. We can get emotional
satisfaction without religion. We can get community and a sense of
belonging without religion. We can be loved and love others without
religion. Indeed, religion is not even necessary for transcendence.
So, what does religion have left to offer? Even morality and ethics
are within us, as a part of our species' nature. The guidance to
morality and ethics are even better satisfied by secular means.
After-all, most religions, and especially the Abrahamic ones,
Judaism, Christianity and Islam, consider worshiping their god to be
a concern of morality. They, however, forget in
their holy books to consider rape, slavery and
pedophilia to be immoral, while in secular morality those things are
all extremely immoral. And, to the issue of having a framework for
structuring one's beliefs, values and thoughts religion is no longer
the only option. As a matter of fact, it is my desire to offer an
alternative worldview and framework to that which religions offer.
The reader should know some things to start with. If you
are a non-theist (atheist, agnostic, humanist and/or freethinker, or
whatever you think of yourself as) you are not alone. If you are not
sure about what you might call yourself, or think on the issue, that
is okay. You are the captain of your own ship; you have the right to
decide for yourself. Most atheists and agnostics were once religious.
Humans have a certain capacity for critical thought, of-course it
does take an effort to turn this from just a capacity to actual
activity. We are taught to just accept certain notions, but when we
can't make sense of those ideas we naturally want to begin
questioning. And it's probable that most people will come to that
crossroads in which they find themselves beginning to question what
they were taught to believe. Unfortunately, so very many will let
their fear, their belief that they are being “bad” for doubting,
overpower that natural inquiry. Some people may be content to think
that anything which doesn't make sense is just a mysterious
manifestation of a mysterious will. Thankfully, many of us have such
a strong desire to know the truth that we cannot accept unsatisfying
claims of truth. You need not feel like you're the only one. Many of
humanity's greatest minds have grappled with this very issue. At the
end of this book I have listed some other books which the reader will
likely find relevant to this context, as well as internet resources
including non-theist community and support groups.
At this point I should explain my impelling force –
the foundation of all my philosophy. A very simple idea that I think
gives rise, to not only my optimism, but also to my reason for
writing this book. And that is that perfection is the best of all
impossible goals to hold. I don't mean that “perfection” in the
sense of a state of being, which can never be attained, but in the
sense of the process of improvement. It is necessary, and is the most
noble of endeavors. When we strive to achieve perfection we improve
ourselves, and our society. When we improve ourselves and our society
we narrow the gap between the real and the ideal. This has very real
value. The pessimist and the optimist see the same real conditions,
but the optimist sees the need for improvement. While the pessimist
sees the difficulties presented by reality as a reason to not bother,
the optimist sees the challenge as ultimately conquerable, however
difficult. Every time a change is made, a condition improved, it may
indeed reasonably seem that the work never ends – though progress
shouldn't be viewed as pointless. But we can say that progress is the
shifting of difference between what is yet to be done and what has
been done. Progress is incremental and often slow. While the
pessimist can teach us that we must understand what reality means to
our endeavors, we shouldn't give up. Instead we must analyze the
conditions and adapt to reality to form a workable strategy for
accomplishment.
I do not believe that one needs to be religious to be
moral, nor do I believe that one cannot be both religious and moral.
The fundamental difference is in what one concerns oneself with when
considering what makes for morality. Take for example, homosexuality,
while at least several religious authorities consider it to be very
immoral, there are also many good religious people who know better. I
have talked with homosexual people who love their partners in the
exact same way that heterosexuals do. There is no logically valid
argument for the alleged immorality of homosexuality that I have ever
heard. I seriously doubt that anyone could ever make such an argument
either. Meanwhile, many of the people I have heard in the public
arena who lambaste homosexuals as immoral have themselves been
caught-up in scandals that demonstrate their own immorality according
to their own proclaimed beliefs. Yet we, those who are religious and
those of us who are not, all agree that murder is highly immoral. So,
when in this book, I discuss morality I mean it in the practical
sense and not in the sense of religious dogma. Practical morality is
the kind that is amenable to nearly every person; it is something
that is generally agreed upon despite differences in culture or group
affiliation. I say generally because there are some variations in
some ideas of practical morality between some differing groups, but
the principle concept still stands.
The essential purpose of morality is three-fold. First,
is that of the society, one in which the moral behavior of the people
helps to maintain the integrity of the society. For example; when
police officers and/or judges accept bribes they begin to foster a
growing sense in the people of a need to take matters into their own
hands, vigilantism. This vigilantism, or voluntary amateur policing,
is dangerous to the social good because it often leads to
miscarriages of justice. Innocent people are strung up, witch-hunts
get out of hand and neighbor distrusts neighbor. The society or the
community at least, begins to breakdown. Second, is that of the
people who depend immediately on the moral behavior of others, that
is to say those who may be harmed by a person's failure to be moral.
Children, for example, necessarily depend on the good moral character
of daycare employees, teachers, authoritative adults and their
parents for their physical and mental well-being. Third, is each of
us individually, our own moral behavior benefits us in several ways,
such as preserving our honor and dignity. If one allows oneself to
use illicit drugs, like cocaine or amphetamines, one harms and
endangers himself/herself, lies, steals and disrespects others and
self, i.e.: behaving immorally. The use of drugs is not necessarily
immoral, per-se. But,
it often does lead to other behavioral problems that are immoral.
Among users of illegal drugs it is common that one's actions and
behavior will anger people who are prone to violence. And the use of
illegal drugs will, in and of itself, greatly increase health
dangers, cause mental disorders and often kill
the user in short order. A healthy society and a healthy
person depend upon law and order. A healthy person and his/her
society depend on the moral strength of each individual and that of
one's self.
Which leads me to the book which follows. I believe
morality is very important. I also believe that honor and dignity, as
well as the beliefs we hold, are very important. Indeed,
how we come to the beliefs we hold is important.
It occurred to me that all too often what passes for morality, is
either actually immoral, or nothing to do with morality. So, I
decided to work on this issue. I also saw a need to address honor and
dignity. I've seen and heard so much, from so many people, about
honor in which the concept is just offensive. The fact is, however,
that honor is important and it does play a much bigger role than many
people are willing to acknowledge. Then there is the issue of how one
can live in a meaningful way. People often say that they want to know
that their life was not a waste, that there was meaning. I think it's
possible, in a secular life, to have plenty of meaning. To go with
this I wanted to address several issues of character. Issues like
greed, ignorance, violence and destructive attitudes. I also wanted
to provide some sense of structure, so I modeled a new secular moral
codification on the very familiar “Ten Commandments”. I've also
included a list of material for quick reference, on logic and
fallacies, science and moral principles. I hope that this book will
be more than enjoyable. I'm hoping that it will prove useful and
inspiring.
To make a better world, one must start by making oneself
better. One must be willing to improve oneself before one can improve
the world in which one lives. It's sort of like surviving a car
crash, if you want to improve your chances you'll first get into the
habit of wearing the seat-belt. You'll put in the effort to learn how
to drive more safely; if you want to survive a crash. As improving
your chances of surviving a car crash is a goal, there are things you
must do to achieve that goal. So it is, also, for improving the world
around you. There are many “self-help” books out there. Some are
genuine efforts to help people. Some, however, are just blatant
scams. There are also probably many that fall somewhere in between.
Of the self-help books in which the author has actually tried to be
helpful, some are misguided and some are well-founded. Many will tell
you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear. Of course many
people want to hear, or read, what makes them feel better, good or
what flatters them. Often that will sell books, which is great if
you're trying to make a heap o' money. But, often they will also have
learned nothing new, it will not actually help. Real help doesn't
necessarily make you feel better about yourself. Real help won't just
pat you on the shoulder. Real help gives you the tools and teaches
you how to help yourself. Get it? That's why it's called “self-help”.
So, in a way, I think this book is a sort of self-help book, but it's
a guide as well. My intention is to explore the way things are, and
to offer alternatives that can lead you to a good life, or even a
better one, without the superstitions and myths.
©
2015, Joshua Michail, all rights reserved.
Facebook.com/JoshuaMichail joshuamichail.blogspot.com Twitter.com/JoshuaMichail
Facebook.com/JoshuaMichail joshuamichail.blogspot.com Twitter.com/JoshuaMichail
29 December, 2014
A Little Something-Something For You.
I'm currently writing a new essay to publish soon. This essay will be a follow-up of sorts for my previous essay: "Sex; Attitude and Greatness". The new essay will be: "On The Beauty of Sex", in which I will discuss more about the attitudes many people have about sex, why they're bad, and what attitudes people can have instead that are better. In the meantime I will share this article from another site with you. This article is related, it's advice to women about how they can improve their masturbation. And, why not? Everyone should masturbate regularly because it's good and healthy for both men and women. And after-all, sex is beautiful, including self-sex.
Click below:
Click below:
Bad Girl's Bible; 10 Powerful Masturbation Techniques For Incredible Orgasms.
21 November, 2014
Please Help Me! Here's Your Chance To Help Me Decide On A Title For My Book.
I'm
now trying to settle on a title for my book. I would like some input.
So, here are the candidates. Please vote for the one you think is the
best. You can comment below with your choice and anything you'd like to say. I'd really appreciate some participation in this poll. Thank you.
For reference, the book is a sort of handbook, self-help book, in which I try to offer a secular alternative to the rules and form of religions. The idea in this book is that in the first of the three sections, I discuss society, evolution, humanity, government and economics, philosophy and psychology. I do this to layout some basic concepts and establish a basis for the rest of the book's discussions. The second section I discuss morality, secularity, honor, and ways to look at living life in a way that we find meaning, without any religious context. In the third section I discuss a variety of things that people often wish to improve in themselves, and how these areas can be accomplished without religious context. Often self-help books talk in a religious-mystical context, but I wanted to help people but with a secular option.
1. A Moral New World (the current working title)
2. Your World Within
3. Being In the World
4. The World and Us
5. Life and You
6. Making A Better World
7. Lifelong
8. Your Life
9. A New View To Your World
For reference, the book is a sort of handbook, self-help book, in which I try to offer a secular alternative to the rules and form of religions. The idea in this book is that in the first of the three sections, I discuss society, evolution, humanity, government and economics, philosophy and psychology. I do this to layout some basic concepts and establish a basis for the rest of the book's discussions. The second section I discuss morality, secularity, honor, and ways to look at living life in a way that we find meaning, without any religious context. In the third section I discuss a variety of things that people often wish to improve in themselves, and how these areas can be accomplished without religious context. Often self-help books talk in a religious-mystical context, but I wanted to help people but with a secular option.
1. A Moral New World (the current working title)
2. Your World Within
3. Being In the World
4. The World and Us
5. Life and You
6. Making A Better World
7. Lifelong
8. Your Life
9. A New View To Your World
14 November, 2014
UPDATE On My Book!
I'm
feeling some pride today. I'm printing off my manuscript, and I'm almost
done with my book. I only need to proof-read it. I've got to create the
cover art still, and decide on the final title, and produce the eBook
and printed book formats. But, at least the content generation is
finally done, and it's been five years that I've been at it, so I'm
quite happy now.
22 July, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)