Really thought-provoking exploration of consciousness! I think there are multiple levels of consciousness, one of which we might think of as "the soul" while other levels are more a simpler awareness of self as entity, which could take any of a huge variety of forms. A tree aware of itself might not be at all the same as a dog aware of itself. Or maybe it *is* just a matter of scale and connections, which would be mind-blowing in and of itself.
Thanks for commenting Stephanie. I am quickly overwhelmed. As you perfectly describe, consciousness is such a broad topic. Very easily becomes abstract.
Thanks so much Ms. Kadet! I repeated the word elegance a number of times intentionally in the post. Thanks for getting it! The flower boxes you chose to just profile are examples of the very same thing! All around us.
I agree with Anne, it's a beautiful statement and a good point. I think one example of this concept is probability theory. The idea that certain events have a certain, predictable probability of happening, like throwing a 6 on a die, is something that humans, at least in Europe, didn't comprehend until around the 16th century, when someone worked it out. Historians with mathemical inclinations have analysed records of how people gambled in ancient Rome for example to show that they didn't understand probability. I found that mindblowing. And yet it seems so simple (and elegant) now we understand it.
(Not to say that other cultures may not have worked it out well before Europeans because my knowledge is certainly Euro-centric).
Thanks for commenting Melanie. Your comment is EXTREMELY on point. I wrote a post about how we settle our minds and then at some point change them. Something mysterious we guess about becomes elegant and obvious. It was partly about Blaise Pascal who developed the mathematics of probability. Kinda funny I guess considering your comment. It is linked in this weeks article and is titled "It Starts In Your Head" -- you might enjoy it.
Thanks for commenting CK! I hope this doesn't come off negative as I am mostly going to focus on why it was a 6 for me rather than an 8 or 9. I liked the concept of Jan-Dec in theory. It felt like (1) the author plugged in her family story to fill pages and not sure why -- hard to do in a history book that misses a lot of significant things as a result (2) Simone de Beauvoir got extensive coverage. I think the emergence of feminism and it's importance COULD HAVE BEEN worthwhile but the author was caught up with a bit of anti-American POV and ignored Asia all together! Women had emerged all over the world while the men were away fighting. I believe the tragedy of the period was pushing them back out of the workplace and forcing traditional roles all over again. Perhaps the author saw this but b/c she focused on Europe and Scandinavia, we got a narrow take. Christian Dior (another focus in the book) while women were stepping backwards seemed to miss the point of the era. IMO 1947 is about the emergence of Israel, the Cold War, Indian Independence (and lots of other places not covered as Europeans we're weakened enough to stop colonizing all over the globe). Finally the post-war transformation of Japan and the precipice of change in both Korea and Mainland China are super important and were largely ignored. I was tougher on the book than the club at large (6 vs 7.4). I am generally a softie :)
Thanks Jillian, you are inherently positive and I love that. If you haven't read the book, it does have some high points. It is also pretty short. If you are most interested in the founding of Israel and India, the book does a good job in those areas. It is also the only time Christian Dior and the "New Look" has appeared in our history book club :)
I enjoyed your writing but take issue with one facet of your thought. Even though you mention cave pictures as a form of communication, but state earlier that communication started 4000 years ago. I think early humanoids used many subtle forms to communicate with their fellow beings for a much longer period of time which recently has been pushed even farther back in time.
John --Thanks so much for the comment!! I whole-heartedly AGREE and will include a clarification. I did not make my point clearly I am afraid. I wanted people to understand I considered us humans conscious long before the last 4000 years. My son who traveled extensively in Asia constantly shares with me the wonder of communicating with a person who does not speak the same language. He shared that people in that circumstance turn up their other senses focusing on gestures and facial expression. That extra effort and concentration takes place wholely in our brains at the confluence of the senses. It is not a great leap that touch and smell could readily accomplish the same for others. The post was right at 10 minutes and I wrapped it up.
Another fun, thought provoking piece! As a child, I spent most of my spare time with non-human critters, so I got to see evidence that they can think and how they communicate. The other day I witnessed my father-in-law's Yorkshire terrier learning something new. My husband potted up some raspberry plants on the deck for his father last year, and they started producing fruit a week or so ago. I take my father-in-law and his pup out on the deck almost daily to enjoy a bit of fresh air. He supervises while I pick the berries and then we share them while watching the birds. His yorkie is very interested in human food and soon began begging for her own share of berries, which she discovered were good. A couple days ago, she followed me as I picked the ripe berries, watching me carefully; after we all ate the berries, she went back to sniff at the plants and when she spotted some unpicked (unripe) berries, she pointed at them with her nose while looking back at me, making her thoughts very clear! She watches my husband's every move when he's cooking dinner as well. I swear, all that dog needs is opposable thumbs and she'd be ready to demonstrate the farm to table movement! Animals are pretty darn clever, we just need to watch them to see it.
What a beautiful example Jeannine. I can tell you love animals of all kinds. While it is not a broad field of study reading flashcards and translating them to commands has been demonstrated with animals. I love how dogs make an intense effort to look at our faces to read our moods. This is one of the most advanced things our eyes are prioritized to do. Thanks as always for reading and your great comments.
Really thought-provoking exploration of consciousness! I think there are multiple levels of consciousness, one of which we might think of as "the soul" while other levels are more a simpler awareness of self as entity, which could take any of a huge variety of forms. A tree aware of itself might not be at all the same as a dog aware of itself. Or maybe it *is* just a matter of scale and connections, which would be mind-blowing in and of itself.
Thanks for commenting Stephanie. I am quickly overwhelmed. As you perfectly describe, consciousness is such a broad topic. Very easily becomes abstract.
“Elegance surrounds us” such a beautiful statement! And true!
Thanks so much Ms. Kadet! I repeated the word elegance a number of times intentionally in the post. Thanks for getting it! The flower boxes you chose to just profile are examples of the very same thing! All around us.
I agree with Anne, it's a beautiful statement and a good point. I think one example of this concept is probability theory. The idea that certain events have a certain, predictable probability of happening, like throwing a 6 on a die, is something that humans, at least in Europe, didn't comprehend until around the 16th century, when someone worked it out. Historians with mathemical inclinations have analysed records of how people gambled in ancient Rome for example to show that they didn't understand probability. I found that mindblowing. And yet it seems so simple (and elegant) now we understand it.
(Not to say that other cultures may not have worked it out well before Europeans because my knowledge is certainly Euro-centric).
Thanks for commenting Melanie. Your comment is EXTREMELY on point. I wrote a post about how we settle our minds and then at some point change them. Something mysterious we guess about becomes elegant and obvious. It was partly about Blaise Pascal who developed the mathematics of probability. Kinda funny I guess considering your comment. It is linked in this weeks article and is titled "It Starts In Your Head" -- you might enjoy it.
Hi Mark-- would love to know examples from the 1947 book that drew you to your conclusions and review.
Thanks for commenting CK! I hope this doesn't come off negative as I am mostly going to focus on why it was a 6 for me rather than an 8 or 9. I liked the concept of Jan-Dec in theory. It felt like (1) the author plugged in her family story to fill pages and not sure why -- hard to do in a history book that misses a lot of significant things as a result (2) Simone de Beauvoir got extensive coverage. I think the emergence of feminism and it's importance COULD HAVE BEEN worthwhile but the author was caught up with a bit of anti-American POV and ignored Asia all together! Women had emerged all over the world while the men were away fighting. I believe the tragedy of the period was pushing them back out of the workplace and forcing traditional roles all over again. Perhaps the author saw this but b/c she focused on Europe and Scandinavia, we got a narrow take. Christian Dior (another focus in the book) while women were stepping backwards seemed to miss the point of the era. IMO 1947 is about the emergence of Israel, the Cold War, Indian Independence (and lots of other places not covered as Europeans we're weakened enough to stop colonizing all over the globe). Finally the post-war transformation of Japan and the precipice of change in both Korea and Mainland China are super important and were largely ignored. I was tougher on the book than the club at large (6 vs 7.4). I am generally a softie :)
This explanation is so fascinating!
Thanks Jillian, you are inherently positive and I love that. If you haven't read the book, it does have some high points. It is also pretty short. If you are most interested in the founding of Israel and India, the book does a good job in those areas. It is also the only time Christian Dior and the "New Look" has appeared in our history book club :)
I haven’t read it yet, but I’d like to. Now I just need to find the time :)
It is one of the shortest books we ever read -- seemed to be a lot of headings. The Google Books preview includes 60/280 pages and gives a flavor of the style. https://www.google.com/books/edition/1947/OwtFDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
I enjoyed your writing but take issue with one facet of your thought. Even though you mention cave pictures as a form of communication, but state earlier that communication started 4000 years ago. I think early humanoids used many subtle forms to communicate with their fellow beings for a much longer period of time which recently has been pushed even farther back in time.
John --Thanks so much for the comment!! I whole-heartedly AGREE and will include a clarification. I did not make my point clearly I am afraid. I wanted people to understand I considered us humans conscious long before the last 4000 years. My son who traveled extensively in Asia constantly shares with me the wonder of communicating with a person who does not speak the same language. He shared that people in that circumstance turn up their other senses focusing on gestures and facial expression. That extra effort and concentration takes place wholely in our brains at the confluence of the senses. It is not a great leap that touch and smell could readily accomplish the same for others. The post was right at 10 minutes and I wrapped it up.
Another fun, thought provoking piece! As a child, I spent most of my spare time with non-human critters, so I got to see evidence that they can think and how they communicate. The other day I witnessed my father-in-law's Yorkshire terrier learning something new. My husband potted up some raspberry plants on the deck for his father last year, and they started producing fruit a week or so ago. I take my father-in-law and his pup out on the deck almost daily to enjoy a bit of fresh air. He supervises while I pick the berries and then we share them while watching the birds. His yorkie is very interested in human food and soon began begging for her own share of berries, which she discovered were good. A couple days ago, she followed me as I picked the ripe berries, watching me carefully; after we all ate the berries, she went back to sniff at the plants and when she spotted some unpicked (unripe) berries, she pointed at them with her nose while looking back at me, making her thoughts very clear! She watches my husband's every move when he's cooking dinner as well. I swear, all that dog needs is opposable thumbs and she'd be ready to demonstrate the farm to table movement! Animals are pretty darn clever, we just need to watch them to see it.
What a beautiful example Jeannine. I can tell you love animals of all kinds. While it is not a broad field of study reading flashcards and translating them to commands has been demonstrated with animals. I love how dogs make an intense effort to look at our faces to read our moods. This is one of the most advanced things our eyes are prioritized to do. Thanks as always for reading and your great comments.