A Necessary Aspect in the Social Imagination ~ Identity!

Who you are and are not is fundamental to anyone's being as an individual because it requires the identification with others as a group to which the one belongs. Before, providing an argument for identity, it is necessary to begin with a premise -that which helps to support an argument.

Premise- as a Christian, race, ethnicity, sexuality, geography of location and all things of the flesh do not matter for the one who is a child of the Light (Jesus Christ is the Light of the World). Being a child of the Light (Jesus Christ) means living in the light which in this fallen world means constant attempts (struggles) to deny the flesh in order to live fully in the light.

Therefore, the flesh and its fleshly desires: sex, money, pride, greed, arrogance, etc. make no contribution to identity of the self as spirit but only bring down the self into mere decaying flesh destined for destruction. Identity in the spirit of Jesus Christ has no fleshly borders or requirements other than abandonment of the flesh as Christ demonstrated during his time on earth.

We constantly search for this kind of identity through organized religion whether it is led by a priest or pastor or president. We imagine that by searching we will encounter our 'true self' failing to realize it was always there - the Kingdom is within ~ Luke 17:21.

We mistakenly think that identity is outside of us in the flesh and presenting itself to us in the fleshly group we gravitate toward for this longed after identity; whether it be by color, creed or geography or even social contract. We fail to identify with the spirit when it comes to identity; failing to embrace the spirit- our true self.

It does not come by yoga meditation, or serving in soup kitchens. It comes to us through love of the self as we let go and become free from the flesh and the desires of this world. It is nothing to work for as it is freely given as a gift ~ Ephesians 2:8.

If you love the world and its fleshly identity, you will always be hungry, always thirsty and disappointed in the flesh... If we all want to be apart of one body... let it be the Body of Christ!

Bad Choices in the Social Imagination ~ Part II

A bad choice is or bad choices are made everyday by everyone...

For instance, look at the choices of posts put on Facebook. Now for some, those are the 'right' choices and for some others ...the 'wrong' choices.

Bad and good choices as Max Weber told us way back, socially distinguish us. They socially set us apart as in discriminate us from others more so than does money 'income' does.  We might consider a  bad choice as a waste of money that is money spent on material things that we only think will make us look good to someone else and a good choice is to spend money that will help us to live better with regard to others.

For instance, people who are on the left like to put posts that think that they know who makes good choices and who makes bad choices. Now for some, a good choice is to blame others on their problems. So, their bad choices are now the 'right' choice. They in their liberal progressive mind think that the past and all people who adhere to the past and to the classic ideas that worked in the past should be banned. Yet, in another post, they criticize others having banned something.

Yes, its a decision, a choice to declare which side of the fence you are on. I told students at university that everyday they represent themselves, they are acting 'politically', part of a greater polity in which they are constantly setting themselves apart.  We are directly and indirectly declare who we are and are not and in this way we declare not only who we are but why we are part of a group.

Yes, identifying who you are and are not is how you know who you are and who you are not. Sounds like who is on first, doesn't it. But, if you do not know who you are and are not, you won't have any opinion as to what is right/wrong or good/bad or left from right. And, thus whatever you choose is not really a choice at all even if you are on the far right or left. Simply, you will live like a flower blowing whichever way the wind blows and liking it. You won't need to identify yourself, your children nor your community for all are yours and all are not.

We choose what we like, what we desire and who we prefer to be around/with. That is being prejudice and discriminatory. Oh, of course I heard from students/adults too in conversation that they have friends/neighbors of this or that color, ethnicity and or religion. But, I always asked is that what drew you to them or did you find something in common first. If you found something in common first, then you found something in them that was/is like you and you felt comfortable with that as you first considered in your encounter with them who you are and are not.  In this way, through social interaction/engagement, you learn who they are and are not and who their group is and is not.

So, of course a liberal progressive will have friends of this or that color, way or religion but that friend (s) will be a liberal progressive too. Of course, this applies to Republican conservatives, Catholics, Muslims, Russians and Chinese, Native American etc.  We only associate with others that are like us in some way... our best friend is our best friend because we have so much in common. And, so... we choose that person over another!

Many people identify as their cause, their social justice movement. So identify by political party as in being a liberal/progressive democrat or conservative republican and some identify by their sexual preference or not and some identify by their 'faith' religion, civil religion and even environmentally - GreenPeacer or Climate Changer/Green houser all are what we can think of as Tree Huggers. All of that is OK as long as you don't hate someone else who is not what you are and are not. And, its OK as long as you 'stick' to it and don't play both sides, as then you are nobody to identify with.

I saw a post on facebook today - Ground Hog Day. It was the critter popping out of his shelter as the tradition goes. The caption was "Make America Warm Again". The hypocrisy is/was when a greenhouser or grean peacer clicks 'like'. The point is that if they want it warm then they should not complain about green house gases or climate change on the horizon but continue to drive their car, eat beef and buy stick houses and plastics. But, they oppose those things in their daily identification of supposedly choosing who they are and are not. Its not easy to live up to what you declare to be and not to be.

We all make bad choices!

Bad Choices ~ We all make them in the Social Imagination

What are bad choices and why do we make them?

Bad choices are firstly choices made based on a lack of information. We have only so much information in our heads (personal databank) as we can largely there due to the socialization which begins with mother. 

Bad choices are also made based on one's world view: how did it all happen and why am I here? So, you choose a world view (based on the information you have) and you make choices based on ther world view. So, if you reject the absolute truth that the world (universe/reality) was created by the Creator then you will rely on your relative view and your group, while at the same time blaming others outside of your group and including the 'state', to appeal to and seek support from them for your bad choices and or disgruntled opionion as to why things happen.

But, if you hold the world view that there is a Creator (God) and that He holds all things together, for He alone is the absolute truth you will seek Him when you make bad choices and not blame others including your own mother.

Most of the time, we make bad choices because we don't want to recognize the Creator nor are willing to submit to the absolute truth = a higher being, our Creator. So, by rejecting the absolute truth and all other absolute truths that follow the first, we become rebels without causes. Then there are those who recognize the absolute truth (s) but try to dominate the absolute truth which is what Lucifer 'Satan' did and does. Then there are those who use the absolute truth to get others to submit to and or worship them... like Lucifer 'Satan' did and does.

Now, you can be in denial of all what has just been said which still puts you in the rejection category and likely to make bad choices, but I would rather call those kind of bad choices, grave choices.  Yes, of course, anyone can make a bad choice who does not reject the absolute truth and declare that willingly he/she submits to the Creator's Will. Those kinds of bad choices are called transgressions - sin (s). But, thank God, the Creator our Lord and Savior that He sent His Son to redeem us.

If you are in rejection and still think there is an explanation, I can still give you one. You put yourself at the center of the universe and think that you have a right to do what you want with your own body and you have a right to say and think what you want and you have the right to make bad choices; ...and guess what? You do. The Creator accepts your free will because He gave you free will. He would never force anyone to love Him and would never force anyone to do what He thinks is best for you/them. If you want to make bad choices, He will let you in hopes that the consequences will draw you back to Him.

So, essentially by submitting ourselves to our own will, we dominate the Will of God and in our domination of Him we will lose His ability to dominate in our life, even to save it by His domination over our bad choices/sin and the evil one. 

In a secularist society, you pay for your bad choices. In a secular humanist society, you will be humanly put down for your bad choices.

Who pays for your bad choices? You will unless you let Jesus Christ who already did it.

UnMasking Creativity ~ Becoming Creative Part II

The problem when it comes to unmasking creativity is that it suggests the need for letting go of management and administration. Which many people have a problem with because within those mechanisms of control, they feel secure even risking freedom and creativity.

We know that this world is in a fallen state - subject to entropy. We thus observe this and want to control, but total control is not possible in a fallen state, so the best option is to manage and administer entropy. Which is necessary for social imagination, social reality otherwise the imagination would be unstable, and social reality chaotic.

Yes, management of entropy is necessary to experience social imagination - social reality. In order to have order, disorder must be managed. In order to have any society whatsoever, recognizable as such, we must have management of entropy. That means collective social agreement regarding the management of its order. And, in the very least, in order to understand each other in that society, the means of identifying it as such using symbols and language must be ordered and or managed.

How then can creativity be part of that management? That is a good question. Many people out of fear think that only the elites at the top of society however they 'manage' to get there must know the best way. Out of fear, those people will risk creativity that they possess for the safety in the confines that others think is creative enough.

The danger in this kind of entropy management is the loss of creativity regarding the management of entropy in favor of control in the false hope of establishing total security in an entropic universe. The best means of secuity is the dispersal of management, trusting those at the lower levels, at the grass roots level to manage entropy in a creative way in the place that they are. Rather than from a top down pyramid scheme. For the top of that structure can only remain solid if the top trusts the bottom.

The liberal progressives think in reversal... they think that the top directs, the top knows what is best but it must be from the top that direction comes and promises everything for the bottom. As a Christian, I would agree that God is at the top and He directs using His Word. And, it is His Word in us that we are able to become a solid foundation brought up to manage entropy. If we collectively recognize God and His role, we will know our role in entropy management.

That is why conservatives are not afraid because they know who has the con - and it is not a man made top down centrally steered government. They know that in knowing who has the con, the bottom is able to do its part regarding entropy management, they have the freedom to be creative to figure out what is best in the place that they are, building a solid foundation that supports the layer above and so on from there - finally glorifying the one at the top...The Creator of heaven and earth of all things seen and unseen - Jesus Christ. He was before all things and in Him all things hold together ~ Co 1:16-17.

Un-Masking Creativity ~ Becoming Creative: Part I

In the previous blog, the masks of creativity were revealed - top down management and administration by people and institutions (controlled groups of people) who think THEY are the source of all creativity. In this 'Part I', we will begin discover how to unmask creativity and become creative. We need first to understand and embrace the fact that there is a Creator and His is the absolute Creator. Otherwise, all creativity is relative and no 'creativity' is anything special nor does 'creativity' exist. Without such a Creator, there could not be a 'path to creativity' or a path of/for creativity.

Point being... in the social imagination there has to be a recognized an absolute, infinite, non local constant Creator that is all things and holds all things together. Thus being a platform of departure for the social imagination - social reality and creativity. This absolute must be seen as the ultimate source of all authority, knowledge and truth. You see, we cannot be creative in a state of entropy unless we define, accept and or agree upon an absolute that never changes.

If we do not commit to that absolute, there is no creativity ... whatever creativity we imagine is not essentially creative and in fact,  cannot be recognized as truly creative by anyone. This is the beginning of unmasking creativity that we experience here and now by a top down management and administration of men/women who think that they are the source of creativity. Because, without an absolute, they/we are just a hollow mask and any creativity isn't really creative.

Masks of Control ~ Where the jobs are and shouldn't be in the Social Imagination!

One does not really need to look at statistics to know that the majority of jobs are in management and administration; not in creative jobs. These are jobs that manage and or control society at home and at work. We have administration and or management over and above us all the time telling us how to live and what to do. Yet, ironically, all levels of education and parents and communities cry out for creativity in education and in the work place. There is no need for creativity unless we are talking about how to better 'creatively' manage as in control society.

The masks of control are everywhere.  Took a look around at the strongholds of control. The levels of management work as control mechanisms. They let blame be passed on and once near the bottom of the totem, its easier to cut those off than those at the top who control the system. We have too many people working in management and or in the administration of people's lives: in our communities, in education, in health care, social work and the final business of management is the prison system.

Most Americans are hypocrites. They like to preach forgiveness and moving forward in love and peace but actually they are far from it in any sense of a real life practice. Hence, they like to lob onto control mechanisms to feel safe and secure from others and even from themselves knowing that they are the root of all their social pitfalls produced by a dysfunctional social imagination.

We should be imagining and encouraging creative jobs not administrative jobs; and in this way, begin to see a drop in criminal and or deviate behavior, a love for education and genuine concern for our fellow men and women... and with that a genuine concern for families and children, the elderly and handicapped. And, in that concern, see and practice early intervention in health care and forward thinking in re-socialization that does not promote the prison system as a business, a place of jobs.

We need to take off the masks and let freedom in creativity pave the way. The freedom to be creative and innovative requires people to think for themselves and not be made to think by managers and or administrators.  People really can imagine what is best for them and they don't need someone else to do it for them.  But then, Satan creeps in and whispers, "that's dangerous, they are too ignorant to think for themselves".  And, we listen. Thus, we can't imagine that different opinions and worlds views are good things and we can all benefit no matter how much we may not like those 'other' world views and 'other' opinions.

How do you know that people don't trust or respect each other for their input for their 'different views' and or 'other' opinions? When they call for a top down centrally steered structure to make laws (that manage/administer) to control people, to shut them down. When you see people protesting against others in a slanderous and mocking way, screaming and crying against someone who simply thinks differently... then you know who still wants to and needs to wear a mask, hiding behind it as it is protecting them and us from each other.

Socialization in the Western Social Imagination!

Socialization begins with mother. So, if you think you that most problems in the world have been introduced to individuals by someone else, some other major influence... you're wrong. Mother is the first source in the social reality that we encounter and are initially programmed by. This is not bad. It is naturally engineered that way. Now, mother has only so much information at the time of one's birth. It maybe deemed good or bad by the wider society or dysfunctional or limited merely by lack of social interaction outside her small group 'community'' and wider social knowledge. This is true for all groups, every race, color, creed civilized or primitive.

In smaller a successful group 'familiar community', mother likely has more quality information because the information received is experienced as good given the group is successful using it; this applies to wealthy and poorer groups. So, in that sense, the information mother has gained from the group is seen as an advantage from being in a place. She transfers this information to the child even before birth and certainly immediately thereafter.  That information gets in on the ground floor, it gets embedded at the lowest, the deepest level of our social programming.

Now, if the mother and group especially is not surviving 'successfully' or being able to continue to survive successfully in the place that she/they find herself/themselves then that kind of information is transferred as well. There may be a decision to flee the group essentially becoming a refugee seeking another place for survival. She/they may decide to change the place as in move on, and attempt to  integrate into a group that is surviving because what it is doing is working a their place which may be just a better place. Which is not easy for her/them because she/they come with information attached as in embedded in her/them that did not work for her/them and or was false information or lacking in better information and or just different from the group to which she/they now attempt to belong.

Will other groups let her/them in? Yes, if it needs 'newbies'. This even applies to attempting to find a new partner/spouse who is of a slightly similar or certainly of a different group. Healthy newbies that can work for the group and maintain the group in their place with the least amount of imposition, successfully able to integrate without too much effort for the host will be allowed in. No, if the newbie wants the host group to change and or imposes on it rather than brings something to it.

We like to think that here in America, all groups have always been integrated well. Not true. Most or at least many groups will differ in their opinion. Some groups are excluded based on obvious physical differences, others because their information package is different (education/religion/income) and this has little to do with color.


















Those that integrate well have fully adapted to the change of life in a new place and or are attempting to at least improve their information package by: learning the language (symbolizes/wordage/communication), the laws, the local ordinances, the way of life in that community -taboos and other. Can those trying to integrate be suddenly excluded? Sure, because they may suddenly appear as a threat or as a burden or unable to integrate and be 'like us'. This is true for all groups civilized or primitive. This is also true in the corporate world of work.

If you want to become one of them, join the 'in-group' then you have to make behavioral changes. You have to mimic, you have hang with them, talk like them and be them if you want to survive. This is true for all groups on the face of the earth and in the corporate world of work and it is true for liberal progressives. If you don't get with their program, you will be on the outside of that group.