Pondering

Small gathering of people Tuesday night at Nexus. This is our local discussion group on current events practiced with civil voices. Yes, we do not agree with one another. No, that doesn’t harm our free exchange of ideas and feelings. The latter are important in that they often skew our logic. Pretty natural. Also can change tone and start arguments. Not with us!


The discussion was about how ‘fishbowl vision’ affects how we see the world around us. The fish in his bowl, sees the world from his unique perspective. How factual is that vision? Similarly, we humans see the world from our fishbowl lenses, too.


Perhaps you are an adopted person. How has that shaped your perception of the world around you? What does growing up in a house of alcoholics do to your perspective? What about struggling with sexual identity not conforming with the world around you?


Of course, our surroundings condition our feelings first, then our logic that interprets what we see and experience. The same is true if you are a liberal, conservative, middle of the roader, republican or democrat. Perceptions change with such nurturing backgrounds. Not all perceptions are happy ones.


Racism is a conditioning in which people of one race feel differently from another race. If I fear losing my identity because I am surrounded by people of a different race, then I will likely act differently. I may not even be aware of it.


The white privilege syndrome is subtle. I have caught myself being surprised by the articulation of a complicated point by a person of a different race. Then I realized I was the one with a problem! Assumed superiority is sneaky that way. And I had no clue I was so imbued.


Likewise religious views. What role does church play in your life, or another’s? What should its role be in society at large? What about political and governance issues? What fishbowl lens do we have concerning this issue?


This is our next topic for discussion at Nexus. Tuesday, April 7^th, at Towne Tap of Warrenville, Illinois. 6:30 pm. Order your own pizza and beverage. Then relax and let brains share their interaction!


March 6, 2020