perspective taking
Reflecting back a little, when I was much younger, I once did odd jobs around our small town to make a few extra bucks...cut grass, shovel snow, etc. I think I was around 10 years old...give or take. There was this one older man. Since our town was small, everyone knew everyone and this older man had a reputation of being crazy.I didn't care. I would stop at his place to see if any work needed to be done. There were times where he had odd jobs for me. Helping him with roofing, cutting grass, and helping out in his garden. Now don't get me wrong. When I was younger, there were some pretty unusual words that came from his mouth and he seemed to have an anger problem. He lived an isolated life.
I remember hearing countless times how he would say the world was against him. There were only a very small handful of people who would visit with him, mostly family. However, his family was not the most upstanding characters of society. From what I know of them, they disrespected him and stole from him.
When I was younger, I always thought, how could he say the world was against him? The world is huge with many people in it. How can that many people be against him? At that age, I just thought that maybe everyone is right, maybe he is crazy.
Today, after talking with somebody who lives a fairly isolated life himself, a lot of what he was talking about, I have never really heard too many people talking about in day to day life. He actually had me sort of stumped as to what to think.
But just pondering I started to think. In reference to the older guy I did work for when I was younger, well, if he lives an isolated lifestyle, he only knows a small handful of people who disrespected him. So, his world only consists of this small population. Maybe he wasn't so crazy after all.
Just a thought I recently had.
Also....I think as we all become more and more depended on our technology, we will all become more and more isolated from real life interactions. Who knows where that will lead us.
Comments (46)
I cannot wait to see what sort of blog Robert will create based on this one.
But surely when he was younger, he would have been in contact with more people, through work and life in general
I don't know. I have met people like him, much younger than him, who have constant chips on their shoulders, which they refuse to get rid of.
They seem to think life, and the world, owes them something, and get embittered when they don't receive it.
Life owes us nothing. The world owes us nothing. All we can do is do the best job we can with what we've got, and enjoy the process as much as possible.
Yours is more real stuff.
Fake is for laughing
Real is learning,
Very good points you bring up. Indeed, it is up to us to succeed in this world. Like you say, the world owes us nothing. :)
Thank you.
Some of my family stole from me too. And some accused me of stealing from them. But this is what I think. That old man was hurt deeply by the people that should have loved him. That disrespect cuts you deeply if you experience it.
I was married twice and I have wonderful beautiful children from those 2 marriages and the kids from different Mom's love each other. My kids are crazy about me and the G-kids are too.
That old man probably should have gotten married but gossip in small towns cut you so deeply he would have never found anyone ... probably. And small towns are just that gossip factories. I know. I lived in a small town until I made the decision to escape and then I found happiness.
Quite often they have unresolved issues stemming back from childhood or early adulthood.
Negative or traumatic experiences early on in life can heavily influence the way ones life turns out in the longer term.
We never know the road another has travelled..
Or indeed the knock on effects of what they may or may not have had to endure in theyre lives.
The guy of which you speak may possibly have isolated himself from society and people as a defence mechanism
Perhaps...
Thanks for your comment. You are exactly right about small towns. Once you are labeled something, it is pretty much time hang things up. It is very difficult to reverse the majorities thought about you....especially negative ones. It sometimes seems like people would like to think the worst of people....I don't know...maybe to make themselves feel better.
Great input Ed. Thanks again.
You are right. A lot of how we are in our adult lives do stem from our childhood. When in my introductory to psychology course, I was very surprised how critical our childhood was. I knew that when a child is around 3 to 5, those were their most formative years. I really did not know why until after this course.
But, you make great points also. I think we should be careful before we negatively label somebody. Perhaps they need compassionate support.
Not to bring the Bible into this. But, Jesus was questioned when he would pay more attention to the less than stellar members of society. Jesus said, they need it most.
Life is easier when we learn to look deep into ourselves than screaming about ones who are out to get you.
I brought that part up because I can remember very distinctly when my two brother and I were helping him in his garden. About halfway through the day, he started yelling at us. He claimed that we are putting extra holes in the ground after he planted his potatoes. It was not long afterwards, he realized, it was his knees creating the holes...as he planted the potatoes he would kneel on the ground.
I guess any sane person would be hesitant of doing anything around him when he pulled that stunt.
As for technology making us isolated, Society is so wrapped up in keeping up to technology, manners, respect for others, and work ethics are disappearing, isn t that a start in making us isolated from others,
You have a Good day there Bud,
I have heard more than one person tell me recently that through sad experience they have found that you cannot trust anyone, and to be careful, for even your best friend can stab you in the back (especially where money is involved).
I believe people are losing their spiritual compass (a belief in God and its inherent altruism) left with lives without purpose, and caught in the worlds increasing narcissism, selfishness, and looking out for number one.
Yes technology is getting in the way with face to face interaction...too bad because we may lose our ability to engage...becoming more isolated and perhaps become uninterested in others...friendships and meeting your potential mate...losing out on what makes us compassionate and in the end happy people...just a thought...
it's nice to think back about people one knew as a child. Somehow I always just remember the good side of them..
Come to think of it, I do know another guy who lost a ton of money in the stock market and now his confidence has been affected across the board with everything. Anything that requires any sort of risk is usually avoided by him. Before he makes decisions, he has to be certain of the outcomes....and....a lot in life is unpredictable, therefore I can see him limiting his life in so many aspects.
With technology, it has its good side..but, it is easy to over look the bad sides when you are so engrossed in it.
Thanks for your comment.
Most of the people I recall when I was younger....there are only fond memories. However, there are some that I would rather no recall.
Thanks Call
I know that SAME GUY! Wow! We must have lived in the same neighborhood or same dream or been drunk at the same time.
Say something! Geesh! As soon as I commented, you disappeared. What's that all about?
Oh well, guess I'll just go back to the casinos, binge drinking and wild women..
I've been really busy, haven't much time to be online, but anyways, Interesting blog, I guess.. if I can only figure out what the heck it's about.
just kidding.
have a fun day.
after that it dosnt matter because you are 5 miles in-front of them and have their shoes
Wow, you have some grumpy old guys out in California. Usually the grumpy ones around here will keep their mouth shut and when they get in the car they say that stuff.
There are some wise words to live by.
there is so much going on in it...
perhaps if somebody takes one thing...
perhaps somebody will take another...
...bottom line...
I suppose, perspective taking. lol
Prospective? That reminds me, some lady of the night outside a casino, said she had a proposition for me. I wonder if that's the same thing as prospective, or perspective or perception or contraception?
You know how people get when they haven't got any for awhile. ANY SLEEP, that is
Hold on! My brother just called me, he wants for me to go meet him at the gas station for a stale service station hamburger.
I hadn't seen you a long time on here. Why, I hadn't seen you since the last time I seen ya.
Where you been? Auctions? Casinos? Massage Parlors? Movies? Nightclubbing? OR too busy with all the pretty ladies chasing afer you?
A little bit of everything....
vacation
work
auctions
hmmm...eating
Work got backed up after a week of being away from it.
New opportunities recently exposed themselves so I am busy securing these.
You brother eats those service station burgers too?? I am telling you, those things are good to go. :)
PS. Interesting blog Johnny!
Got dog!___
about your blog here. You know, people always on the internet, or looking down at their phones or laptops. Looking down so much is going to lead to a lot of people getting premature Turkey Necks.. you know, wrinkled up necks.
That's why I put my computer screen up a little higher or even, so that my head is not looking down.. where the neck will wrinkle and get TURKEY NECK!!!! Oh nooo!
Turkey neck may not be so good, 'cause when you're future ex-wife get upset at you, she can just reach out and grab you by the turkey neck.. and that's not good!
What do you think of this?
Thank you! I am with Robert....the subject of this blog is kinda all over the place...but, there is a message in there for everyone. :)
I even found a message in there that I didn't earlier pinpoint.
I am waiting for Robert's blog also....
Most likely being titled, "perspective taking 2"
Whatcha talking 'bout? I never make fun of anyone's blog. I mean, Johnny is serious about what he wrote here on this blog, err once I figure out what it is he's talking about with this blog.
Angel, Got Cat! Yeah!
I cant do a parody blog of yours.. cause I don't know what the word Perspective means, mush lesss how to spell it.
And you were wondering the point of this blog.
That surely is something to be concerned about. Can you imagine Robert....during the zombie apocolypse.....and Thanksgiving comes around, no turkeys but you have a turkey neck.
NOT ONLY the Turkey necks, but all the young people will be getting married to unattractive people, because their eyes are going to go bad with all the light emitting from the computers and cellphones and ipads and all that stuff.. their eyes are going to go bad sooner than later..
But wait, maybe that's a good thing. Because people wont see so good, so they wont just go be shallow and go by looks anymore... since they cant see so well.
Of course, drinking and looking at the computer screen too much can really lead to getting married with a grotesque person.
Okay, just kidding about that.. maybe.