tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post8784819439414966702..comments2023-07-29T11:21:42.125-04:00Comments on Brooklyn Book Talk: The Evolving Self by Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiWebAppshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15408390036751112286noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-26939988619870483972009-07-02T14:14:47.974-04:002009-07-02T14:14:47.974-04:00Don't critical and logical thinking have a pla...Don't critical and logical thinking have a place in understanding the transcendental dimension? There are so many competing versions of metaphysics which deal with fundamental questions which have not been adequately dealt with science. The last post mentions all sorts of yogas but that is mostly a Hindu perspective. Other wisdom traditions have offered a variety of ways of connecting with the deeper Self within. Besides, the Evolved Self is not always dependent upon doing a particular yoga. The history of humanity is not without sages and saints who had spontaneous experience of the transcendental realm without even trying. Ramana Maharishi is one such soul. And there are many others in all traditions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-72801808617528001202009-07-01T01:20:10.619-04:002009-07-01T01:20:10.619-04:00Indeed the idea of the "higher self" is ...Indeed the idea of the "higher self" is not new. Mystical dimensions of all great religions have embodied it in one form or another. But in the contemporary Western civilization, what is considered a "higher self" is the attainment of logical reasoning and critical thinking. That is just one aspect of an evolved self, and a minor one at that. In this book, the higher self has more to do with consciously evolving creative and transcendental potentials, which have less to do with logical thinking and more to do with connecting with the deeper dimensions of the self. How to connect with that deeper inner dimension is a mystery which is unique from person to person, and perhaps needs a lot of passion, and a hit and trial process. Some seeking soul might resonate with hatha yoga, some with jnana, and another with bhakti, and so on. Different folks, different strokes. Breath in, breath out. One day your yoga might take your breath away. And the cosmos will never be the same again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-62960059802946765562009-06-22T01:33:17.608-04:002009-06-22T01:33:17.608-04:00The idea of flow is not a new one and the actions ...The idea of flow is not a new one and the actions that come from such, existed before the idea itself. What is new seems to be the need to re-establish it for new generations, in need of guidance to the 'higher self'. Modern society has created people who cannot do what is expected of them but if you tell them it is a game they want to have a go. Unfortunately this game now competes with all the other games and nobody cares it's real - in the flow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-79201123490261971562009-05-20T17:17:18.819-04:002009-05-20T17:17:18.819-04:00Christianity served as a way to keep the masses re...Christianity served as a way to keep the masses relatively conteneted - they would receive their reward in heaven. It is only when the Emperor Constantine adopted it and used his power to enforce it that the religion had a significant effect on society. The Albigensians were wiped out by the King of France and the pope, breaking the power of the southern France lands forever.The poor may start a movement but ultimately it needs the sanctification of the powerful to succeed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-58028138775795267022009-05-19T16:47:00.000-04:002009-05-19T16:47:00.000-04:00Anonymous wrote 5:02 PM: "Creative Minority idea s...Anonymous wrote 5:02 PM: "Creative Minority idea seems no different from another argument for elitism or God's or King's favorites. Some disguises of this argument are also used in literary canon debates. Equality of opportunity exists only on paper the world over."<br /><br />This is an interesting interpretation but only partly true, and therefore should be held lightly with some respect for complexity and surprise in affairs human. It certainly does not ring true all the time or in every case and in all situations. Reality is nothing if not paradoxical. But to oppose “elitist” interpretations of history is akin to denying obvious individual differences among people. Csikszentmihalyi also adds that it may be a politically correct attitude at certain times but it is not corroborated by the evidence from history, findings of science, and facts of everyday life. The glory of the Renaissance Florence was certainly the conscious achievement of a few merchant banking families highly motivated on creating an international financial network and on making their city the most beautiful in the land. <br /><br />However, the author also points out that creative minorities do sometimes arise from the least privileged strata of the society. Their achievement is due, at least in the initial stages, to personal vision, individual merit and group commitment rather than an inherited status or economic or cultural advantage. He gives the example of the disciples and apostles responsible for the spread of Christianity, who were fishermen, tax collectors, and other “insignificant members” of a backward province of the Roman Empire. <br /><br />He also suggests that arenas of science and art are elitist endeavors in that a small creative minority sets the agenda and determines priorities. Yet science and arts also tend to be meritocracies as the most talented, intelligent, creative and hard working individuals emerge and make their mark and flourish. Humble beginnings are no impediment to achieving excellence or excuse for not making the effort. It is more true in America than any where else in the world. And President Barack Obama would certainly agree.Nomihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09897805254042972136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-47535905853123751262009-05-18T17:09:00.000-04:002009-05-18T17:09:00.000-04:00Look at Iceland. Well-know for an extremely litera...Look at Iceland. Well-know for an extremely literate, artistic & creative society.The banking melt-down affected Iceland more than any other country.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-48267028288843011352009-05-18T17:02:00.000-04:002009-05-18T17:02:00.000-04:00Creative Minority idea seems no different from ano...Creative Minority idea seems no different from another argument for elitism or God's or King's favorites. Some disguises of this argument are also used in literary canon debates. Equality of opportunity exists only on paper the world over. Incarceration rates and school stats and standardised tests show us who gets a real chance to evolve themselves. Power, not the creative minority is the final arbiter. In fact, creative minority serves the power elite in more ways than can be imagined.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-39756731456537948952009-05-18T15:00:00.000-04:002009-05-18T15:00:00.000-04:00Con-artists might fear getting caught or feel guil...Con-artists might fear getting caught or feel guilt which might not be a genuine Flow state. When we look at the attributes of people who feel most positive about their lives, they tend to possess a set of common attributes such as knowing clearly what they have to do, getting feedback on what they are doing, and being able to match their abilities with the opportunities for action so that skills and challenges are in balance. When these attributes are present, people begin to concentrate very highly and enjoy the activity. As a result they forget the problems of everyday life, and they seem to step into a kind of alternative reality. That consolidation of characteristics is what is called the "flow experience."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-28387249178323400802009-05-18T14:46:00.000-04:002009-05-18T14:46:00.000-04:00It might not be a real chicken and egg kind of par...It might not be a real chicken and egg kind of paradox between institution or individual. Csikszentmihalyi quotes the renowned British historian Arnold Toynbee who researched about the rise and fall of great civilizations. According to Toynbee, a vital culture is always the product of a small "creative minority" and rarely a product of the masses, be it Renaissance Florence, Pharonic Egypt, Hans China, 19th century Paris or spread of Christianity or Islam. Such relatively small creative minorities were characterized by individuals with unusual skills and extraordinary visions of a Buddha or a Christ or a Bismarck.Nomihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09897805254042972136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-62614076736991219932009-05-18T14:16:00.000-04:002009-05-18T14:16:00.000-04:00According to the author research, artists can get ...According to the author research, artists can get lost in what they are doing, and loose concern for anything else except the activity, when they are supposedly in Flow. Well maybe so do the con-artists who have landed us all in such chaos. Do the indivudals have to evolve first before the institutions would or vice versa? Maybe we are in the domain of a paradox.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-83959385880573085972009-05-18T13:55:00.000-04:002009-05-18T13:55:00.000-04:00The current economic and ecological crisis worldwi...The current economic and ecological crisis worldwide is result of individual moral values of unadulterated hedonism and outright Machiavellianism, not to mention institutional blindspots and incompetencies. If everything is connected to everything else in this world, then one has to apply multiple perspectives and cross-disciplinary knowledge to understand what happened. Flexibility, or in other words, pluralism, as it applies to interpretation of facts, is also called for, in addition to behavioral flexibiltiy. Individuals who thought that wealth and money are the highest goods to seek in life, even if the results are disastrous for the majority have to be held responsible and their development deconstructed. The collusion of financial elite worldwide might be one relevant factor in the current chaos. Where have been the great institutions, the supposed hallmarks of civilization, while this crisis was in the making? Maybe its time, not just to rethink individual growth and evolution, but also to re-evaluate mission and quality of education, politics, religion, government, law and media worldwide. Now it doesn't just take a village, it takes a global village.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-76098208939063390762009-05-18T12:20:00.000-04:002009-05-18T12:20:00.000-04:00I respect your point-of-view and don't disagree th...I respect your point-of-view and don't disagree that we are now and may continue to experience devestating, painful and prolonged distruction in its many forms as a consequence of a dominant hyper-materialistic value system. No sugar-coating on that. <br /><br />And this value system is not limited to the USA/western world--we see how it has been adopted by many countries/cultures through out the world. Our collective lesson? Maybe to see this just as it is, take a sober and steady look? <br /><br />Evolutionary movement is not necessarily safe, comfortable, and without disaster.<br /><br />So how do we meet all of this and live to see the transition to a new form? My suggestion is flexibility.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-47293298168324321522009-05-18T10:18:00.000-04:002009-05-18T10:18:00.000-04:00Unfortunately, the evolution of the American self ...Unfortunately, the evolution of the American self involves the destruction of the climate, the deaths of many innocent animals, and numerous negative effects on populations around the world who had the bad luck not to be born American.<br /><br />Somehow, tying all of this to the evolution of a bamboo-like new self doesn't make it any better. The previous poster is just trying to sugarcoat disaster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-60619034879043071792009-05-16T11:08:00.000-04:002009-05-16T11:08:00.000-04:00What if the nature of the evolving self includes t...What if the nature of the evolving self includes the dissolution of the material infrastructute as we know it? Maybe this particular cycle of gluttony has reached its limit, having given us what it was here to bring? Yes, a lifestyle, a manner of being, a set of values and assumptions may suffer a devestating, painful and even prolonged death.<br /><br />Each one of us can ask, am I one that can be patient and respond flexibly within the chaos? <br /><br />Eventually we may see the soft, green shoots of a new infrastrusture gradually break through the surface of awareness--revealed to the eyes that can see it.<br /><br />Isn't this the pattern of evolving humanity? A new lifestyle, manner of being, and set of values emerging from our past experiences and the opportunties of this moment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6511873417078060738.post-69204902153692657682009-05-15T14:08:00.000-04:002009-05-15T14:08:00.000-04:00The problem is that the current society emphasizes...The problem is that the current society emphasizes thinking only of oneself as opposed to bettering oneself to improve the general good of society. Look at Enron, AIG, the banking & automobile industries. Thousands of foreclosures, people walking away from their houses, the environment destroyed by fossil fuels when car makers could have developed alternative fuel methods decades ago.<br /><br />The fact that we will all be paying for this mess out of pocket and praying the the melting ice flows don't flood our cities may drive us to some self-examination.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com