This question circulated the lunch room at CBC during coffee break. I thought it was brilliant.
Ron Penner, CBC President: Would you rather by a friar or a rabbi?
Cira: Due to my recent study of Thomas Merton and Catholicism in general, my immediate response to this question was to choose friar. Although Merton was a monk and not a friar, his writings demonstrate how a life devoted to celibacy and poverty lead to profound spiritual enrichment and intimacy with God. However, I'm not sure I'm cut out for adherence to the strict asceticism of the friar life. In fact, I think I am better suited to assume the responsibilities of a rabbi. I think I would make a good teacher/spiritual director, and my psychology background would lend itself to these tasks. Plus, if I were a rabbi, I could devote myself to the study of the Torah and would get to learn Hebrew!
Robin: Cira, let's be real here. There are two HUGE reasons that friar is where it's at.
REASON ONE: LANGUAGE
Hebrew is a very Mathematical language. I'm not sure or brains would lend themselves to such a language easily. Did you know that Hebrew is written from right to left? Think of the endless handwashing required to keep up with the ink stains as you copy the text! And the verb "to be" does not exist in Hebrew in present tense. Imagine the existential crisis that would ensue if you started thinking of yourself in Hebrew - our Western minds need present identities.
Then you must reflect on the happy life of the friar, reading and writing text in Latin. How blissful to the Indo-European descendent, to read a language in a recognizable alphabet. English is so similar to Latin. It's syntax, grammar, phonemes, all comfortingly familiar. And let's not forget, that once trained in Latin, Ovid's Metamorphosis in its original language could offer a much needed break from the duties of the friar.
REASON TWO: WARDROBE
Google rabbi. What do you see? Men in crazy hats with suits and rad beards. We both know how challenging it can be to look good in hats. The beauty of one's face can easily be transformed into the grotesque by the incorrect hat shape. And beards....well, I'm sure that I could grow something on my face, I'm just not sure how beardlike it would be. And as for the suits. Tailored clothing can be so unforgiving if you gain a few pounds, which leads me to...
Google friar. What do you see? Smiling fat men in brown robes with outstretched welcoming arms. The robe is a very forgiving article of clothing. It comes in a variety of neutral shades and can be belted to accentuate the waist. For the same reason we love dresses, we can now also love the robe.
The answer is clear. I want to ring bells, sweep cloisters, collect alms for the poor, wear a forgiving wardrobe, practice my Latin, follow the liturgical calendar and sprinkle babies with Holy Water. It's disciplined, comfortable and fashionable, yup, friar life is for me.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Would you rather live the rest of your life in permanent dimness or fluorescent light?
Robin: Would you rather live the rest of your life in permanent dimness (i.e. never see colour again) or fluorescent light (i.e. look hideous)?
Cira: I would choose to live in dimness for several reasons, the first of which has to do with sleep. If I were to live fluorescent lighting, my endocrine system would cease to secrete melatonin. As you well know, I already have trouble sleeping in normal conditions, and I don't think permanent bright lighting would help. Plus, as you point out, fluorescent light is not very complementary. If I lived in permanent dimness, I really would be free to not care about my appearance - how liberating!
Robin:
An argument in haiku:
Cycle I
Artificial Light
See bags, scars, acne and lines
Nightmare without night
Cycle II
Use only our rods
Now the ugly is unseen
Kindness in dimness
Cira: I would choose to live in dimness for several reasons, the first of which has to do with sleep. If I were to live fluorescent lighting, my endocrine system would cease to secrete melatonin. As you well know, I already have trouble sleeping in normal conditions, and I don't think permanent bright lighting would help. Plus, as you point out, fluorescent light is not very complementary. If I lived in permanent dimness, I really would be free to not care about my appearance - how liberating!
Robin:
An argument in haiku:
Cycle I
Artificial Light
See bags, scars, acne and lines
Nightmare without night
Cycle II
Use only our rods
Now the ugly is unseen
Kindness in dimness
Friday, June 11, 2010
Would you rather live in virtual reality or surreality?
Cira: Would you rather live in virtual reality or surreality?
Robin: At first, i thought virtual reality had a clear advantage. Sure, you'd be without body, but given how much trouble my body has been this past year, that didn't seem so bad. Think about how much work and socializing is done on computers these days, you could maintain a pretty good life with an electronic existence. With all the money you'd save on clothing, food, shelter, etc you could afford to get as much online education as you want. Your existence could become eternal. it's hard to imagine the world losing it's dependence upon technology. No matter how catastrophic the natural disaster, you know that someone, somewhere will have electricity and internet. The argument for virtual reality all boils down to control. In a virtual reality you have the power to make about your 'life' experiences. You determine what you will do, and when. You decide how you will represent yourself and participate in online communities.
Surreality has major pitfalls. the emancipated unconscious mind is unpredictable. One minute your eye is being slit with a razor, the next your body is reduced to a stack of drawers. You'd call for help, but when you go to grab the phone you see it's made out of a lobster. Somehow, all of this reveals your desire for sex, fear of death and unwavering support of communism. Indeed, at first glance a Surreality is quite unattractive.
But then, think further about virtual reality. As an electronic being, would I have a soul? Humans are designed to have a physical reality. What are the spiritual implications of being without a body? My spirituality and my physical reality and experiences are major contributors to my sense of self. I am unwilling to put myself in a hypothetical situation that would compromise my identity.
A being with an organic nature is subject to death. I have absolutely no desire to live forever. i'd like a good 104 years, but more than that would be excessive. Existing in virtual reality could mean that you live forever, or it could mean that technology changes and you suddenly cease to exist - in either case, I prefer the certainty of death. Even if my faith was proved wrong and this life is all there is, I am still certain that I will be happy to leave this deteriorating physical form at some point in the future.
So....my final vote is for Surreality. Sure, you'd live in a world of melted clocks, bizarre and new symbolic language and images, pipes that aren't pipes, and urinal sculptures. Sure your deepest, darkest desires would be creatively manifested by you unconscious mind for all to see. But when it comes down to it, I'd venture into such an uncontrollable, uncomfortably environment willingly in order to keep my sense of identity.
Cira: Robin, I think you drew a very accurate distinction between virtual reality and surreality. Virtual reality is a potential reality in which the individual possesses absolute control over his/her life; contrarily, in surreality, the individual would find him/herself suspended in the limitless depths of the unconscious in which control is obsolete!
While control is enticing, a life in virtual reality would be utterly meaningless since, as you mentioned, it would permit the individual to evade death, the one event that provides life with its ultimate value and meaning. Moreover, as you argued, virtual existence would require the individual to forfeit his/her humanity since he/she would be without body or soul. In my opinion, virtual reality is a very bad idea, although those on the transhumanism bandwagon would undoubtedly disagree with me.
I would most definitely choose to live in surreality over virtual reality; however, I think unconscious life would come with its own set of problems. While it would be thrilling to constantly live in a world of surreal experiences, it would be impossible to interpret the meaning of these experiences since the 'ego' or the 'conscious self' would be unavailable to interpret them.
I think it's safe to say that what we both want is to achieve individuation--the term Carl Jung used to denote the melding of the conscious and unconscious mental states. If we were individuated, we would have unlimited access to what is now buried deep within our unconscious minds, and would therefore possess complete self-knowledge.
Robin: At first, i thought virtual reality had a clear advantage. Sure, you'd be without body, but given how much trouble my body has been this past year, that didn't seem so bad. Think about how much work and socializing is done on computers these days, you could maintain a pretty good life with an electronic existence. With all the money you'd save on clothing, food, shelter, etc you could afford to get as much online education as you want. Your existence could become eternal. it's hard to imagine the world losing it's dependence upon technology. No matter how catastrophic the natural disaster, you know that someone, somewhere will have electricity and internet. The argument for virtual reality all boils down to control. In a virtual reality you have the power to make about your 'life' experiences. You determine what you will do, and when. You decide how you will represent yourself and participate in online communities.
Surreality has major pitfalls. the emancipated unconscious mind is unpredictable. One minute your eye is being slit with a razor, the next your body is reduced to a stack of drawers. You'd call for help, but when you go to grab the phone you see it's made out of a lobster. Somehow, all of this reveals your desire for sex, fear of death and unwavering support of communism. Indeed, at first glance a Surreality is quite unattractive.
But then, think further about virtual reality. As an electronic being, would I have a soul? Humans are designed to have a physical reality. What are the spiritual implications of being without a body? My spirituality and my physical reality and experiences are major contributors to my sense of self. I am unwilling to put myself in a hypothetical situation that would compromise my identity.
A being with an organic nature is subject to death. I have absolutely no desire to live forever. i'd like a good 104 years, but more than that would be excessive. Existing in virtual reality could mean that you live forever, or it could mean that technology changes and you suddenly cease to exist - in either case, I prefer the certainty of death. Even if my faith was proved wrong and this life is all there is, I am still certain that I will be happy to leave this deteriorating physical form at some point in the future.
So....my final vote is for Surreality. Sure, you'd live in a world of melted clocks, bizarre and new symbolic language and images, pipes that aren't pipes, and urinal sculptures. Sure your deepest, darkest desires would be creatively manifested by you unconscious mind for all to see. But when it comes down to it, I'd venture into such an uncontrollable, uncomfortably environment willingly in order to keep my sense of identity.
Cira: Robin, I think you drew a very accurate distinction between virtual reality and surreality. Virtual reality is a potential reality in which the individual possesses absolute control over his/her life; contrarily, in surreality, the individual would find him/herself suspended in the limitless depths of the unconscious in which control is obsolete!
While control is enticing, a life in virtual reality would be utterly meaningless since, as you mentioned, it would permit the individual to evade death, the one event that provides life with its ultimate value and meaning. Moreover, as you argued, virtual existence would require the individual to forfeit his/her humanity since he/she would be without body or soul. In my opinion, virtual reality is a very bad idea, although those on the transhumanism bandwagon would undoubtedly disagree with me.
I would most definitely choose to live in surreality over virtual reality; however, I think unconscious life would come with its own set of problems. While it would be thrilling to constantly live in a world of surreal experiences, it would be impossible to interpret the meaning of these experiences since the 'ego' or the 'conscious self' would be unavailable to interpret them.
I think it's safe to say that what we both want is to achieve individuation--the term Carl Jung used to denote the melding of the conscious and unconscious mental states. If we were individuated, we would have unlimited access to what is now buried deep within our unconscious minds, and would therefore possess complete self-knowledge.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Would you rather have a peg leg or no ears?
Robin: Cira, would you rather have a peg leg or no ears?
Cira: I think I would have to go with peg leg for a several reasons. First of all, a peg leg demands attention! There's a great story behind every peg leg...and people would demand to hear my story! (Imagine that much time spent in the limelight!). Yah, yah, yah, I know what you're thinking: "Cira, what if you were simply born without a leg? That's not a very interesting story." My response: "Who cares!" I would make up a crazy story about being shipwrecked at sea and losing my leg to a shark. ...I'd really be a much more interesting person if I had a peg leg. Plus, peg legs demand public sympathy...and are perhaps even a little bit sexy?
To be without ears, on the other hand, would be miserable. Aside from being deprived of experiencing all sound, what would I do if my hair were to fly into my face? Without ears I would have nothing to tuck it behind!!...Oh, and flashback from anatomy of physiology: ears are responsible for maintaining equilibrium! Without ears I would have no balance! I'd probably fall so many times that eventually one of my legs would require amputation. Then I would be sans ears and a leg! I rest my case: I would choose a peg leg over no ears any day!
Robin: Okay, I should have been more specific. "No ears" means no fleshy part outside your head. Your capacity to hear and balance are affected by this, but not eliminated entirely.
So, I have to disagree with your choice. Think about how difficult it would be to shop for shoes for your peg leg. Now, I don't know about you, but I get far more compliments on my shoes than on my ears. I'm not exactly willing to give up that kind of attention. It's easy for you to give up one foot (preferably the dinosaur one), but I own over 100 pairs of shoes. I can't let my loved ones go to waste.
As a Flooring Service Manager, it's difficult for me to even imagine the damage a peg leg would do to flooring. Everywhere you go you'd leave dents in laminate, hardwood, cork... As a guest in someone's home, that's very inconsiderate - your social life would come to a tragic end. You'd be limited to just carpet and tile in your home. That means vacuuming and grout scrubbing all the time. Have you ever tried kneeling on a peg leg to scrub grout? Didn't think so. My dream floor is a cork floor....I'm not going to give up on my dreams for a romantic shipwreck story.
If you haven't noticed, I wear the same earrings almost every day. My ears are not something that I give much aesthetic attention to. And have you seen how flattering those face framing haircuts are? If you ask me, no ears is a great reason to have fabulous footwear and gorgeous hair....I believe they call that a win-win situation.
Cira: How do I even begin to respond to your last post? I think it would have been helpful to have known that no ears does not imply loss of hearing and balance. But regardless, my choice remains unaltered.
Although shoe shopping is undoubtedly a favorite past time of mine, unlike yours, my love for shoes does not border on obsession. Due to the misalignment of my spinal vertebrae, I already have trouble finding shoes in which I can walk comfortably. Having a peg leg would give me an excuse to evade shoe shopping almost entirely.
Yes, you are a flooring manager, but if I understand correctly, you are not planning on working in the flooring industry for that much longer. However, even if you were to remain in the industry, no one in their right mind would make you do intense physical labour with a peg leg. Also, I'm sure a little cushion on the bottom of the peg could prevent you from damaging any kind of floor, even cork. I don't think it's safe to say that your dreams or your social life would meet their demise.
I think it's time we bring this debate to a close. I think we are both too obstinate to change our answers on this one. Ultimately, I think no ears would be the way to go in your case. You simply enjoy shoes too much. As for me, I want to continue to enjoy the luxury of being able to put my hair up in a ponytail with out looking like an alien, and I still think a peg leg exudes a certain amount of sex appeal.
Cira: I think I would have to go with peg leg for a several reasons. First of all, a peg leg demands attention! There's a great story behind every peg leg...and people would demand to hear my story! (Imagine that much time spent in the limelight!). Yah, yah, yah, I know what you're thinking: "Cira, what if you were simply born without a leg? That's not a very interesting story." My response: "Who cares!" I would make up a crazy story about being shipwrecked at sea and losing my leg to a shark. ...I'd really be a much more interesting person if I had a peg leg. Plus, peg legs demand public sympathy...and are perhaps even a little bit sexy?
To be without ears, on the other hand, would be miserable. Aside from being deprived of experiencing all sound, what would I do if my hair were to fly into my face? Without ears I would have nothing to tuck it behind!!...Oh, and flashback from anatomy of physiology: ears are responsible for maintaining equilibrium! Without ears I would have no balance! I'd probably fall so many times that eventually one of my legs would require amputation. Then I would be sans ears and a leg! I rest my case: I would choose a peg leg over no ears any day!
Robin: Okay, I should have been more specific. "No ears" means no fleshy part outside your head. Your capacity to hear and balance are affected by this, but not eliminated entirely.
So, I have to disagree with your choice. Think about how difficult it would be to shop for shoes for your peg leg. Now, I don't know about you, but I get far more compliments on my shoes than on my ears. I'm not exactly willing to give up that kind of attention. It's easy for you to give up one foot (preferably the dinosaur one), but I own over 100 pairs of shoes. I can't let my loved ones go to waste.
As a Flooring Service Manager, it's difficult for me to even imagine the damage a peg leg would do to flooring. Everywhere you go you'd leave dents in laminate, hardwood, cork... As a guest in someone's home, that's very inconsiderate - your social life would come to a tragic end. You'd be limited to just carpet and tile in your home. That means vacuuming and grout scrubbing all the time. Have you ever tried kneeling on a peg leg to scrub grout? Didn't think so. My dream floor is a cork floor....I'm not going to give up on my dreams for a romantic shipwreck story.
If you haven't noticed, I wear the same earrings almost every day. My ears are not something that I give much aesthetic attention to. And have you seen how flattering those face framing haircuts are? If you ask me, no ears is a great reason to have fabulous footwear and gorgeous hair....I believe they call that a win-win situation.
Cira: How do I even begin to respond to your last post? I think it would have been helpful to have known that no ears does not imply loss of hearing and balance. But regardless, my choice remains unaltered.
Although shoe shopping is undoubtedly a favorite past time of mine, unlike yours, my love for shoes does not border on obsession. Due to the misalignment of my spinal vertebrae, I already have trouble finding shoes in which I can walk comfortably. Having a peg leg would give me an excuse to evade shoe shopping almost entirely.
Yes, you are a flooring manager, but if I understand correctly, you are not planning on working in the flooring industry for that much longer. However, even if you were to remain in the industry, no one in their right mind would make you do intense physical labour with a peg leg. Also, I'm sure a little cushion on the bottom of the peg could prevent you from damaging any kind of floor, even cork. I don't think it's safe to say that your dreams or your social life would meet their demise.
I think it's time we bring this debate to a close. I think we are both too obstinate to change our answers on this one. Ultimately, I think no ears would be the way to go in your case. You simply enjoy shoes too much. As for me, I want to continue to enjoy the luxury of being able to put my hair up in a ponytail with out looking like an alien, and I still think a peg leg exudes a certain amount of sex appeal.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Would you rather be a muse or a mentor?
Cira: Would you rather be a muse or a mentor?
Robin: Definitely mentor. A muse gets used. Like a fad, you're hot one week and not the next. Plus, you have to be hot to start with...or unique and interesting. I don't think I'm muse material. What's inspiring about a 5ft tall, average build, young woman. Nothing. I guess that makes me a mentor by default.
Cira: What's curious to me is that you took so much time to explain why you wouldn't be someone's muse while you didn't explain why you'd chose to be a mentor. I think you'd make a great mentor...and not just by default! You can talk the talk!...even if you don't know what you are talking about ;)
Robin: Definitely mentor. A muse gets used. Like a fad, you're hot one week and not the next. Plus, you have to be hot to start with...or unique and interesting. I don't think I'm muse material. What's inspiring about a 5ft tall, average build, young woman. Nothing. I guess that makes me a mentor by default.
Cira: What's curious to me is that you took so much time to explain why you wouldn't be someone's muse while you didn't explain why you'd chose to be a mentor. I think you'd make a great mentor...and not just by default! You can talk the talk!...even if you don't know what you are talking about ;)
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