Tuesday, 7 May 2024

‽istis ponders ‘I am what I am’ (weekending May 4th 2024)

 

‽istis ponders ‘I am what I am’, influences and implications (weekending May 4th 2024)

This weekending ‽istis has been reflecting on the process of pondering and wondering which seems to play out, more or less, most weeks and which then ends up as the latest blog.

Things generally start with a flash of an idea, sparked by something somewhat chanced upon: a snatch of a radio or television programme, something on social media, an overheard conversation, an encounter, something read, a memory.

‘Wondering’ seems to follow, with thoughts mulling around; pondering mode is fully engaged; grey cells are exercising. 

Quite often seemingly more or less related ideas pop out, added from further encounters, memories, listenings or readings – probably sub/un/consciously hooked out of the week’s mass of stimuli and inputs because of the bait of the emerging idea or topic and its preoccupying ways. 

Rudimentary search, research and reading can help, though it usually reveals just how much more could be searched, researched, read and understood!

Jottings help…

And then the writing/typing, formatting, shaping, tweaking and general process of extrusion somehow result in a product, though quality assurance is never over or guaranteed.

A self-imposed deadline – and its shiftings within more self-imposed and often stretched parameters (to a new limit this time with a very late posting!) – helps ensure that there is at least something, however unsatisfactory or in need of more time, attention, thought, coherency, editing, tweaking or starting again etc., etc…     

So this week ‽istis has worked through the process with what seems to be a fundamental issue:

How am I as I am? How are you as you are? What might be some of the processes, factors and influences that form us and what might be some of the implications of the conclusion that anyone comes to about such matters – perhaps especially those with power?

Here are this week’s somewhat chanced upon and found main threads:

·         Sonia Sodha’s Observer’s article last Sunday[i]: ‘Some are born lucky, so the left shouldn’t flinch from giving others a helping hand’

·         Comment from the UK’s Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride, and related response and discussion about PIPs (Personal Independence Payments) and psychological difficulties/mental ill-health[ii] 

·         Hearing another proclamation from Jacob Rees-Mogg on one thing or another and wondering why and how has the honourable member, or you or any of us come to think like that - or sound, or dress as we do, or qualify for the title ‘honourable’ (particularly when it doesn’t simply come with the job of being a Member of Parliament)?

·         Sian Williams’ and Tier Blundell’s conversation on the Radio 4 series ‘Life Changing’[iii] (a wonderful must-listen, I reckon)

·         Marina Purkiss’ ‘X’/’Tweet’ (apologies Mr Musk, can’t lose that habit) on May Day, hooked with the bait supplied by Sonia Sodhi’s article (see above): ‘I wish some people would understand…  That it is by pure luck they were born into a country that people flee to   Rather than a country that people flee from   …but that’s expecting too much for the easily whipped-up political cannon fodder who believe what this gov’t tells them.’  

·         Andrew Gregory’s article in The Guardian: ‘Healthy lifestyle may offset genetics but 60% and add five years to life, study says. Genetics alone can mean a 21% greater risk of early death, research finds, but people can improve their chances.’[iv]

So what sort of picture has been woven from the week’s skein of gathered threads - some supplied by the above, some spun from related reflection…‽

I think that it perhaps portrays something to do with wondering about the degree of responsibility, control or agency that any of us might have when ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ interact in complex ways and within processes that are just possibly beyond individual responsibility, control or agency

·         Nature – have any of us been able to choose our DNA heritage (though some may have had aspects of it chosen for them) and its impact upon us… our intellectual, physical, psychological, emotional and relational capacity, our talent, our skills, our levels of confidence and competence, etc.?

·         Nurture – have any of us chosen the way we have been brought up, the environments that we have lived in, the influences and experiences that we have had and their impact upon us… our intellectual, physical, psychological, emotional and relational capacity, our talent, our skills, our levels of confidence and competence, etc.?

Pause for ponderance‽

But what about other capacities, capabilities, characteristics and qualities that perhaps are often seen as being within our control: for resilience, for hard work and endeavour, for morality, for kindness, for law-abidingness, for reliability, for stickability to a task, for having what it takes to practice, for reacting positively to the nature/nurture/luck roll of the dice, for loyalty, for selflessness, for compassion and love, etc. – and all their polar opposites or relative levels on a spectrum of capacity, capability and quality?      

                                                     Pause for ponderance‽

Maybe there is a challenge in here somewhere to the ideas about attribution theory pondered a few blogs’ ago[v], including the mental gymnastics whereby sometimes

·         our own behaviour including that which others may find problematic, is nevertheless generally framed by us as reasonable, explicable (where explanation may be considered an excuse) and contextual to the situation

·         the behaviour of an other/others perhaps especially that which we find problematic, is not considered reasonable, not in seen in situational context but is explained by someone's very general disposition, even what they are intrinsically and fundamentally like

 Pause for ponderance‽

If I consider my capacity and capability for resilience, for hard work and endeavour, for morality, for kindness, for law-abidingness, for reliability, for stickability to a task, for having what it takes to practice, for reacting positively to the nature/nurture/luck roll of the dice, for loyalty, for selflessness, for compassion and love, etc., as being within my control – then it is probably not surprising that I consider your capacity for these – and also crucially their lack or deficit - as being within your control…?

 Pause for ponderance‽

But ‽istis wonders what might be the implications

·         for who is praised and who is condemned

·         for who is rewarded and who is penalised

·         for the education system, the welfare system, criminal justice system and any other system that we are part of together

·         for how society is organised and arranged and managed

·         for how I think about me

·         for how I think about you

·         for how we think about each other

·         for how we treat each other

·         for how the world might be…

of thinking or feeling or behaving in light of the idea that perhaps, possibly, maybe neither of us have much – or even any - responsibility, control or agency in relation to our capacities, capabilities, characteristics and qualities‽

            Pause for much, much more ponderance‽

And may the fourth be with you…

 

©‽istis

NB: further reflections and comments linked to this week’s theme and past blog entries to be found on X/Twitter with replies, retweets (which don’t necessarily indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’: @Pistis_wonders.  X/Twitter ‘follows’ and respectful comment and dialogue welcome...  


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