The Company You Keep Can Change Your IQ
The Company You Keep Can Change Your IQ
Information sharing, commenting, the sharing of opinions and ideas and the critical examination of those for the benefit of the group produce an environment where engagement takes place at a cognitively deep level.
This, in turn, has an amplification effect on intelligence, analytical skills, the acquisition of knowledge and the comprehension of complex subjects. In short, the people you follow on social media and the interactions you have there are just as likely to raise you or damn you as any of the friends and connections you have in real life.
#TheSniperMind
Originally shared by David Amerland
The Company You Keep Defines You
The old adage that we are defined by our friends is, apparently, true: https://goo.gl/3BBaAJ.
I have to admit that some of the people I know could quite possibly turn anyone into babbling idiots, Kind of like some politicians we all know....(jk)....
ReplyDeleteThe power of association is a well-known phenomenon and a matter of great interest to me. Solomon first mentioned it in Proverbs and many others have mentioned it over the generations.
ReplyDeleteIn reality, it's just as relevant in language as words too are known by the company they keep
When I think of cliques my conceptual memory takes me to the secret societies. It was a momentous moment of momentum aka a tipping point h/t Malcolm Gladwell or a benchmark moment.
My knowledge discovery has led me to the secrets that the secret societies still think are secrets (and I don't mean all the YouTube conspiracy videos view of that symbolism), I mean the actual meaning behind that symbolism. The key of language that I'd already perceived unlocked it all for me and it was in a way the very first time that I saw just how deep CISE can go in discerning things
Getting back to the point, these cliques do everything in their power to retain their advantage by supposedly keeping these ancient secrets of commercial and esoteric knowledge a "well-kept" secret but the truth is that there would always come a day when the cat jumped clear out of the bag.
Yet even if those secrets seem well hidden to them, they by their very nature had the latency that they could be discovered by others who due to their efforts through unexpected yet serendipitous discoveries are able to connect all the dots to ultimately understand how language works at its very core and then connect all these dots, that few have had the privilege to see, into packages that will eventually become public knowledge to those who seek the truth.
And yet even though they know the deeper principles behind language and can use that knowledge for a 1000 applications or more they cannot comprehend how someone could transcend that hidden knowledge and find the reason why love and compassion are ultimately superior to making future goals that are always in the future more important than the now
For instance, the mirage of intelligence and cliques of those alumnis in our midst can easily lead to that ugly beast called criticism, superiority and it's faithful friend, judgement.
And yet even though this beast has a 1000 or more disguises that it can shuffle around at will to hide its secret hatred under a cloak the spirit within us intrinsically feels the very coldness, and sees at first hand the self serving nature that was invoked by that association
You see it with Trump supporter the associates speak off the same song sheet and exude the same logic. It's the same with a book and it's the same with politics
You are your association
And even if this criticism is caught out for what it is, it quickly changes its colour much like a chameleon does in an instant.
It's a great temptation to think that we're "better" or we "know better" than others. That our time is more important than wasting it with another person who isn't in the same ballpark as our intellect!
Yet even though it is never our intention these thoughts lead to isolation and underlying self interest. This should never be the case .. yet for whatever reason, and by whatever ruler somehow it is seen as a sort of wisdom.
Yet seductive association can latently change us if we haven't got our eye on the ball. These insidious emotions are waiting like theifs deceive us as if it's alright to inwardly criticise people as if they can't see it. The truth is we can see it in their eyes, in their thoughts and in their behaviours as they demean innocent victims as if they didn't know what was going on.
It becomes even more obvious when people are taught to put themselves first and definitively dismiss others as if they were a distraction to their mission and basically not worth talking to.
in the process in some sort of decisive overkill even though these thought are icontrary to deeply held core values somehow we're deceived to think it's ok merely by association
ReplyDeleteAnd those core values are something that we should both treasure and protect.
Exclusive cliques are a dime a dozen and doing it all in a corner impresses no one except the members of that club
I'd rather see every problem as an opportunity. I'd rather help people who can't help me. I'd rather build up those without an education to have an education
So If I see someone else who is doing something that is a problem to them or to others and even worse influences us or even intrudes on our time I see it as an opportunity to help not an opportunity to hinder
It's easy to walk away and say I'm better than them but the worst part is they know it and feel it. They perceive the difference and understand they are suddenly on the outer
So disassociation happens on the heart level and people know it and when it comes down to it lifee is not just about living for ourselves it's about living it with other and so it becomes infinitely richer when we help a stranger, show tolerance to a babbler and genuine friendliness to someone who isn't as intelligent as us, those ones on the outer that don't know the secret handshake and the in-house jokes.
Its no use hiding behind a mask of apparent interest when you'd rather be doing something else. As it says, "our spirit knows what spirits inhabit other people" or perhaps even worse you could leave them in no doubt by consciously excluding them in the name of self realisation.
Such are the perils of association. Hitler used it to perfection in the well known trigger phrase that unified the German people
"I am you, you are me, we are Germany!"
I find it far easier to live a life without judgement or seek out the like minded to begon a new clique but my association with Jesus compels me to fulfill the laws of empathy and compassion and encourage the weak rather than meet covert in private and assassinate others who only have those peoples interests at heart and treat people equally and without prejudgement.
Being inclusive is heart warming and ultimately loving. It steers us clear of unintentionally making people feel rejected or insignificant and ultimately helps others, without any, discrimination, fulfilll their god given destiny
No one is perfect yet others think they are more perfect than others but unfortunately it's far easier to find fault than be that person that lifts people up and make people feel better about themselves.
Unfortunately those who still see themselves as more important than others will eventually be found out. It seems almost incomprehensible to hear someone you have a deep respect for dismiss the use of positive affirmations that have benefited billions for generations after generations so I have to ask how did that happen?
It is an enigma for me but I'm all about warmth and friendliness, so the associations that I'll be look for won't necessarily be with birds of a feather. I see the need and I don't want to be that Pharisee that walked by while others need help encouragement rather than a whip to of enforcement that divides and doesn't heal that whispers and cant see that rejecting others as if they were mere distractions and unnecessary inconveniences
#prolific
Arthur Morehead Haha! It's the general sort.
ReplyDeletePeter Hatherley #prolific :D In this case it's an examination of not cliques per se but how the people around us can give us information, open new neural pathways, and initiate new thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI never intended to be Zara Altair ':-] Undoubtedly, it was one of the examples I used but it most definitely wasn't my focus.
ReplyDeleteI also alluded to Hitler, for instance, and how he used association with the masses.
These are merely examples of association rather than a focus on any one of the elements. Maybe that was the paragraph you chose to read perhaps.
Surely the title redeems me, aka the company we keep etc... aka an Idiomatic match for association
What I'm saying is that neuroscience has only just caught up with the reality of it, it doesn't cause anything but it's an interesting analytic. For me knowing the facts isn't half as important as knowing how to use them.
Unless, of course, I'm being forced to solely consider association through the window of neuroscience alone ... (surely, not) ';)
Anyway, I felt free to express it, and still feel that I remained on track from my perspective, even though in retrospect it might be a little #verbose :)
Have a great day! Ciao
#context #intent #confusion #neuroscience
Peter Hatherley I read a great book by Elliot Aronson and his student many moons ago, Propaganda. Opens up our eyes on manipulation, people and the media. Great writing sir.
ReplyDelete