After some internal debate, I make this post in this category. Some of the other options included "Health & Happiness", " Love & Relationships", "News & Links" and "Philosophy & Meaning".
Here in Victoria, Australia we are at the end of a hot summer. In fact, January produced some spectacularly hot days as I reported elsewhere. The summer traditionally is a dry season thus increasing the risk of bush fires. Fires fanned by strong winds have been occurring near Ballarat in Central Victoria. [google.com]
I do not listen to the news on tv or radio and so was unaware of these current fires. I was therefore very touched at the concern expressed by a fellow Victorian Agnostic who privately messaged me enquiring if I am ok. I am.
However, @Geoffrey51 has got me thinking how wonderful it would be if the world over each person took the time to inquire and ensure that a relative stranger is healthy in the face of adversity whether from natural disaster, man-made or even just the randomness of life.
Vehicles such as Agnostics.com and fbuk could be wonderful in facilitating such empathic concern throughout the world perhaps even resulting in the behavioural change of trolls and scam artists intent on making life ugly. And here I must include those vicious misandrists and misogynists determined to wreak havoc in the lives of innocent strangers.
So rather than just complain or ineffectively agree with me I'm asking you to put forward practical suggestions to practically improve matters on an everyday person-in-the-street or world citizen level.
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7 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Sadly a lot of the social media sites like facebook have their servers deliberately programed to favour negative and extremist comments and behavior, in part because they are only interested in "hit" counts, and people who post bad things get the most responses even though many are negative.
They also know that peoples negative behavior, tells them more about a person for marketing purposes and data collections, than the good things they do on line. If they put out that you tripped and fell, and everybody says hope that did not hurt too much, that tells them that everybody is alike, and there is no information value in that. If on the other hand they put out that an "xxxxx" tripped and fell, and 1% of people say. "You deserved that you xxxxing "xxxxx". " Then they learn something about that 1% which they can interpret and sell to marketers. These are the main reasons the social media quite intentionally promote hate and divisiveness.
Fernapple
Level 9
Mar 31, 2019
0
?
I will strike up a conversation, make eye contact, acknowledge or say hi to anyone that I get the chance to interact with. We need to start somewhere and sometimes just a hello can do that.
patchoullijulie
Level 8
Mar 30, 2019
1
Like button dysfunctional so ❤
@FrayedBear ❤ My like dysfunctional as well.
Random acts of kindness and "paying it forward" come to mind as practical suggestions.
GnosticLove
Level 5
Mar 30, 2019
1
How do you define "paying it forward"?
And as the like button is not working - ?
Yeah. I keep pointing out to the climate change deniers that although we here in the Norhern hemisphere have experienced a colder than usual winter, in teh southern hemisphere, they experienced a hotter than normal summer at the same time. Of course they don't want to listen... but I keep trying.
The climate change models show greater extremes in temperature at both ends of the scale. the global AVERAGE temperatures are still getting warmer overall though.
snytiger6
Level 9
Mar 30, 2019
1
must make you feel great to be on the good side with the vast majority.
there are things you can check if you had the inclination. i doubt if you do.
here's one, a highly respected climatologist did a video in which he did his calculations of the original non-adjusted temps of the 1930s & has shown that some of those yrs had the highest temps ever reported--before they were adjusted.
@sntytiger &@callmedubious whilst not dismissing your statements, how do they help the specific individual in the here and now?
@FrayedBear If it really comes down to it. although we will experience more natural disasters like the floods in the Midwestern U.S. or cYclones, tornadoes and hurricanes in out lifetime, whihc at this point is unavoidable in the here and how... My concerns are amore alogn the lines of 500 years down the raod, will the planet still be hospitable for humans at all.
In other words, yes we can mos tlikely live through the here and now, but if we dont' take action humans may very well be a part of the next great extinction cycle which has already started. We know we are fucking up the planet and if we do nothign about it future generations will suffer and humans may even die out completely.
At soem point in the future the sun will hit the earth with an electro magnetic pulse, which will disable virtually all of our electronics. It is unpredictable when this will happen, but it is inevitable tohapen sooner or later. If future generations are struggling to survive as result fo climate changes, and all ele3ctronics get wiped out, what are the changes of human survival? It is already questionable whether or nto humans can survive climate changes alone.
@FrayedBear ,
just trying to point out that while we should cut down on all pollutants (most are way more harmful than CO2) there are people out there that use scare tactics in order to get more funds from govts. and then of course the govts see global warming as a way to raise more taxes. IOW, a lot of self interest is being served.
I smile and try to make eye contact with as many passer byes as possible. It sounds simple but truly healing in its simplest form for both the giver and reciever.
EostariaPluck
Level 3
Mar 30, 2019
3
Lol. Not being a natural smiler I have worn a handlebar mustache for nearly 40 years. On seeing it, it either makes people smile or think that I am smiling. I don't care so long as it happens and if I develop a grin and get one back even better.
Some returned grins remain with you all your life like the one received from the lovely woman doing her penance with her rosary beads on the train. ... Our eyes locked, I glanced down to her lips and fingers feverishly working the beads, looked back up into her eyes with a big grin developing from the corners of my eyes in realisation of her 'sin', she recognised my recognition and for a joyous moment before I exited the train we shared a huge grin. That shared grin has returned to memory throughout my life to enhance my being each time that it does. I never encountered the woman again but hope that somewhere in this world she is still out there creating and sharing big grins!
If only everyone were kind and friendly to others. It's hard when you get burned.
Stephanie99
Level 8
Mar 30, 2019
2
Yes but think of how it also heals you.
An example is Clare Campbell of Sydney Australia, now immortalised in Eric Bogle's song "A reason for it all":
FrayedBear
Level 9
Mar 30, 2019
2
The song is based on the death of Clare Campbell of Sydney Australia who died alone and neglected. Her body rotted in her bedroom before anyone was concerned enough to find out what had happened to her.
There are millions of Clare Campbells in this world. Are you one of them? Do you consciously do anything on a one to one basis to prevent another Clare death?
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