VII. SOME APHORISMS
1) If 'Good' and 'Evil' exist, there is no such thing as a good man or an evil woman.
a) When a male tries to be good, he invariably does bad things. The history of Christianity is replete with barbarous acts committed by men in the name of Christ;
and
b) When a female appears to be bad, it is because she has been conceptually 'polluted'/impregnated by a male or an institution. When a river is polluted, one does not try to clean up the river immediately present, one must go up-stream and persuade those who are dumping toxic materials into the river to stop doing so. Analogously, one must persuade males and institutions to stop informing and defining the woman in negative, destructive and 'toxic' ways.
2) The difference between little girls and little boys: little girls know what's going on! A male needs a life-time to begin to figure it out.
3) Quoting from "Too Much Happiness", a story by Alice Munro published in Harper's in the August, 2009 issue. On page 56: "'Always remember that when a man goes out of the room, he leaves everything in it behind,' her friend Marie Mendelson has told her. 'When a woman goes out she carries everything that happened in the room along with her.'"
4)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
VI. SOME IDEAS ABOUT MARRIAGE
A. A common traditional formulation of marriage is "The two shall become one" (ie, two individuals become one individual). The arithmetic, 1+1 = 1, is faulty and perhaps, so, the concept.
If psychological functioning is, in fact, a manifestation of the soma/body (see Post V.), a natural formulation of marriage might be, 'The two (halves) become one (whole)" (ie, two half-individuals become one individual). The arithmetic is, then, 1/2 + 1/2= 1.
In the somatic realm, the sperm cell and the ovum each contribute half of the chromosomes of the new life entity; the man and the woman each contribute different and complementary halves of the procreational process.
B. The traditional '1+1 = 1' non-natural and the non-arithmetical formulation of marriage requires the intervention of a social contrivance such as the Church or the Government to be accomplished.
Also, there is no logical or natural reason to suppose that the '1+1=1' must be the adding together of individuals of two different sexes. Thus, the 'man + woman' traditional concept of marriage is quite arbitrary.
And, in any case, the sameness doctrine of 'political-correctness' entails that the male sex and the female sex are, interchangeably the same -- so that every '1+1 = 1' marriage is a 'same-sex' marriage.
C. However, if the '1/2 + 1/2 = 1' (viz., Two half individuals become one individual) formulation of marriage [based on the '1/2 + 1/2 = 1' natural model of somatic procreation (both microscopic and macroscopic - see Post V.)] is endorsed, the validity of male-female marriage is evident - with or without the intervention of social institutions.
'1+1 = 1' marriage may be termed, "Institutional Marriage", whereas '1/2 + 1/2 = 1' marriage is "Natural Marriage".
If both halves are male or both halves are female, this blogger submits that the interaction doesn't quite mesh - and to the extent that it does (eg, sodomy) the interaction is one of initiation and programming rather than impregnation, conception and birth-giving.
Same sex intimacy may be emotionally powerful, creative and productive - but lacks capacity for procreation (either somatic or psychological).
D. While contemporary Psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of a person maturing to become individualistically independent of others, this blogger submits that babies are born as whole, albeit dependent, individuals and the process of maturation involves a male person shedding many of his female attributes while a female sheds many of her male attributes. Psychological and anatomical features of the opposite sex become vestigial (eg, the usually non-functional status of male nipples).
Thus, each gradually becomes, more and more, a half-individual representing his/her own sex who finds fulfillment in procreative endeavor (psychological +/- physical) with the other.
However, social (eg, 'political correctness') and/or environmental (eg, the presence of estrogen-like chemicals in water/food) factors may inhibit or otherwise alter such maturation.
E. Perhaps 'to marry' is best regarded carefully as a transitive verb, (viz, expressing something that one entity does to another entity).
Then, regarding the interaction between the sperm cell and the egg cell (and the anatomical male and the anatomical female), one can say that the male element 'marries' (ie, does something to) the female element.
Analogically, the same principle may apply to psychological interaction such that a male's words do something to a female. They effect/inform/define her. The 'soul' that he, a protagonist, composes and addresses to her marries her 'spirit'/meaning/context.
[Reviewing the 'Garden of Eden' scenario, Adam tried to excuse himself before God by saying that Eve's words (ie, temptation) had done something to him! Adam said, in effect, 'But I'm a married man. What do you expect?']
This blogger submits that it is a man's role to marry a woman - not to be married himself. And it can be a life-time task for a man to competently marry one woman - so that she is thoroughly married.
A. A common traditional formulation of marriage is "The two shall become one" (ie, two individuals become one individual). The arithmetic, 1+1 = 1, is faulty and perhaps, so, the concept.
If psychological functioning is, in fact, a manifestation of the soma/body (see Post V.), a natural formulation of marriage might be, 'The two (halves) become one (whole)" (ie, two half-individuals become one individual). The arithmetic is, then, 1/2 + 1/2= 1.
In the somatic realm, the sperm cell and the ovum each contribute half of the chromosomes of the new life entity; the man and the woman each contribute different and complementary halves of the procreational process.
B. The traditional '1+1 = 1' non-natural and the non-arithmetical formulation of marriage requires the intervention of a social contrivance such as the Church or the Government to be accomplished.
Also, there is no logical or natural reason to suppose that the '1+1=1' must be the adding together of individuals of two different sexes. Thus, the 'man + woman' traditional concept of marriage is quite arbitrary.
And, in any case, the sameness doctrine of 'political-correctness' entails that the male sex and the female sex are, interchangeably the same -- so that every '1+1 = 1' marriage is a 'same-sex' marriage.
C. However, if the '1/2 + 1/2 = 1' (viz., Two half individuals become one individual) formulation of marriage [based on the '1/2 + 1/2 = 1' natural model of somatic procreation (both microscopic and macroscopic - see Post V.)] is endorsed, the validity of male-female marriage is evident - with or without the intervention of social institutions.
'1+1 = 1' marriage may be termed, "Institutional Marriage", whereas '1/2 + 1/2 = 1' marriage is "Natural Marriage".
If both halves are male or both halves are female, this blogger submits that the interaction doesn't quite mesh - and to the extent that it does (eg, sodomy) the interaction is one of initiation and programming rather than impregnation, conception and birth-giving.
Same sex intimacy may be emotionally powerful, creative and productive - but lacks capacity for procreation (either somatic or psychological).
D. While contemporary Psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of a person maturing to become individualistically independent of others, this blogger submits that babies are born as whole, albeit dependent, individuals and the process of maturation involves a male person shedding many of his female attributes while a female sheds many of her male attributes. Psychological and anatomical features of the opposite sex become vestigial (eg, the usually non-functional status of male nipples).
Thus, each gradually becomes, more and more, a half-individual representing his/her own sex who finds fulfillment in procreative endeavor (psychological +/- physical) with the other.
However, social (eg, 'political correctness') and/or environmental (eg, the presence of estrogen-like chemicals in water/food) factors may inhibit or otherwise alter such maturation.
E. Perhaps 'to marry' is best regarded carefully as a transitive verb, (viz, expressing something that one entity does to another entity).
Then, regarding the interaction between the sperm cell and the egg cell (and the anatomical male and the anatomical female), one can say that the male element 'marries' (ie, does something to) the female element.
Analogically, the same principle may apply to psychological interaction such that a male's words do something to a female. They effect/inform/define her. The 'soul' that he, a protagonist, composes and addresses to her marries her 'spirit'/meaning/context.
[Reviewing the 'Garden of Eden' scenario, Adam tried to excuse himself before God by saying that Eve's words (ie, temptation) had done something to him! Adam said, in effect, 'But I'm a married man. What do you expect?']
This blogger submits that it is a man's role to marry a woman - not to be married himself. And it can be a life-time task for a man to competently marry one woman - so that she is thoroughly married.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
V. HUMANIZING THE SOMA: PERCEIVING THE HUMAN BODY ANTHROPOMORPHICALLY
PREAMBLE
Is it valid to ascribe what are usually considered 'human' motivations, values and characteristics to a human being's (microscopic and macroscopic-anatomical) body itself?
Are animals, including human beings, essentially analog computers made out of flesh and bones so that the psyche (i.e., mind, 'soul', 'spirit') logically and unavoidably demonstrates the same patterns of function that are manifest in the body?
Certain 'conjugate' pairings of verbs may be pertinent to apprehend the nature of both physical and psychological heterosexual interaction - and, indeed, such is the source of all higher life forms.
Some complementary terms:
1. effecting-affecting,
2. informing-transforming,
and
3. defining-interpreting.
There may be others.
Thus:
1.. male effects female while female affects male,
2.. male informs female while female transforms male,
and
3. male defines female while female interprets male.
These interactive phenomena may be initiated by the male element or the female element but the (complementary) male and female roles are fixed and invariant - unless the male human being verbally defines the female and their interaction in an inverted manner.
[The latter configuration severely decreases the procreational efficiency of the situation; and the Garden of Eden story in Genesis 2-3 provides a vivid example of the problem ('screw-up', 'f--- up') that results. When questioned by God about the events of the day, Adam replied, in effect, 'Eve effected/informed/defined me - so that I became disobedient and ate the fruit.' Or, more succinctly: 'Eve 'impregnated' me, she fu--ed me, she knocked me up', so what happened isn't really my fault.'
Also, when a man denies that he has effected/informed/defined a woman or a situation that he did, indeed, 'father', he is, precisely, a jerk.]
NOW, ANALOGIES AMONGST REALMS AND SCALES
Inasmuch as the psychological realm is a mere product/manifestation of the physical realm, it should not be surprising that analogies present and characteristics are shared!
A. In the microscopic-cellular scale of the Physical Realm:
1. Effecting-affecting
Whether or not the microscopically tiny ovum affects the
microscopically very tiny sperm cell by attracting it by a process of chemotaxis ('perfume', so-to-speak), the ovum certainly affects the male element so that it ejects its chromosomes into the cytoplasm of the ovum after the sperm cell has attached itself to the wall of the ovum.
Via its contribution of half of the chromosomes necessary for new life, the sperm cell effects the ovum so that it becomes what it can become - a new living being.
2. Informing-Transforming
The chromosomes of the sperm cell inform the ovum (ie, contribute genetic information).
And the ovum transforms the sperm cell so that at least its chromosomes become part of new life - rather than being a 'lost cause'.
3. Defining-Interpreting
The genetic material of the sperm cell's chromosomes further define the information already present in the ovum (eg, whether the new life entity will be male 0r female - and many other characteristics) while the ovum's already present genetic material may be said to interpret the male input/information.
B. In the macroscopic-anatomical scale of the Physical Realm:
1. Effecting-Affecting
It is widely recognized that a female human being grooms and dresses herself (ie, her macroscopic-anatomical body) in such a manner so as to affect whether and/or how males (especially of her own generation) pay attention to her.
[This phenomenon is natural and virtually automatic - but does not excuse disrespectful and rapacious approaches by males.]
If this interaction leads to mutually suitable macroscopic-anatomical intimacy, the female element affects the male element to contribute the genetic material of semen while the latter effects the female body so what it becomes what it can become - a birth-giving mother.
2. Informing-transforming
In the event of male-female anatomical intercourse, the male phallus informs (ie. forms from the inside) the female's vaginal sexuality while the latter tends to transform the male element along with the man.
Although seeking 'sex', some men fear a woman's power to transform his sexual energy and associated personality.
[It may also be noted that in many aspects of pornography, the naked female body acts as a quasi-phallus to visually inform a man's consciousness - thus inverting the natural male-female interaction.]
3. Defining-Interpreting
Often a man does not realize that when he makes love to a woman in an anatomically intimate physical way (ie, by sexual intercourse), he defines the woman as his. He possesses (not 'owns') her. This is comparable to the religious concept of being possessed.
In turn, she assumes (and is 'stuck with') her power and responsibility to interpret his actions, words and wants and organize a future for/with him. In many ways, a female's 'sexual drive' comes into play after intercourse.
When a man makes love to many woman, he has many women experiencing sexual drive to organize a future for him - and this results in well-known complications.
Finally, in the same way that an ovum owns the genetic material that a sperm cell has donated to it, a woman owns (not 'possesses') the words, actions and wants that a man has addressed to her. In the case of a male making love to many females, they easily come into conflict in terms of who owns the words, actions and wants of the man.
C. In the Psychological (mind, soul, spirit) Realm
Although the terms 'soul' and 'spirit' are ofter thought of interchangeably, their (a) common usages and (b) etymologies are somewhat distinct. For example: (a) one may speak of "the soul of Rock and Roll" but, rarely, "the spirit of Rock and Roll"; and "the spirit of Christmas" is frequently cited whereas "the soul of Christmas" is uncommon. And: (b) the etymology of 'soul' has to do with animating principle whereas the etymology of 'spirit' tends towards meaning or context.
1. Effecting-Affecting
Analogous to how a sperm cell and its chromosomes animate and effect (ie, 'impregnate') an ovum so that it has the chance to become what it can become (ie, a new life), a male human being's words (and actions and wants) addressed to a female human being constitute soul that animates and effects (ie, 'impregnates) her spirit (ie, her meaning and context) so that she has the chance to become what she can become (ie, a new reality/future).
This latter, in turn, affects the male in terms of his further words (and actions and wants qua soul).
2,3 Informing-Transforming, Defining-Interpreting
This blogger will leave it to the kind Commenter to formulate the latter heterosexual interactions.
PREAMBLE
Is it valid to ascribe what are usually considered 'human' motivations, values and characteristics to a human being's (microscopic and macroscopic-anatomical) body itself?
Are animals, including human beings, essentially analog computers made out of flesh and bones so that the psyche (i.e., mind, 'soul', 'spirit') logically and unavoidably demonstrates the same patterns of function that are manifest in the body?
Certain 'conjugate' pairings of verbs may be pertinent to apprehend the nature of both physical and psychological heterosexual interaction - and, indeed, such is the source of all higher life forms.
Some complementary terms:
1. effecting-affecting,
2. informing-transforming,
and
3. defining-interpreting.
There may be others.
Thus:
1.. male effects female while female affects male,
2.. male informs female while female transforms male,
and
3. male defines female while female interprets male.
These interactive phenomena may be initiated by the male element or the female element but the (complementary) male and female roles are fixed and invariant - unless the male human being verbally defines the female and their interaction in an inverted manner.
[The latter configuration severely decreases the procreational efficiency of the situation; and the Garden of Eden story in Genesis 2-3 provides a vivid example of the problem ('screw-up', 'f--- up') that results. When questioned by God about the events of the day, Adam replied, in effect, 'Eve effected/informed/defined me - so that I became disobedient and ate the fruit.' Or, more succinctly: 'Eve 'impregnated' me, she fu--ed me, she knocked me up', so what happened isn't really my fault.'
Also, when a man denies that he has effected/informed/defined a woman or a situation that he did, indeed, 'father', he is, precisely, a jerk.]
NOW, ANALOGIES AMONGST REALMS AND SCALES
Inasmuch as the psychological realm is a mere product/manifestation of the physical realm, it should not be surprising that analogies present and characteristics are shared!
A. In the microscopic-cellular scale of the Physical Realm:
1. Effecting-affecting
Whether or not the microscopically tiny ovum affects the
microscopically very tiny sperm cell by attracting it by a process of chemotaxis ('perfume', so-to-speak), the ovum certainly affects the male element so that it ejects its chromosomes into the cytoplasm of the ovum after the sperm cell has attached itself to the wall of the ovum.
Via its contribution of half of the chromosomes necessary for new life, the sperm cell effects the ovum so that it becomes what it can become - a new living being.
2. Informing-Transforming
The chromosomes of the sperm cell inform the ovum (ie, contribute genetic information).
And the ovum transforms the sperm cell so that at least its chromosomes become part of new life - rather than being a 'lost cause'.
3. Defining-Interpreting
The genetic material of the sperm cell's chromosomes further define the information already present in the ovum (eg, whether the new life entity will be male 0r female - and many other characteristics) while the ovum's already present genetic material may be said to interpret the male input/information.
B. In the macroscopic-anatomical scale of the Physical Realm:
1. Effecting-Affecting
It is widely recognized that a female human being grooms and dresses herself (ie, her macroscopic-anatomical body) in such a manner so as to affect whether and/or how males (especially of her own generation) pay attention to her.
[This phenomenon is natural and virtually automatic - but does not excuse disrespectful and rapacious approaches by males.]
If this interaction leads to mutually suitable macroscopic-anatomical intimacy, the female element affects the male element to contribute the genetic material of semen while the latter effects the female body so what it becomes what it can become - a birth-giving mother.
2. Informing-transforming
In the event of male-female anatomical intercourse, the male phallus informs (ie. forms from the inside) the female's vaginal sexuality while the latter tends to transform the male element along with the man.
Although seeking 'sex', some men fear a woman's power to transform his sexual energy and associated personality.
[It may also be noted that in many aspects of pornography, the naked female body acts as a quasi-phallus to visually inform a man's consciousness - thus inverting the natural male-female interaction.]
3. Defining-Interpreting
Often a man does not realize that when he makes love to a woman in an anatomically intimate physical way (ie, by sexual intercourse), he defines the woman as his. He possesses (not 'owns') her. This is comparable to the religious concept of being possessed.
In turn, she assumes (and is 'stuck with') her power and responsibility to interpret his actions, words and wants and organize a future for/with him. In many ways, a female's 'sexual drive' comes into play after intercourse.
When a man makes love to many woman, he has many women experiencing sexual drive to organize a future for him - and this results in well-known complications.
Finally, in the same way that an ovum owns the genetic material that a sperm cell has donated to it, a woman owns (not 'possesses') the words, actions and wants that a man has addressed to her. In the case of a male making love to many females, they easily come into conflict in terms of who owns the words, actions and wants of the man.
C. In the Psychological (mind, soul, spirit) Realm
Although the terms 'soul' and 'spirit' are ofter thought of interchangeably, their (a) common usages and (b) etymologies are somewhat distinct. For example: (a) one may speak of "the soul of Rock and Roll" but, rarely, "the spirit of Rock and Roll"; and "the spirit of Christmas" is frequently cited whereas "the soul of Christmas" is uncommon. And: (b) the etymology of 'soul' has to do with animating principle whereas the etymology of 'spirit' tends towards meaning or context.
1. Effecting-Affecting
Analogous to how a sperm cell and its chromosomes animate and effect (ie, 'impregnate') an ovum so that it has the chance to become what it can become (ie, a new life), a male human being's words (and actions and wants) addressed to a female human being constitute soul that animates and effects (ie, 'impregnates) her spirit (ie, her meaning and context) so that she has the chance to become what she can become (ie, a new reality/future).
This latter, in turn, affects the male in terms of his further words (and actions and wants qua soul).
2,3 Informing-Transforming, Defining-Interpreting
This blogger will leave it to the kind Commenter to formulate the latter heterosexual interactions.
Monday, June 1, 2009
IV. SOMA IN THE CAPACITY OF PSYCHE or THE BODY AS A TEMPLATE OR MODEL FOR UNDERSTANDING AND STUDYING THE MIND/SOUL
If one disavows the three commonly cited dualisms - (i) body-mind, (ii) brain-mind and (iii) body-brain, heterosexual male-female dualism presents itself.
Then it is feasible to postulate psychological mental and 'spiritual' differences between males and females arising from and analogous to the physical differences between the male body and the female body. [The famous Garden of Eden 'fig leaf' and the male-female sameness "screen" of politically-correctness disappear.]
In subsequent posts, I shall use 'conjugate' pairs of verbs such as affect-effect, inform-transform and define-interpret to present analogies amongst (a) the physical realm in both (i) microscopic and (ii) macroscopic scales and (b) the psychological realm of human heterosexual interaction. With only a modicum of 'poetic license' similarities in the various realms and scales are readily apparent.
Applying the principles of physical procreative interaction to some types of psychosocial interaction provides a novel model whereon to base hypotheses regarding male and female behavior.
It may be noted that neither creativity nor reproduction (ie, making more of the same) require male-female procreative heterosexual interaction (either physical or psychological). But the evolution of higher life forms, at least up to the present time, has largely depended on the latter.
The etymology of the word 'nature" is birth-giving - a phenomenon that is usually associated with heterosexual procreation.
If one disavows the three commonly cited dualisms - (i) body-mind, (ii) brain-mind and (iii) body-brain, heterosexual male-female dualism presents itself.
Then it is feasible to postulate psychological mental and 'spiritual' differences between males and females arising from and analogous to the physical differences between the male body and the female body. [The famous Garden of Eden 'fig leaf' and the male-female sameness "screen" of politically-correctness disappear.]
In subsequent posts, I shall use 'conjugate' pairs of verbs such as affect-effect, inform-transform and define-interpret to present analogies amongst (a) the physical realm in both (i) microscopic and (ii) macroscopic scales and (b) the psychological realm of human heterosexual interaction. With only a modicum of 'poetic license' similarities in the various realms and scales are readily apparent.
Applying the principles of physical procreative interaction to some types of psychosocial interaction provides a novel model whereon to base hypotheses regarding male and female behavior.
It may be noted that neither creativity nor reproduction (ie, making more of the same) require male-female procreative heterosexual interaction (either physical or psychological). But the evolution of higher life forms, at least up to the present time, has largely depended on the latter.
The etymology of the word 'nature" is birth-giving - a phenomenon that is usually associated with heterosexual procreation.
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