Most humans wouldn't classify themselves as animals but the truth is, we are all animals. We as humans believe we are in a "special" category in life which is the complete opposite of what an animal is. We believe we superior to anything else becaause this is the way we have viewed our society. From folk-tales to real life situations we have been making oursleves believe that we are another complete different species. But I feel like if we take some time to think for a second, we will realize all of the similarities we have with other animals. Humanas are also animals.
The first obstacle that has made us believe we are not animals is our daily experiences. We share 95% of our time only with our own species; humans. We dont spend our lives with other living animals. For example, from going to school or going to work to going back home and going to sleep. It's like a routine we have everyday in our lives. We never really experience anything in life as "animals" do. Any activity we do, everything is done with other humans. You can say spending some time with oyur cat or dog as a good experince in life, but treating them as objects by dressing up and talking to them as lower class is nothing compared to actually understanding them as animals. Getting to know them is one important thing. Understanding their feelings and their thoughts is a great thing also. We have similarities with other animlas and we need to come to a realization in our lives and figure out who we really are. A article from BBC News, "Zoo chimp 'planned' stone attacks" quotes, "Further, the chimp learned to recognise how and when parts of his concrete enclosure could be pulled apart to fashion further projectiles.
The findings are reported in the journal Current Biology.There has been scant evidence in previous research that can plan for future events." From this article I got an understanding that humans are just like animals. Animals have thoughts and feelings, we need to recognize this fact and take a little more knowledge in the fact that we are not that different from other living animals. We can find many similarites in dogs,chimps, cats, etc through behavior characteristics and more.
A second obstacle that prevents humans from believing they are animals is religion. According to Genesis 1:26 from the Bible, "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." As we all know God created Earth. He created all living animals and he created humans.
We have been taught through religion that humans are in charge. The lines that show this are, "Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." We have been brainwashed to think that becuase God has created us as one of the most important things in life, we were made to rule over this Earth and take over any other living animals. In my case, I dont find this correct. Humans should not be number one on a hierarchy. We are equal to all living things and we should be more understandable with all living animals. Although I am a religious person, I do believe that if people have a thought of them being more superior than others, they will never live such a good and meaningfuller life.
A third obstacle that stops us from believing we are animals is from the french philosopher Rene Descartes' theory, which is; "One of the deepest and most lasting legacies of Descartes’ philosophy is his thesis that mind and body are really distinct--a thesis now called "mind-body dualism." He reaches this conclusion by arguing that the nature of the mind (that is, a thinking, non-extended thing) is completely different from that of the body (that is, an extended, non-thinking thing), and therefore it is possible for one to exist without the other." Descartes believes that both the mind and body are two separate things. Many people think this way, which is understandable. We think with our mind, not our body. We do things with our mind and our body responds through movement. Descartes believes in dualism which states, "Descartes suggested that the body works like a machine, that it has the material properties of extension and motion, and that it follows the laws of physics. The mind (or soul), on the other hand, was described as a nonmaterial entity that lacks extension and motion, and does not follow the laws of physics. Descartes argued that only humans have minds, and that the mind interacts with the body at the pineal gland. This form of dualism or duality proposes that the mind controls the body, but that the body can also influence the otherwise rational mind, such as when people act out of passion. Most of the previous accounts of the relationship between mind and body had been uni-directional." He thinks that only humans have minds and animals don't. He believes that since animals have no minds and feelings towards life, they should be treated as objects. in this society humans are viewed as subjects, but we never really treat ourseleves as subjects unless we are trying to take control over something that is smaller than us such as animals (pets). This connects to all the other obstacles mentioned above by showing that humans feel very superior over everything in the world becuase we have been taught to treat everything smaller than us as objects.
A fourth obstacle is science. Humans are believed to be the end of evolution. While animals were evolving, we were the last ones to evolve and will be forever. If we were to make a heirarchy, we would be put all the way on top to show our power over every living animal. Humans are separate from the genus, species, and we are called Homo sapiens sapiens. We consider oursleves superior of the rest of living animals. By putting all the other living animals in different gropus separate from us is basically stating that we are better than any other species. This is pretty unfair becuase just like other naimals we breathe, eat, and sleep. Putting us in the same category as other animals will change the way we look at our selves.
Somoe benefits that will help us see oursleves as animals are; childbirth is natural,
the body matters & movement is crutial, emphasize the physical and we should use proper use of our minds.
Women should realize that childbirth is something beautiful and letting a stranger with a degree that states its fine to put different tools up your vagina to take your child out is not right. using drugs to slow down your birth is wrong also. Doing it the all natural way is the best thing a woman can do to bring a new life to the world. We can do it our ow, we just rely on others to do the work for us and delay the process and put us through more pain than we have to. We are capable of giving birth just like other animals are capable of.
Another benefit that will help us view ourselves as animals more often is emphasizing the physical. We should use our bodies more often just like animals do. Exploring like and experiencing new things should be a great thing for us. Doing more of animal-like stuff will encourage us to get to know our animal-like selves. Sitting in classrooms for hours and not enjoying it doesn't help, but simply making the best out of it and being more interested in what you learn is another great way to help you see oursleves as animals.
In conclusion, I feel like humans should see themselves as animals more often and explore the world they live in. Just as animals use everything around them to survive so should we. Experiencing new things will open our eyes to new stuff. Walking around your block and observing nature and growing relationships with other aninals can be a start. Living life like a routine will cause you to be anothe object to society and make you feel like there is no reason for you to be living.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thoughts on a "Living Funeral"
No one faces death until they meet their own. The thought of being at your own funeral is really creepy. You're still alive and you have the ones you love present. It would be devastating to actually see your family and friends cry for you on the day of your funeral, that is why I wouldn't agree with organizing my own living funeral. I mean it would be nice to hear what people remembered you as while you were living but just watching sad faces, would really affect me.
Thinking about my own death scares me. I never really bring up the idea of dying because to me its pointless. Everyone dies eventually, so live life until it's your time. I feel if i did choose to organize my funeral I would be too curious about who I would I invite, I would most likely bring the people I have most of memories with, just because I want to be around people who will actually have something to remember of. I wouldn't want to bring my family just because I don't want to put them through sadness, just them thinking about my death as I am still alive would break their hearts. It's not that easy to think about the list of people you would invite because you don't want to see everyone you love sad and because you wouldn't know who really cares for you; therefore who you trust and you remember well.
I don't agree with the idea of letting people organize or myself organize a living funeral. It doesn't seem reasonable to have your loved ones there when you are not even dead. It would feel comfortable to around people who one day will forget about you after you are truly dead.
In the video about Morrie, he discusses this topic. It is very touching because all his ideas are important. While watching this video, I agreed with all he had to say. Spending your last days of life with people you love, distracts you from thinking about death. Not worrying about what comes next in life, is the best thing.
Thinking about my own death scares me. I never really bring up the idea of dying because to me its pointless. Everyone dies eventually, so live life until it's your time. I feel if i did choose to organize my funeral I would be too curious about who I would I invite, I would most likely bring the people I have most of memories with, just because I want to be around people who will actually have something to remember of. I wouldn't want to bring my family just because I don't want to put them through sadness, just them thinking about my death as I am still alive would break their hearts. It's not that easy to think about the list of people you would invite because you don't want to see everyone you love sad and because you wouldn't know who really cares for you; therefore who you trust and you remember well.
I don't agree with the idea of letting people organize or myself organize a living funeral. It doesn't seem reasonable to have your loved ones there when you are not even dead. It would feel comfortable to around people who one day will forget about you after you are truly dead.
In the video about Morrie, he discusses this topic. It is very touching because all his ideas are important. While watching this video, I agreed with all he had to say. Spending your last days of life with people you love, distracts you from thinking about death. Not worrying about what comes next in life, is the best thing.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Research
my questions:
4. at what age do old people become depressed or lonely?
"The reported prevalence of loneliness was 15.6 per cent in 1992 and 29.6 per cent in 2000. We suggest that part of the differential is accounted for by the differences in the methodologies of the two surveys and in the questions used to assess loneliness. The evidence from both surveys suggests that loneliness was relatively prevalent among those aged 65 or more years, females and those living in rural areas, and that these variations had greater amplitude in 2000."
8. What percentage of old people live on their own?
"In 1987, 8.5 million elderly lived alone; by 2020, 13.3 million elderly will live alone.
More than 6.5 million, or 77%, of all elderly living alone are women. The percentage of older women living alone exceeds that of men in each age group, but women become progressively more likely than men to live alone with age.
Among those over 85. 52% of women live alone compared to 29% for men. Widowhood is by far the most common situation for older women who live alone.
Between the ages of 65 and 74, 77% of women living alone are widows, as are 88% of those over 75.
Men who live alone are far more likely to be divorced or never to have married. This phenomenon occurs because women tend to marry men older than themselves, and because women live longer than men. "
http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php/Loneliness
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1822784
Other people's questions:
11. How many old people live in poverty?
Seniors’ economic security will only increase in importance as the U.S. population ages. The nation’s health and social services resources will face unprecedented demand as 75 million people in the baby boomer generation reach retirement age—some with eroded savings and retirement accounts...Between 1959 and 1974, the elderly poverty rate fell from 35 percent to 15 percent. This was largely attributable to a set of increases in Social Security benefits. The elderly poverty rate has continued to decline in subsequent decades, reaching 9.4 percent in 2006. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits continue to play a key role in reducing elderly poverty, especially among women and people of color. If Social Security benefits did not exist, an estimated 44 percent of the elderly would be poor today, assuming no changes in behavior."
14. what % of old people are sexually active?
The nationally representative survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults ages 57 to 85 found that more than half to three-quarters of those questioned remain sexually active, with a significant proportion engaging in frequent and varied sexual behavior...Sexual problems do increase with age, and the rate of sexual activity fades somewhat, the survey found. But interest in sex remains high and the frequency remains surprisingly stable among the physically able who are lucky enough to still have partners.
15. What's the percentage of old people who go to nursing homes?
According to the 1997 National Nursing Home Survey, there were 1,465,000 residents age 65 and older in nursing homes (about 4.3 percent of the US population age 65 and older in 1997). Nearly three-fourths of these residents were women, and about one-half were age 85 and older.
In 1997, about 75 percent of all nursing home residents 65 and older required assistance in three or more activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, eating, transferring from bed to chair, and using the toilet. About 42 percent of nursing home residents were diagnosed with dementia, and 12 percent had other psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and mood disorders.
16. What's the suicide rate for elderly people?
"While the elderly make up only 12.6% of the population, they account for almost
18.1% of the suicides.
· There is one elderly suicide every one hour thirty-nine minutes.
· The suicide rate for the elderly rose 9% between 1980 and 1992. During that
rime, there were 74, 675 completed suicides of persons over 65. Rates have
declined since that time.
· In 2000, suicide rates ranged from 12.6 per 100,000 among persons aged 65 to
74, to 17.7 per 100,000 persons aged 75 to 84, which is nearly double the overall
U.S. rate.
· White men over the age of 85 are at the greatest risk of all age-gender-race
groups. In 1999, the suicide rate for these men was 59.6 per 100,000. That is
nearly 6 times the current overall rate."
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/07/elderly_poverty.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/22/AR2007082202000.html
http://www.aarp.org/research/longtermcare/nursinghomes/aresearch-import-669-FS10R.html
http://www.211bigbend.org/hotlines/suicide/SuicideandtheElderly.pdf
Researching on the elderly, made me understand them a little better. I was pretty shocked to find out the suicide rates on old people. To know that, "In 2000, suicide rates ranged from 12.6 per 100,000 among persons aged 65 to 74, to 17.7 per 100,000 persons aged 75 to 84, which is nearly double the overall U.S. rate." it's really upseting to know that old people are feeling lonely and depressed. To also know that suicude rates are increasing is really scary. Anyone's grandma or grandpa is feeling alone and that is the reason why I would like things to change between our generations. We should include old people to our society and also include them into our daily lives.
4. at what age do old people become depressed or lonely?
"The reported prevalence of loneliness was 15.6 per cent in 1992 and 29.6 per cent in 2000. We suggest that part of the differential is accounted for by the differences in the methodologies of the two surveys and in the questions used to assess loneliness. The evidence from both surveys suggests that loneliness was relatively prevalent among those aged 65 or more years, females and those living in rural areas, and that these variations had greater amplitude in 2000."
8. What percentage of old people live on their own?
"In 1987, 8.5 million elderly lived alone; by 2020, 13.3 million elderly will live alone.
More than 6.5 million, or 77%, of all elderly living alone are women. The percentage of older women living alone exceeds that of men in each age group, but women become progressively more likely than men to live alone with age.
Among those over 85. 52% of women live alone compared to 29% for men. Widowhood is by far the most common situation for older women who live alone.
Between the ages of 65 and 74, 77% of women living alone are widows, as are 88% of those over 75.
Men who live alone are far more likely to be divorced or never to have married. This phenomenon occurs because women tend to marry men older than themselves, and because women live longer than men. "
http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php/Loneliness
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1822784
Other people's questions:
11. How many old people live in poverty?
Seniors’ economic security will only increase in importance as the U.S. population ages. The nation’s health and social services resources will face unprecedented demand as 75 million people in the baby boomer generation reach retirement age—some with eroded savings and retirement accounts...Between 1959 and 1974, the elderly poverty rate fell from 35 percent to 15 percent. This was largely attributable to a set of increases in Social Security benefits. The elderly poverty rate has continued to decline in subsequent decades, reaching 9.4 percent in 2006. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits continue to play a key role in reducing elderly poverty, especially among women and people of color. If Social Security benefits did not exist, an estimated 44 percent of the elderly would be poor today, assuming no changes in behavior."
14. what % of old people are sexually active?
The nationally representative survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults ages 57 to 85 found that more than half to three-quarters of those questioned remain sexually active, with a significant proportion engaging in frequent and varied sexual behavior...Sexual problems do increase with age, and the rate of sexual activity fades somewhat, the survey found. But interest in sex remains high and the frequency remains surprisingly stable among the physically able who are lucky enough to still have partners.
15. What's the percentage of old people who go to nursing homes?
According to the 1997 National Nursing Home Survey, there were 1,465,000 residents age 65 and older in nursing homes (about 4.3 percent of the US population age 65 and older in 1997). Nearly three-fourths of these residents were women, and about one-half were age 85 and older.
In 1997, about 75 percent of all nursing home residents 65 and older required assistance in three or more activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, eating, transferring from bed to chair, and using the toilet. About 42 percent of nursing home residents were diagnosed with dementia, and 12 percent had other psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and mood disorders.
16. What's the suicide rate for elderly people?
"While the elderly make up only 12.6% of the population, they account for almost
18.1% of the suicides.
· There is one elderly suicide every one hour thirty-nine minutes.
· The suicide rate for the elderly rose 9% between 1980 and 1992. During that
rime, there were 74, 675 completed suicides of persons over 65. Rates have
declined since that time.
· In 2000, suicide rates ranged from 12.6 per 100,000 among persons aged 65 to
74, to 17.7 per 100,000 persons aged 75 to 84, which is nearly double the overall
U.S. rate.
· White men over the age of 85 are at the greatest risk of all age-gender-race
groups. In 1999, the suicide rate for these men was 59.6 per 100,000. That is
nearly 6 times the current overall rate."
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/07/elderly_poverty.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/22/AR2007082202000.html
http://www.aarp.org/research/longtermcare/nursinghomes/aresearch-import-669-FS10R.html
http://www.211bigbend.org/hotlines/suicide/SuicideandtheElderly.pdf
Researching on the elderly, made me understand them a little better. I was pretty shocked to find out the suicide rates on old people. To know that, "In 2000, suicide rates ranged from 12.6 per 100,000 among persons aged 65 to 74, to 17.7 per 100,000 persons aged 75 to 84, which is nearly double the overall U.S. rate." it's really upseting to know that old people are feeling lonely and depressed. To also know that suicude rates are increasing is really scary. Anyone's grandma or grandpa is feeling alone and that is the reason why I would like things to change between our generations. We should include old people to our society and also include them into our daily lives.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Current feelings on old people
A paragraph about your current feelings about old people - how much you interact with folks that are old, some of your experiences and impressions and reactions to old people. How you think of them and how they think of you.
I don't usually interact with old people or hang out with them so it's difficult to describe the way I look at them. I dont have the best impressions of old people but I usually picture them as old, cranky,smelly people. Everytime I spot an old person I get so angry because they are either walking too slow and delaying my time or they are yelling at some young person about how rude and disrespectful they are. I don't spend a lot of time with my grandmas just because it's a little awkward. There's never a conversation that lasts more than five minutes. I feel like it's like this with every young person. There has been such generation gap between us, and we've gotten so used to this, it doesnt bother us anymore. I would like things to change between all ages and I always wonder how it would be if all generations communicated and got along. I think that old people have the same thoughts of us young people. They usually think of young people as rude, disrespectful, and loud people. We both have negative images of one another, the reason for this is because we never get the chance to get to know one another.
I don't usually interact with old people or hang out with them so it's difficult to describe the way I look at them. I dont have the best impressions of old people but I usually picture them as old, cranky,smelly people. Everytime I spot an old person I get so angry because they are either walking too slow and delaying my time or they are yelling at some young person about how rude and disrespectful they are. I don't spend a lot of time with my grandmas just because it's a little awkward. There's never a conversation that lasts more than five minutes. I feel like it's like this with every young person. There has been such generation gap between us, and we've gotten so used to this, it doesnt bother us anymore. I would like things to change between all ages and I always wonder how it would be if all generations communicated and got along. I think that old people have the same thoughts of us young people. They usually think of young people as rude, disrespectful, and loud people. We both have negative images of one another, the reason for this is because we never get the chance to get to know one another.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Questions
Social interactions/Old People
1. Who do you mostly interact with, people of your age or all ages?
2. Do you consider yourself very social?
3. Do you have many friends?
4. Would you say you are a lonely person? Why?
5. Do you have a family?
6. Do you go out often?
7. Are you married?
8. Do you live by yourself?
9. Do you take care of yourself or do you have others who take care of you? (my opinion:old people do not want to be a burden to others so they tend to be very grumpy and anti-social)
10. Do you have a best friend? If so what do you talk about when yoo're together?
11. How close are you to those you communicate with?
12. How much of the day do you spend on your own?
13. Do you travel a lot? If so, with whom? Family? friends?
14. How would you describe yourself?
15. If you have kids, how often do they check on you?
16. Who is the most imporant person in your life? Why?
17. Do you feel like you're invited into the multi-generation society?
18. Would you say that people like you as the person you are?
19. Do you consider yourself a nice person? Why or why not?
1. Who do you mostly interact with, people of your age or all ages?
2. Do you consider yourself very social?
3. Do you have many friends?
4. Would you say you are a lonely person? Why?
5. Do you have a family?
6. Do you go out often?
7. Are you married?
8. Do you live by yourself?
9. Do you take care of yourself or do you have others who take care of you? (my opinion:old people do not want to be a burden to others so they tend to be very grumpy and anti-social)
10. Do you have a best friend? If so what do you talk about when yoo're together?
11. How close are you to those you communicate with?
12. How much of the day do you spend on your own?
13. Do you travel a lot? If so, with whom? Family? friends?
14. How would you describe yourself?
15. If you have kids, how often do they check on you?
16. Who is the most imporant person in your life? Why?
17. Do you feel like you're invited into the multi-generation society?
18. Would you say that people like you as the person you are?
19. Do you consider yourself a nice person? Why or why not?
The Elderly
My definition of an old person would be when they hit a certain age such as 65 years old, they are out of tune with the current generation, or just rely on life as they live on. My opinion on old people is that they are grumpy, smelly, old, etc. This is the stereotypical answer you may get from young people regarding the topic on old people. The young generation is less likely to spend time with old people which makes us only create negative images of them. It isn't likely to see young people today spending time with their grandma or grandpa. We have been separated through age groups and to stick by that rule. Teenagers stick with people their own age and old people with people their own age. What if this was to change and we were united and mixed together?? There wouldn't be no seclusion between one another.
Some theories on why we don't know many old people were,
1. they live in homes
2. they don't like us (anyone younger than them)
3. we don't like them
4. Generation gap
Some theories on why we don't know many old people were,
1. they live in homes
2. they don't like us (anyone younger than them)
3. we don't like them
4. Generation gap
Sunday, February 8, 2009
LDH2BM Interviews
1. What would you like to accomplish in the future/before you die?
2. If you were to die right now, can you say you've lived a good and meaningful life?
Person 1
In the future I would like to travel to places I have never been to, I want to see new things that are out there, I've been stuck in the city for so long I want to be somewhere new. I want to live on my own and not have to bother others who have to take care of me and watch my every move. If I were to die now, I wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't feel like I lived a good and meaningful life because I never accomplished everything I wanted to, I haven't seen the good things in life.
Person 2
I don't have anything I would like to accomplish, I feel like my life has gone through good and bad times but I am grateful for everything that has happened. I've learned a lot as I have grown old so I would have to say if I were to die right now I can say my life has been very meaningful. I have a great family who love me and care for me so I have nothing to regret or feel bad for.
Person 3
I don't have anything I want to accomplish its more of what I would like to see in the future, I want there to be peace and tranquility in this world. I want to live my life without no worries. I don't want to rely on anyone for help, I would like to just take care of myself. If I were to doe now, I would die peacefully and happy. My life has been good to me I have nothing to complain about.
2. If you were to die right now, can you say you've lived a good and meaningful life?
Person 1
In the future I would like to travel to places I have never been to, I want to see new things that are out there, I've been stuck in the city for so long I want to be somewhere new. I want to live on my own and not have to bother others who have to take care of me and watch my every move. If I were to die now, I wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't feel like I lived a good and meaningful life because I never accomplished everything I wanted to, I haven't seen the good things in life.
Person 2
I don't have anything I would like to accomplish, I feel like my life has gone through good and bad times but I am grateful for everything that has happened. I've learned a lot as I have grown old so I would have to say if I were to die right now I can say my life has been very meaningful. I have a great family who love me and care for me so I have nothing to regret or feel bad for.
Person 3
I don't have anything I want to accomplish its more of what I would like to see in the future, I want there to be peace and tranquility in this world. I want to live my life without no worries. I don't want to rely on anyone for help, I would like to just take care of myself. If I were to doe now, I would die peacefully and happy. My life has been good to me I have nothing to complain about.
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