Personal responsibility is a phrase that has become virtually extinct in the modern day vernacular. People shy away from it. They see a whole host of problems of society, and have a myriad of both complaints and opinions regarding said problems. Sociology, Economics, Politics, Science, and Religion are but a few of the subjects we could cover in this segment. However, I'd like to take a look at something deeper that I believe shapes the way in which we view the subject matter.
The concept of worldviews is an intriguing one for me. Beyond the surface of what we believe, there is always an underlying question. Why? The way in which we answer that question speaks volumes about our core values and ourselves in general.
I will be willing to concede that I may be oversimplifying, but I see two main worldviews. For the sake of this blog, I will refer to them as the inquisitive view and the consensus view.
Both parties may have opposing view points, but I believe the problems mount when we can't decide how to effectively handle the differences.
The inquisitive party embraces, and may actually enjoy, a robust debate on whatever the topic may be. The one who subscribes to the consensus, tends to believe that the discussion is settled when there are numbers of people and biases that reflect their own, contrary to what history, evidence and the arguments might say.
Personally, the more time goes by, the more satisfied I am with the fact that my belief systems are my own. I'm growing more content to claim ownership of them whether or not anyone else agrees, but there are those who don't share my sentiment.
People who adopt the consensus view at face value tend to react emotionally instead of diligently researching and actually acquiring the necessary skills needed to meticulously assess their own perspectives. The end result is slander, libel, character defamation, anything to rip apart an individual who happens to have an opposing view. The sad reality is when a person utilizes such tactics, they are on the defensive, generally because they are embracing a failing ideology, and the proof of it is that an ironclad belief system should be able to withstand a little scrutiny.
No one is suggesting that being scrutinized is a desirable process, but it is certainly an inevitable one that we all will face. One of the beautiful things about the country in which I live is that I can have a worldview that is in direct conflict with someone else, and that's okay. Or at least, it use to be. Perspectives are so polarized now, that if two people don't see eye to eye, someone in the equation has to be an idiot. The petulance has to end if society is to move forward. For society to change, the individual must change. I must change.
There has to be a correlation between personal values and what people will deem as permissible behavior in the treatment of others. While passion may breed followers, insults will not. In the never ending quest to be right, we've misplaced manners and human decency. Let's hope we can remember where we put them before we head out the door.
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Jonathan Laird / Blog
The Descent of Manners
Personal responsibility is a phrase that has become virtually extinct in the modern day vernacular. People shy away from it. They see a whole host of problems of society, and have a myriad of both complaints and opinions regarding said problems. Sociology, Economics, Politics, Science, and Religion are but a few of the subjects we could cover in this segment. However, I'd like to take a look at something deeper that I believe shapes the way in which we view the subject matter.
The concept of worldviews is an intriguing one for me. Beyond the surface of what we believe, there is always an underlying question. Why? The way in which we answer that question speaks volumes about our core values and ourselves in general.
I will be willing to concede that I may be oversimplifying, but I see two main worldviews. For the sake of this blog, I will refer to them as the inquisitive view and the consensus view.
Both parties may have opposing view points, but I believe the problems mount when we can't decide how to effectively handle the differences.
The inquisitive party embraces, and may actually enjoy, a robust debate on whatever the topic may be. The one who subscribes to the consensus, tends to believe that the discussion is settled when there are numbers of people and biases that reflect their own, contrary to what history, evidence and the arguments might say.
Personally, the more time goes by, the more satisfied I am with the fact that my belief systems are my own. I'm growing more content to claim ownership of them whether or not anyone else agrees, but there are those who don't share my sentiment.
People who adopt the consensus view at face value tend to react emotionally instead of diligently researching and actually acquiring the necessary skills needed to meticulously assess their own perspectives. The end result is slander, libel, character defamation, anything to rip apart an individual who happens to have an opposing view. The sad reality is when a person utilizes such tactics, they are on the defensive, generally because they are embracing a failing ideology, and the proof of it is that an ironclad belief system should be able to withstand a little scrutiny.
No one is suggesting that being scrutinized is a desirable process, but it is certainly an inevitable one that we all will face. One of the beautiful things about the country in which I live is that I can have a worldview that is in direct conflict with someone else, and that's okay. Or at least, it use to be. Perspectives are so polarized now, that if two people don't see eye to eye, someone in the equation has to be an idiot. The petulance has to end if society is to move forward. For society to change, the individual must change. I must change.
There has to be a correlation between personal values and what people will deem as permissible behavior in the treatment of others. While passion may breed followers, insults will not. In the never ending quest to be right, we've misplaced manners and human decency. Let's hope we can remember where we put them before we head out the door.
Reply
Ah.....freedom....
People, are by and large imprisoned by the boundaries of their own minds. The reasons why, are all but limitless. Presuppositions (this happens to be a topic of which my dad is a huge fan), self-doubt, and troubled pasts are but a few of the mechanisms that limit others from achieving their full God-given potential. For those who have bad histories, the notion that history repeats itself is not a source of inspiration.
I've faced these challenges in my own life, and they have taken on many forms. Writer's block, worries, and frustrations have each been all to familiar to me. I did, however, remember a time when I wrote effortlessly, worried over virtually nothing at all, and as for the frustration....I've always had a bit of a choleric temperament. The goal-oriented, leadership driven individual gravitates naturally towards frustration, and that individual must work to overcome that demon. The point being, that I changed somewhere along the way, and not necessarily all for the better. What happened?
A couple of days ago, I started mind-mapping again. For those who don't know about this method of learning, I highly encourage researching it. It's proponents boast that it is the only learning method that accesses both hemispheres of the brain equally. I'm not a specialist in this area, so I couldn't say, but I digress.
I essentially began to journal anything that was toxic in my thinking. This caused me to find out the who, what, when, where, why and how behind the thoughts that were getting me nowhere. This process had to be done in a spirit of humility. It involved being completely divorced from anything that would pass the blame onto another person or circumstance. It required full emphasis on personal responsibility and accountability so that I could re-frame my thoughts to see them in the proper perspective. Things that used to hurt, are seen in a whole new light and are deprived of their power to run my life any longer.
I am now writing three new songs for the upcoming recording. They are entitled The Hourglass, Love is Not a Feeling Anymore and Don't Waste It All. With the grace of God, boundaries and strongholds are being broken down in my life, and for those of us who want to see a change in life, the possibilities are endless for the ones who can control their minds and their thought lives.
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Organization? I should use words I understand.
Wow! Just yesterday I recognized a significant need to bring militant organization and structure into every arena of my life. It's a daunting challenge seeing as how my natural tendency is to be the personification of disorganization. Help!
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Excellence 101
Excellence must be pursued. It is not merely given or contagious as if it were pandemic. It is a true example of the old adage, "Luck is where preparation and opportunity meet." If I'm to become truly great at my calling in life or anything else for that matter, it begins with intention, but then surpasses intention by moving on into a clearly defined direction. Success is goals. Decisions we make today will shape the lives we live tomorrow and we will discover that what Benjamin Disraeli stated still rings true today. "First we make our choices, and then our choices make us."
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That's right. I've got skills. Nunchuk skills, bowstaff skills...
I'm a big D.I.Y. kinda guy. I always loved taking things apart. Sometimes I even put them back together. I watched MacGyver religiously. Mullets were in fashion back then. Don't believe me? Check out Huey Lewis and David Hasselhoff. I love How Stuff Works. I love making my own food. I like knowing what goes in it. I watch YouTube tutorials on how to do new things for the basic reason of "If I can do it myself, it may turn out better and more cost-effective than hiring someone else to do it. Try this sometime: Google search a product that you're interested in buying, go to the shopping results, change the viewing options to sort the items by price: low to high, then compare those prices to a retailer. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not Jewish man. However, they know their finances and I'll follow those principles. I'm learning them and getting good at applying them. Who knows? Maybe the more aware I become of my skill sets, the more I can establish a clear grasp on what my life is suppose to look like. It's like putting a puzzle together, and I love a good puzzle. Everybody's good at something. How about you?
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Passion is the catalyst
Man! What a weekend! After playing three shows in the course of four days, I am ready for some much needed r and r. The crowd response and turnout wasn't quite what we anticipated, but over time, I've come to realize when that happens, the problem is not the audience. After all, the customer is always right. I'd like to get to the point where I can gauge what the crowd wants to hear, and then run with that. It helps me to stay positive, regardless of those circumstances, and the way to do it is simply to inject love into the equation. I fell short this weekend. As a result, I will pick myself up and do better next time. A love for what you do shows it's truest colors when things aren't going according to your plans, and you rise above the problem. Challenges may arise, but the way in which we handle those challenges reveals our character for what it truly is. Hope is the blueprint. Faith is the building material. Love is the architect. Passion is the catalyst. Walking in these attributes will make the lives of others better because they are your lifestyle. That is true success in my book.
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Inspiration comes in the most unlikely places
For those of you who haven't heard, there appears to be an entire genre of music influenced by the first generation Nintendo video game themes. The category is appropriately named "8-bit." Just like in any other form of music, there are some who are more creative with it than others, but what surprised me is just how innovative artists in this styling can be. One group called YMCK uses surprisingly complex chord structures and whoever is playing on those recordings knows their stuff. Take those sounds and put them on a classical guitar or a keyboard, and you may be surprised at the outcome. You may dig it. You may not. I can only say I'm learning a few things I didn't know before, and that, is extremely gratifying.
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Memories of Ben
Saturday night, February 6, 2010, the world lost Ben Trussell.
For those of you who don't know Ben, I'll be happy to share my memory of him with you, as I have no doubt that you'll be better for having experienced him on some level.
Many people knew Ben for his gifts. An alien-like ability to spin a lyric, soulful melodies and entrancing guitar parts. These things certainly were a big part of what Ben Trussell did, but they were not who he was in and of themselves.
On a deeper and more personal level, Ben was the guy who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. His manners and charisma drew people to him, and I believe, bred fans that would follow him to the ends of the earth. He was always full of laughter. He was a fantastic listener. If you lived too far away, he always had a couch on standby because he didn't want you to fall asleep on the way home.
Ben always wanted to go for the gold. He always wanted to be a better man than he was yesterday.
I had the privilege of knowing Ben as a close friend off stage. We would hang out at family cookouts, call each other to go have lunch and just relax. He loved a good joke, and lived life with a spirit of gratitude.
I know this event has devastated many people. Some don't know exactly what to do, or how to go on. I can only venture to say that Ben would have wanted each of us to live to the fullest, to fulfill our destinies and to be able to tell God Himself that we used everything that He gave us for His glory and His benefit. My hope is that these events can catalyze each one of us as the memory of Ben spurs us on towards individual greatness. Then we can proudly enter in to Heaven's Gates where Ben will be waiting for us, with a steel string in hand and a song in his heart on God's back porch.
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Project News
Hey Feed the Musers! Just a little update on the project. I am currently working on a new song for the disc, "I've Gotta Leave." Also, Carter Hamric, who I've been privileged to know and play with, is having one of his songs, "Facebook Her" broadcast tomorrow on ABC World News tonight. Tune in and check it out!
See ya soon!
Jon
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Album Fundraiser Update
Good stuff is afoot, but we've got a long way to go. Currently working on two new songs for the final recording. This is part of structuring the format of the album so that we can have a solid and consistently good artwork from beginning to end. Once we are able to lay down all of the tracks and put together our merchandise table, we will be able to offer our fans the final release date. Many thanks to Dana Craig, Suzie Nolan, and Ryan McKannan for all their support and contributions to the project. Want a piece of the action? Go to www.feedthemuse.net/jonathanlaird
Again thanks for riding along with us and we'll see you at the release!
Jonathan Laird
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